Blog
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.
Images by: Victoria Wells
Designed for strong intermediate to advanced skiers and snowboarders, our Spring Basecamp event aimed to help participants level up their backcountry knowledge with hands-on, practical workshops led by our expert guides. We hosted 12 eager attendees who were ready to expand their skills. The event took place over two action-packed days, with the first day dedicated to exploring Black Peak and the second to tackling the backcountry of Treble Cone. Both locations presented unique opportunities for learning, making it an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
Day one kicked off at Aspiring Helicopters, where participants began with their avalanche safety and helicopter briefing. Following the briefing, each group enjoyed an exciting helicopter flight to Black Peak, their epic venue for the day. The mountains had received 60 cm of fresh snow just 48 hours before the event and these untouched slopes had our attendees drooling. Upon landing, each group began with a low-angle warm-up lap to get a feel for the conditions and ease into the day. While the ice crust on the northwest aspect initially presented less than ideal skiing conditions, the groups set off to explore another zone.
Here Andrew Bridgman has a look at the NW aspect of Black Peak at 2,100m.
With the warm-up laps complete, the groups set off for the summit of Black Peak, a rewarding ascent that offered the classic panoramic views overlooking Lake Wanaka that this location is known for. High-fives and summit pictures followed, setting the stage for the afternoon’s real fun. After evaluating the snow conditions, the guiding team gave the green light for skiing the main face of Black Peak. The powder was in excellent form, and the participants eagerly set out to make their mark on the mountain.
Unfortunately, due to incoming weather, we were unable to offer the overnight expedition and camping experience we had originally planned. However, the day’s clear skies and perfect conditions more than made up for this change, and the groups maximised every moment on the slopes.
The second day of the Spring Basecamp brought more variable weather conditions, so the focus shifted slightly to in-depth backcountry workshops. Participants engaged in practical, hands-on learning that covered essential topics such as touring techniques, terrain assessment, route selection, avalanche danger assessment, and companion rescue. These workshops were designed to deepen each participant’s understanding of the complexities of backcountry travel and avalanche safety, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to make informed decisions in changing conditions.
Although the event format had to be slightly adjusted, the two days spent in the mountains were nothing short of spectacular. The combination of awesome terrain, fresh snow, and valuable learning opportunities created an unforgettable day.
We’d like to extend a massive thank you to our event partners, The North Face and B.Effect Brewing, for their support in making this event possible. We also want to give a shout-out to our incredible team of guides, Tom Willmott , Andrew Bridgman, and Adam Cotterell, whose expertise ensured that the event ran smoothly and safely.
In the end, Spring Basecamp was a resounding success, and we’re already looking forward to the next one!
event captured by Reece Markham
Treks by Aspiring Guides
Our Top Trekking Picks for the 2024 Trekking Season
Trip Report: Spring Basecamp
Family Friendly Trekking Ideas For Summer
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.
.png)
.png){kind=logo}
