Instructors for all courses are volunteers but they are encouraged and helped to undertake instructor training during
the year in their respective activities. Outside of the formal courses listed below, club trips with competent "old hands" provide some of the best learning opportunities for tramping, sea
kayaking, gourmet cooking, mountain biking, skiing and mountaineering.
Bushcraft
For those new to the outdoors, the introductory Bushcraft
courses, usually held in February and October, offer the chance to get tips on basic outdoor skills such as navigation and river crossing. These courses are also a great way to meet new people
of similar experience. Instruction is based around well-tested material used by organisations like the
NZ Mountain Safety Council. Instructors are experienced Club members.
Alpine Instruction
This popular and basic course is ideal for those with some tramping experience and is aimed at teaching introductory skills for safe alpine travel. Components of the course cover
rope management, ice-axe and crampon use, glacier travel and constructing a snowcave. This alpine instruction course does not cover technical climbing. However, further training usually
follows for those wanting to take on steeper terrain. These courses typically involve several days of instruction around Wellington and three weekends away on Mt.
Ruapehu and Mt. Taranaki. Instruction is provided by experienced Club members. Navigation This is a practical course designed to extend your skills in observation, map reading
and compass use. The course is for people who are already skilled in the basics of navigation.
Outdoor First Aid The course provides basic first aid and casualty management training. The practical exercises undertaken during the course have specific
application to providing assistance when in the bush. The certificate awarded at the end of successfully completing the course is recognised for workplace first aid.
Leadership This course is aimed at improving the confidence and skills of prospective and existing
club leaders. Topics covered include navigation and map reading, weather patterns, first aid scenarios and trip planning. This course is run every two years.
Snow Sports During winter we offer scheduled ski weeks and weekends based at the club's Mt. Ruapehu Lodge. Our members provide skiing and snowboarding instruction.
They can assist people interested in learning the basics right through to those wanting to fine tune their technique.
Search and Rescue Members of the Wellington SAR team receive free training by the New Zealand Police and experienced Club members. Training includes a variety of practical
field exercises such as using tracking skills, first aid, rope management and navigation. An annual SAR exercise is held late in the year to consolidate the
practical and theoretical experience gained during the year.
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