5-Day Rock Climbing Course Learn to lead, climb multi-pitch, and abseil with confidence. / Public Courses / Rock Climbing Courses / 5-Day Rock Climbing Course Overview Join us for a 5-day sport climbing course where you’ll acquire all the essential skills for outdoor climbing. This course covers top rope climbing, lead climbing, multi-pitch sport climbing, and abseiling. It takes place at Woolshed Hut, Mt Somers, and includes return transportation from Christchurch. This course is designed for recreational climbers and professional instructors seeking certification with the New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association (NZOIA) for the Rock1 and Rock2 awards. Course Details Course Location This 5-day climbing course is an expedition-style course. This means the course is delivered in a remote location and requires hiking into a backcountry hut. Mt Somers is a two-hour drive from Christchurch. Getting to Woolshed Creek Hut takes most groups 1.5-2 hours to walk from the car park. It is a 15-30-minute walk from the hut to the various climbing areas and swimming holes. Accommodation Your accommodation at Woolshed Creek Hut is included, or you can choose to camp by the hut if you prefer camping. Woolshed Creek Hut is a 26-bunk standard DoC hut. The hut has two bunk rooms, a large common area and a fireplace. Camping is also a good option for this course. Your camping fees are included and entitle you to use the hut facilities. Food This is a self-catered course. Please bring all your food with you for the duration of the course. Fresh drinking water is available at Woolshed Creek Hut. Free Transport If You’re Travelling From Out Of Town: Transport is included from Christchurch. You can meet us at the training location or one of the meeting locations listed below. Check our FAQ’s for a list of hotel pickup locations. We recommend that you arrive in Christchurch the day before your course. At the end of the course, we are more than happy to drop you back at your accommodation or directly to the airport. Meeting location (catch a ride with us): If you have your own car or can get dropped off, please meet us at one of the following locations (you can catch a ride with us from here or drive your own car to Mt Somers): Opposite Princess Margaret Hospital, Cashmere Road, Cashmere (see on Google Maps) Salmon Tales Cafe – Rakaia. Approximately one hour from Christchurch (see on Google Maps) OENZ Vans Gear & Equipment You don’t need your own rock climbing gear for this course. We have all the specialist gear & equipment available for you to borrow. If you have your own gear, we encourage you to bring it along as it’s better to train with the gear that you own. Gear List Is this the right rock climbing course for me? Download Flow Chart Course Outline This five-day sport climbing course covers all the essential skills for climbing outdoors, including top-rope, lead, multi-pitch climbing, and abseiling. Day 1: Travel to Mt Somers + Climbing Safety AM: Travel to Mt Somers 1.5-2 hour walk along a well-formed track to Woolshed Creek Hut Set up + lunch PM: Safety + Climbing Climbing Calls Buddy checks Personal safety at the top of the crag Spotting the lead climber Assessing the safety of climbing routes Checking and evaluating climbing gear for damage Day 2: Lead Climbing, Anchors & Techniques Belaying Top rope belaying with an ATC/belay plate Lead belaying ATC/belay plate Top rope belaying with a GriGri Lead belaying with a GriGri Climbing Techniques Basic movement techniques/body positioning Footwork techniques Handhold techniques Finding rests Climbing Anchors Sport-anchor (using quickdraws) Toprope anchor/y-shape anchor (using sling and carabiners) Self-equalising anchors Transitions Lead climbing to set up a top-rope climb for a friend Cleaning a climb/retrieving your gear from the top when you finish climbing Top rope climbing to abseil Lead climbing to abseil Day 3: Multi-pitch Climbing & Abseiling Belaying using guide mode Unlocking/lowering in guide mode Multi-pitch climbing Multi-pitch abseiling Day 4: Advanced Belay and Abseil Problem-Solving Skills Tying off a belay device Un-jamming a belay device Taking over from an injured/sick belayer Un-jamming an abseil device Day 5: Recap and Consolidation The group will choose the final climbing location, providing a chance to revisit key skills, refine techniques, and put everything you’ve learned into practice. This is a relaxed, supportive day to solidify your progress, ask questions, and enjoy climbing with greater confidence and independence. Download Course Outline Meet Some of Our Rock Climbing Instructors Alan Haslip Sarah English Lachie Crawford Reid Harding Frequently Asked Questions Do I need prior experience to attend this course? You don’t need any prior experience to enrol in this course. This is an introductory course, but if you have never tried climbing before, we suggest having a go at indoor climbing or bouldering before doing this course. How many people will be on my course? We believe that small groups are better for this type of training. So we have a maximum client-to-instructor ratio of just four clients to one instructor. What equipment is provided, and do I need to pay for it? OENZ provides all the technical equipment for our climbing courses. Gear List What is the minimum age? The minimum age required to attend this course when a parent or guardian is also attending the same course is 10 years old. To attend this course without a parent or guardian, the minimum age is 16 years. Does this rock climbing course have minimum numbers? Yes, the minimum number for the course to proceed at the advertised price is two clients. We won’t cancel your course if we don’t meet our minimum numbers. Instead, we will offer you the following options: a) A shorter private course with 1-1 tuition – e.g. with one person, we can cover the course content much faster, so fewer days are needed. b) You will be offered to continue the course as planned and cover the extra cost. c) We can transfer you to another course. 5-day rock climbing course photos Testimonials “The techniques that were introduced made a massive difference to my climbing” Samantha Taylor, Wellington, NZ “Great time on the 5-day rock climbing course. Local knowledge from Alan was great sharing all his secret spots that most people never get to see whilst having an awesome time at some newly developing crags.” Caleb, New Zealand “The best part of the course was Learning new knots and how to use equipment” Taylor Britton Still Have Questions? Get in touch with our team — we’re happy to help you prepare for your outdoor adventure. Contact Us
