TTC Snowcraft and Alpine Instruction Course (AIC)
Snowcraft for Trampers and AIC 2026 is open now! Come along to the new members night on 26 May to hear more.
This year TTC is pleased to offer a Snowcraft for Trampers course alongside the regular Alpine Instruction Course.
Snowcraft will introduce you to the skills essential for those contemplating transalpine tramping or venturing above the bushline in winter conditions.
Please sign up for Snowcraft here. The cost of this course is $485.
The Alpine Instruction Course expands on the snowcraft skills and introduces essential mountaineering skills and rope work.
Please sign up for the AIC here. The cost of this course is $1000.
There are eight spaces available in each course.
Overview of Snowcraft for trampers
We will begin with a session at the TTC club rooms to introduce the course, basic concepts and the plan for the weekend. Here we will issue you with helmets, crampons and an ice axe.
We will then run a practical three-day weekend run on the Whakapapa ski field on Mt Ruapehu.
The weekend covers the fundamental snowcraft skills such as:
- Correct selection and use of an ice axe
- Moving on Snow without crampons
- Moving on snow with crampons
- How to self-arrest
- Basics of Avalanche awareness and route selection
- Avalanche Rescue
Overview of the Alpine Instruction Course:
The AIC will share the first weekend with the snowcraft course as outlined above. It will then introduce more technical aspects of climbing in the mountains.
Rock Weekend: We run instruction on the basic rope skills required for mountaineering.
Rock 1 is a practical full-day at the TTC clubrooms and on Mount Victoria. We will issue climbing equipment and introduction to fundamental knots, rope management, and climbing techniques needed for mountaineering.
Rock 2 is a full-day at Titahi Bay spent applying the skills learned on Rock 1 in an alpine-like environment.
Snow 2: This is a practical three-day weekend run on the Whakapapa ski field on Mt Ruapehu.
Again, we will start with an evening at the TTC hall to introduce content and to prepare for the weekend.
This weekend will be spent applying and further developing alpine skills by traveling around the mountain.
You will have the opportunity to put your rope skills from Rock 1 & 2 into practice in combination with your snow skills.
We will cover mountain weather, route finding and terrain. You will have the opportunity to further practice basic avalanche rescue skills and safe back-country planning and travel techniques.
If the opportunity presents then we will look to climb to one of the mountain's summits.
Post-course trips
Post-course trips are an excellent opportunity to help embed the knowledge you will gain through the courses.
We plan to run a post-snowcraft trip in the North Island.
We plan two post-AIC trips. One will be North Island and the other South Island (likely over Labour Weekend).
These trips are optional and will be led by our volunteer instructors. They are weather and avalanche condition-dependent. Dates will be confirmed shortly.
Is it for me?
The courses include supervised travel on moderately-angled snow slopes which can be icy. Participants are encouraged to climb short steeper sections as their confidence and footwork improves.
Snowcraft:
Participants are expected to have reasonable level of fitness and the ability to walk for up to eight hours a day, at standard walking pace, with off track travel and 1000m of vertical ascent.
AIC:
We expect participants of either course to have a high level of fitness and the ability to walk up to 12 hours per day, at standard walking pace, with off track travel and 1000m of vertical ascent.
Building fitness
The best way to acquire mountain fitness is to go on some club tramping trips before the course!
Adapting to the conditions
We can expect to experience storms and strong winds on Ruapehu and will adapt the programme to suit the conditions.
Contact the course convenor if you have questions about the suitability of the course for you.
Course Costs
The costs of the courses cover accommodation, food, and transport for the Snow 1 and 2 weekends, course administration and subsidising our volunteer instructor costs.
TTC will provide all technical equipment for the course and optional post-course trips (axes, crampons etc). Students will be required to have appropriate mountain clothing and footwear.
Both courses are available only to members of the TTC. Joining the club is straightforward and the membership cost is $71 (or $49 if you are 25 or younger).
Snowcraft for trampers
Snowcraft for trampers is $485
Please sign up for Snowcraft here
AIC
The full AIC course cost is $1000.
Please sign up for the AIC here
Schedule for 2025
| Both courses will attend the snowcraft dates: | ||
| Snowcraft | Talk - TTC clubrooms (6-8pm) | Monday 10 August |
| Snowcraft weekend | Ruapehu weekend | Thursday 13 August - Sunday 16 August (Leaving Wellington Thursday afternoon, return Sunday evening) |
| The following only applies to the AIC | ||
| Rock 1 | TTC clubrooms (9am-4pm) | Saturday 22 August |
| Rock 2 | Titahi Bay (meet at Whitireia Public Car Park at 9am - return 5pm) | Sunday 23 August |
| Rock 1 Contingency | TTC clubrooms (9am-4pm) | Saturday 29 August |
| Rock 2 Contingency | Titahi Bay (meet at Whitireia Public Car Park at 9am - return 5pm) | Sunday 30 August |
| Snow 2 | Talk - TTC clubrooms (6-8pm) | Monday 7 September |
| Snow 2 | Ruapehu long weekend | Thursday 10 September - Sunday 13 September (leaving Wellington Thursday afternoon and return on Sunday evening) |
- Talks are held at Tararua clubrooms, Moncrieff St, Mt Vic.
- Ruapehu weekends are based at the Tararua Lodge and leave Wellington Railway Station 3.00pm the day before the weekend.
Contact
Interested in TTC's alpine instruction? Contact James Gilbert-Milne -> mailto:alpine [period] instruction [snail] ttc [period] org [period] nz?Subject=Query from TTC website on 027 324 3475 or join the waitlist here