Jim Davidson Volunteer of the Year 2022

Nominated by the Auckland Section, Jim Davidson has given a vast amount of time and effort into the instruction and mentoring of club members. He has instructed on the section snowcraft, navigation and avalanche awareness courses and recently taken on organising intermediate snowcraft courses. He has also attended numerous club and private trips with section members in a mentoring capacity.

Jim is an accomplished mountaineer and has given his time to pass this knowledge on to members and also using these skills to help develop the Instruction pathway with the instruction committee.

Jim’s enthusiasm and willingness to share his knowledge and bring the next generation through has done wonders for the section’s instruction, not only for those students he has taught and mentored, but also our younger instructors who he has helped progress as mountaineers and also as knowledgeable instructors themselves.

Jim started climbing around 2010. He has been an active mountaineer over the past twelve years, and pre-covid joined the small group of people who have climbed all New Zealand’s 3000m peaks. Other climbers in the section respect him for both his accomplishments and skills, and he demonstrates that it is possible to climb the high peaks from Auckland.

More importantly, Jim has been a committed and knowledgeable volunteer in the area of instruction. Courses he has led or assisted with are numerous and include rock climbing, basic snowcraft, intermediate snowcraft, avalanche awareness and navigation. Most of these courses involve time-consuming weekend journeys to Mt Ruapehu.

Penny Webster has endorsed Jim’s nomination:

'With regard to policy, Jim has also been instrumental in helping the Auckland Section adopt the national standardised syllabus in the area of snowcraft instruction. He contributed to discussion at the time the NZAC National Instruction Committee established the club strategic pathway for mountaineering.

'Jim is also an esteemed mentor. He organises trips for the instructors. In 2018, Jim and I lead a combined group of Auckland and Canterbury/ Westland instructors on a climb of Aoraki / Mt Cook. He has made himself readily available for the Auckland members who want to discuss routes, climbs etc. This year, Jim assisted me with Arthur's Pass Partnership Programme, which is a mentoring programme for more committed mountaineers in the Arthur's Pass region. His help has been invaluable, and the participants enjoyed his company and expertise. 

'I understand that Jim is also a committee member of the Auckland Section and contributes to the section with yet more time.

'Jim is preparing to move away from Auckland, and he will be noticeably missed. 

'I believe that Jim Davidson is a deserving club member worthy of the NZAC Volunteer of the Year prize.'