Leading on Technical Ice Course

Please see below the information for the 2020 season. Details for 2021 will be released soon.

Who is this course for?

The NZAC Leading on Technical Ice Course (LTIC) is designed for fit mountaineers who are able to look after themselves on 35-degree snow slopes, confidently leading traditional rock climbs, have good rope management skills and experience of camping in snow.
Participants should be competent in all of the course outcomes from the NZAC’s Intermediate Snowcraft Course and have trad climbing experience.
Please see the NZAC Course Pathway prior to registering for this course.

 

On the LTIC, participants will learn the following:

  • The gear: crampons, ice tools, leashes, ice screws, harnesses, v-thread hooks
  • How to rack up efficiently.
  • The correct way to use your leashes, swing your tools and place your crampons.
  • How to stay calm and move efficiently on ice without wasting energy.
  • How to place ice screws, even when you are dangling off one arm and stressed.
  • How to build ice screw and V-threads anchors.
  • A controlled progression to build up to leading confidently.

 

Instruction

The course will be run in a minimum 1:4 guide to participant ratio, headed by a fully qualified IFMGA or NZMGA Climbing Guide. All participants must agree to follow the guide’s instructions and directions.

 

Flexible Course Dates

All courses are 4 days in duration. However, given 36 hours’ notice, you will need to be available for a delayed start and so a delayed finish, if the weather forecast is better. Therefore, you will need to be available for a 5 day window and instruction will occur on the best 4 day block out of the 5 days. There is a lot to cover and this gives us the best chance of optimal conditions for instruction and climbing.