Field Notes
The Aspiring Guides Blog
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Featured blog post
The Gear Room: Ski Trip Equipment Check
The snow is starting to fall on the Southern Alps and the time has come to clear the dust from your winter kit for the ski season ahead.
Latest blog posts
Our Top Trekking Picks for the 2024 Trekking Season
New Zealand's Great Walks are iconic, drawing adventurers from around the globe to explore their well-worn trails. However, beyond these popular routes lies a world of raw beauty and remote wilderness waiting to be discovered. Learn more about some of our favourite "off-the-beaten-track" trekking trips for this summer.
Trip Report: Spring Basecamp
By far one of our favourite highlights from this winter season. This September, we had the pleasure of bringing to life our Spring Basecamp event, an exciting collaboration with The North Face - Australia & New Zealand and b.effect brewing company designed for strong intermediate - advanced skiers and snowboarders. The event aimed to help participants level up their backcountry knowledge with hands-on workshops led by our expert guides.
Family Friendly Trekking Ideas For Summer
Kiwi families like a challenge, but sometimes finding the right adventure to keep both parents and kids happy can be tricky. Will the route be too difficult? Will it be too easy? How will we cook for a bigger crew in the backcountry? What food to pack?!
Rabbit Pass: A Kiwi's Bucket List Tramping Experience
If you’ve lived in New Zealand for any length of time, chances are you’ve ticked off a few backcountry adventures. After all, about a third of the country’s land mass is protected land, and at least 10% is national park, so you don’t have to go far to find a wild and scenic patch of earth to explore.
Diagnosing Your Addiction to Backcountry Skiing
The quest for fresh powder and the need to carve first lines has always been an addiction for skiers. What is different is the fact that more and more people are choosing to embark on this quest in the NZ backcountry.
Trip Report: Mt. Blanc
The most important thing to remember is that Mountaineering (Alpinism) was born on Mont Blanc.
The Art of Shoving and Stripping - How to Pack For Your Trek
Nothing screams ‘beginner’ more than a lopsided, unbalanced pack with stuff hanging on the outside.
From Australia’s Larapinta trail to NZ’s Gillespie-Rabbit Passes
Michael as a lad grew up in Tasmania where he developed a love of remote wilderness areas, and cold, snowy environments. That’s why he decided to take a job guiding for World Expeditions on the Larapinta trail based out of Alice Springs in one of the hottest places in Australia !?!
Advice For Your Ski Touring Setup
As winter approaches we often get asked advice on what gear investments to make for ski touring. Getting started is a big investment so you want to get it right. There has been a lot written about touring gear so we're going to keep it simple and as brief as possible.
How to Choose Mountaineering Boots
As with most mountaineering equipment, there is not one magical item that works for every eventuality. When investing in boots, you need to decide when, and for what, you are going to be using them the most. There will have to be some compromise somewhere along the line.
The Unique Nature of Alpine Climbing is New Zealand
Alpine climbing in New Zealand is likely completely different to other mountain areas that you may have visited. Without the easy logistics and access of European mountains, NZ offers an authentic mountaineering adventure.
Mastering the Ice: Essential Equipment for Climbing in New Zealand's Frozen Playground
In this guide, we delve into the essential equipment necessary for tackling New Zealand's ice-climbing, from specialized boots to the intricacies of crampons and ice tools. Whether you're a seasoned climber or a novice adventurer, understanding the gear can make all the difference in the frozen landscapes of Aoraki/Mount Cook and the Westland regions.
Progression to Mt. Cook
The most common inquiry that we get at Aspiring Guides is for a guided ascent of Aoraki / Mount Cook - the highest peak in New Zealand and an impressive sight from whatever direction it is viewed. We can appreciate the appeal! Learn what is required to "knock the bastard off."
Training Advice for Mt. Aspiring
While Tititea/Mt.Aspiring isn't New Zealand's toughest and most technical peak, it's not an "off-the-couch" objective. It requires training and preparation. Here are some of our suggestions for how to prepare for your first summit!
Mt. Aspiring, WOW, We Did It!
Aspiring Guides clients Gary and Graham recount their tremendous achievement of climbing Mt Aspiring. What started as a goal became their reality through hard work, a strict training regime and being suckers for punishment.
Inside our Mountaineering Skills Course at Mt Cook
Recently I was invited by Aspiring Guides to shoot and participate in a seven-day mountaineering course in New Zealand. Based in Wanaka, Aspiring Guides is a local outfit that offers mountain guiding and quality training in the peaks of the New Zealand Alps. When they called me at the last minute with one spot left, I jumped on it.
Jess's Top 3 Rock Climbs in The Southern Lakes
Jess shares her favourite "secret spots" for climbing in the Southern Lakes region.
The Ultimate Guide to the 3-Layer System in New Zealand
As outdoor enthusiasts and guides, we understand that being properly prepared can make all the difference between a memorable adventure and a challenging ordeal. That's why we're here to highlight the importance of the three-layering system—a fundamental strategy for staying comfortable and safe in the unpredictable environments of the backcountry.
Ski Touring at Robrosa
No lifts, no road, no wi-fi, no heating, no shower — Robrosa Hut sits at 1700m in the Pisa Ranges, New Zealand. Just four bunks, a gas cooker, views for days, and endless gullies, chutes and cliffs for as many lines as your legs can handle.
Tips for Winter Hiking in New Zealand
Hiking in the winter months is becoming increasingly popular in New Zealand due to the lack of crowds and stunning snow covered peaks can make for a totally different scene from the normal hiking months is New Zealand. When you hit the weather right and you can have a wilderness experience like no other feeling like you're transported into another world.
Are Traditional Maps and GPS Obsolete?
Your phone works as a GPS? There are lots of GPS apps that work on your smartphone and if you spend heaps of time in the backcountry, it's a no-brainer to get on board with the phone revolution.
The Ultimate Trekking Survival Guide For Parents
We know that holidays should be quality time for everybody in the family. But finding activities and trips to suit everybody is tough. And before you know it, someone is hungry and needs to run to the loo or forget the backpack. Here's a survival guide for your family holiday.
conservation and sustainability
Stewards of tomorrow.
We instil stewardship in every generation, fostering respect for this taoka, this treasured place.
Join the Aspiring Club Newsletter
We’re at our best when we’re scaling rock, ice and snow but we give this email thing a crack every so often (Monthly-ish). If you want to hear about new adventures and updates, then join our newsletter.
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