Logged Experience - Climbing

The NZMGA needs to see a solid base of personal mountaineering skills, knowledge and experience from guide candidates. To apply for a place on the Climb Guide Pathway, Applicants must present for consideration to the NZMGA Training Officer (TO) a mountaineering Logbook covering a minimum of three seasons of active mountaineering in both winter and summer. This is to set a solid base of personal mountaineering skills, knowledge and experience from which to launch a guides training pathway.

The Logbook should exceed the following minimum international standard:

Mixed Snow/ice Routes
These routes must be serious alpine undertakings with you in a leadership or shared leadership role. Descent is preferably by another route and not a continuous rap descent. Logbooks should show dates and partners (contact addresses may be required for verification). Some overseas routes are acceptable.

Minimum of 10 mixed snow/ice routes to include:

• At least five Aoraki Mt Cook seriousness grade III;
• At least five Aoraki Mt Cook seriousness grade IV or higher;
• At least two of the grade IVs must have a technical grade of 5 or higher.
• Ascents of major NZ peaks, at least five of which must be over 3000m;
• Some of the routes should have height gains of at least 800m.

• Crux Grade at least 13 Ewbank;
• Approx 10 pitches (a ‘pitch’ is not necessarily a rope length) or around 250 m vertical;
• Routes can be climbed either in mountain boots or a combination of mountain boots and rock shoes and must be protected in part by traditional protection;
• Routes must be of ‘alpine’ character in mountainous terrain and/or on glaciers.