As a member of NZAC you have an opportunity to participate in a variety of exciting and challenging alpine adventures. In order to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all participants, it is important to familiarise yourself with our trip guidelines. This outlines the guidelines and expectations for participating in club trips. By following these guidelines we can all have a safe and rewarding experience in the beautiful alpine environment New Zealand has to offer. 

• You are responsible for your own safety. If you are uncomfortable with any situation, let your trip organiser know straight away. 

• Be prepared to drive or contribute to transport costs incurred (petrol, wear & tear).

• Make sure you have a clear idea of the trip’s goals and what will be required of you, assessing the intended trip against your skills as to whether the trip is suitable. 

• Contribute towards decision making, stick as a group and take direction from the Trip Leader should decisions arise.  

• Obtain a relevant map and know where you are going, the terrain, what gear you will need, and how to use it. 

• If you discover that you cannot go on the trip then let the Trip organiser know as soon as possible so that another person can take your place. 

• Read, understand and return the signed copy of the NZAC waiver form to the Trip Organiser.

• Trips should be fun for everyone. Choose a mountain, peak, hill, traverse, route, crag, or whatever and get out there and meet some keen club members!

• You cannot be responsible for the safety of every member of the group, but you should aim to empower every group member with enough knowledge to make their own informed decisions about the proposed trip both before, and during the trip.

• Choose a realistic goal for the time available and give prospective group members an idea of the amount of effort required.

• Set a group size limit based on your experience, the goal, time available and the groups individual fitness and experience.

• Let the group know what skills & equipment are needed when they sign up. 

• Provide the trip participants with a copy of the NZAC waiver form and have them understand, sign and return it to you in advance of the trip. 

• Organise travel arrangements at the earliest opportunity and let everyone know how much they can expect to pay for transport costs - petrol, wear & tear.

• Prepare detailed trip intentions and leave them with at least one responsible individual. 

• If someone on the trip voices their concern about a situation it is up to you (with the help of the group) to find a safe solution. 

• Post trip contact the Trips-coordinator to give an update on how it went and inform if there were any incidents or accidents to encourage NZAC continuous improvement.

• Find someone on the trip to write an interesting trip report for the Section Newsletter and email it to Shannon

A club trip is a great way to spend time with like-minded people, share some adventures and give back to the outdoor community. Most trips involve moderate to intermediate mountaineering but they can include anything from tramping and rock climbing to mountaineering objectives. The trip leader is not a professional guide or instructor, as a trip leader you organise and lead the group only.

What is involved?

• Pick an objective and date.

• Use the trip leader worksheet to plan your trip.

• Get in contact with the trip coordinator.

• Your trip needs to be signed off to make sure all points are ticked off. The trip coordinator can also help you with any questions you have regarding the planning.

• The trip gets advertised in the newsletter and/or the Canterbury Westland Facebook page.

• You organise the participants and do pre-trip preparations

Some Ideas! Mt Aiken, Binser, Avalanche Peak, Mt Cloudsey, Torlesse, Avalanche-Bealey Traverse, Castle Hill Peak, Longfellow, Avalanche PeakCrow Valley, Mt Oates, Murchison, Temple-Phipps Traverse, Mt Somers, Mt Guinevere, Mt Rolleston, Mt Philistine.

This list is a suggestion of day or overnight trips which could both be run during summer or winter. All these trips are achievable in a weekend. If you have another objective in mind just get in contact with the trip coordinator.

Trip difficulty/risk

Generally speaking, club trips should be relatively low risk. As an example, mountaineering trips should be alpine grade 2 or lower. Trips planned for harder/riskier objectives are unlikley to meet with approval from the trip coordinator or the committee. Ski touring/tramping/rock climbing trips are subject to a similar risk assessment. If you wish to lead a more difficult trip, contact the tri coordinator directly and discuss it with them beforehand, otherwise your trip may be suspended. 

Emergency communications

The New Zealand Alpine Club has a policy that all club trips must have "field communications," so that you can call for help if necessary. If you are planning a trip that remains within mobile phone coverage, then a simple mobile phone will suffice. Otherwise, you will need a satellite phone or a personal locator beacon (PLB) or equivalent. The section has a number of these that can be borrowed by trip leaders.

Let the committee know that you are back safely

When you get back from the trip, you should let the committee know that you have returned safely: a text message to one of the committee members is sufficient, as is an email to the committee email address.

Trip Planning Workbook Guide 

Trip Planning Workbook Template 

Trip Registration Form Template