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Meet at the Aspiring Guides office in Wanaka (58 McDougall Street) at 5pm for an hour long pre-trip meeting. Introductions are made and course outline reviewed. Equipment is checked and allocated by your guide. Any last minute questions are answered regarding gear.
Meet early at the Aspiring Guides office (58 McDougall Street, Wanaka) to prepare lunch before driving to the heli pad located about 20 min up the Matukituki Valley. Here you load into the helicopter and after dropping your overnight gear at the hut you fly to the foot of the ice in Blue Creek. Your guide will introduce you to the basics of climbing as you get your first taste of steep ice. You will begin with easy top roping routes while you get your bearings in this beautiful frozen world. After a full day climbing it is back to the hut for a well earned rest. The hut is located 300m above the ice, and if there is a previous track the hike back to the hut takes about 30 minutes, but it can take much longer if ploughing through fresh snow.
After a big breakfast it is back to the ice for more climbing. There are many routes, and after mastering some of the low angle routes climbers begin to explore steeper options. Many people give leading a try and learn the exhilaration of being on the sharp end! You will learn about placing ice screws and roped protection techniques as well as other safety topics. Depending on snow conditions many groups take an afternoon to climb to the summit of nearby Black Peak.
After packing up and organizing gear to be picked up by the helicopter (no heavy packs this trip!) it is back to the ice for one last whack and dangle. Many people develop a pet project to climb clean without falling and this is the final test! The helicopter arrives once everyone is tired and then it is back to the valley floor. Return to Wanaka for a hot shower and the sharing of stories over a beer or two.
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