Wellington is famous for the breeze that’s been known to pick up from time to time but perhaps not so well known for being a rock climbing destination. In truth the greater Wellington region provides a range of rock climbing opportunities for climbers at all levels and all within easy travelling distance. From the bouldering opportunities at Baring Head to some other delightful seaside climbing, Wellington has a lot to offer. When it comes to alpine climbing, generally you will find Wellington climbers heading north to the Tongariro area and across to Taranaki or making the trek to the South Island. The Tararua range in the winter also provide climbers with a chance to get their crampons and axes out.

The Section

The Wellington section of the NZ Alpine Club has a large, active membership. The section runs both rock and alpine courses each year and provides support to enable members to develop their climbing skills through subsidised club trips. An annual photo competition takes place in the middle of the year providing budding photographers with an opportunity to show off their skills and be in for a prize or two.

Meetings

The Wellington Section normally meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6pm at the Tararua Tramping Club, 4 Moncrieff Street, Mount Victoria, Wellington. Generally the evening will consist of a brief update from the committee, a presentation about adventures in the alpine environment, a skills or information session and an opportunity to chat and network with other section members over a drink. Occasionally this pattern varies a bit so if in doubt, check the latest Vertigo (our mostly monthly digital newsletter) or go to our Facebook and Instagram pages. Both are linked below here.

Social Media Links

We’re on Facebook and Instagram – come and check us out!

Trips

The section runs a range of trips throughout the year. Find out more about upcoming trips here.

Courses

The section organises a range of courses including;

• Basic Snowcraft: This is an introductory course focused on taking participants new to mountaineering into the mountains to gain skills, confidence and experience in the alpine environment. Theory nights and including a grad trip (second weekend) to practice your new skills and gain confidence this course is a great way to develop a love of alpine environments.
• Basic Navigation: This is an introductory navigation course with the intention to go beyond basic map and compass work
• Avalanche Awareness This course is NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC) accredited introductory level course. It is the first step to understanding avalanches and gaining an appreciation of the avalanche phenomenon, and what is required to make decisions regarding personal safety when traveling in avalanche terrain.

Find out more about upcoming courses here.

Request A Refund or Expense Claims

Please use the Claim Form by clicking here

Gear Hire

We hire gear out to members at a charge for a nominal fee, some items require a deposit.

Our equipment is available only to NZ Alpine Club Wellington section members and you will be asked for your membership number on checkout; please also bring your membership card along with you when you pick up the gear.

Pick-up: 8pm-9pm on Wednesday nights in Brooklyn

Return: 8pm-9pm on Wednesday nights in Brooklyn

For large groups, please all use a common tag in the event field and make one collection and drop off.

Please go to NZAC Wellington Section Bookable Shop to hire gear.

For any questions, our gear custodians can be reached via [email protected]

IMPORTANT INFORMATION about hire of the PLBs:

A bond of $50 exists for hire of a PLB.

To successfully hire a PLB, you must email the following to g[email protected]

1. Name

2. Detailed trip intentions, including dates

3. Emergency contact details

The PLB will be hired once this email has come through to our inbox. This ensures that the Rescue Coordination Centre has the details they need, should it be activated.

More information about using PLBs can be found here.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION about hire of the Garmin InReach:

A bond of $50 exists for hire of the Garmin InReach.

This device can send the following pre-set messages to an email address of your choice:

1. Delayed but everything is OK

2. Starting our trip now

3. This is where we are

All messages contain location information.

If you wish to hire this, please make a note of the details below and enter these into the Reservation Notes at checkout:

- the email address you wish to send InReach alerts to

- any adjustments to the pre-set messages (the device allows up to five different messages).

Calendar

Wellington Section Committee

For full details on our committee please see our website here

Committee Email: [email protected]

Committee

Chair – Andy Carruthers

Secretary – Eric Buscarino

Treasurer – Genevieve Coffey

Trip Coordinator – Adam Ingram

Snow Instruction Coordinator – Juergen Oesterle

Rock Instruction Coordinator – Sam Brown

Gear Custodian – Owen Lynch

Vertigo Editor – Andy Carruthers

Section Night Coordinator – Izzy Herstell

Banff – Mary McBride

Social Media – Rose Lu

Photo Competition Organiser – vacant

Club Liaison – James Johnston

Information Management - Owen Lynch

Technical and Instructional Standards - Stephen Hunt

Newsletters

For all Vertigo’s from September 2020 on, use this link: Vertigo.

For earlier editions please use this link Vertigo backup