This post is to invite interested folks for a chat at the gear store or Badgers to discuss a multi-day backcountry ski touring trip around the Wanaka/Queenstown part of NZ's South Island in August 2025.

It is not confirmed whether this trip will go ahead and you don't need to commit to anything to join the discussion. The first step is to gauge interest and discuss goals and preferences before making a decision. 

Even if you can't make the date/time I've suggested, if you are  interested then please sign up and I will keep you in the loop about progress.

I envisage at least 3 activities we could undertake on such a trip:

• An avalanche skills course - see for example this 4 day hut-based Level 2 course: 4 Day Avalanche Skills Course Level 2 - Hut Based | Aspiring Guides. 
• A guided multi-day expedition - see for example this 5-day glacier ski tour: 5 Day Glacier Ski Tour | Aspiring Guides.
• Self-guided ski tours in more accessible terrain, with the decision to get a guide depending on the areas we wish to ski.

I know having guides may not be as intrepid as some would like, but I believe a guide is necessary to guarantee safety and to ensure we have chosen the most appropriate routes in avalanche-prone terrain. Trip participants would also learn a great deal spending days with a backcountry guide.

We could reconsider the above plan if we happen to find a trip co-lead who has demonstrated skills and experience in ski touring in the areas we are targeting.

To get a sense of who would be suited to this trip, I would suggest that you would, at the very least:

• Be able to confidently ski/splitboard hard blue runs in powder and in variable conditions
• Be confident in your ability to extract yourself from common sticky situations in the alpine backcountry 
• Have experience ski-touring in the backcountry using pin bindings or your technology of choice
• Have experience skiing with a heavy pack and/or camping in the snow
• Be confident that your fitness will accommodate uphill touring over several days.

Preferably you would have done a level 1 avalanche safety training course or equivalent, or plan to do one in Australia prior to the trip.

The window I have in mind would be say 7-10 days over the period 1 August to 24 August, but this is very much negotiable.