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Preparation for New Zealand TMC 7-Jul-2009 At 8:11:18 PM Mtn_Man_Dan

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Just a quick one Armchair, who are you planning the tmc with? Alpine Guides? I did mine through Alpine Guides and they are fantastic! I have also climbed with Alpine Recreation, and I found Alpine Guides far better!! Alpine guides also do a rock climbing refresher for two days before the TMC, I highly recomend you do this one as you'll learn a ton of new stuff and get to climb on Sebestapol Bluffs just outside mt cook village great views of the alps from these climbs!

I have climbed for a long time and did the refresher since I had a couple spare days And had a geat time, I was the only one on the course and so my guide tailored it to my level of climbing which was great fun! We climbed straight for two days and ticked heaps of climbs there.... so if you are lucky to have only one or two others on this reresher it is heaps of fun and you learn a lot!

BTW, if you have any trouble finding people to show you the ropes (excuse the pun) let me know, I'd be happy to help out - send me a pm.

Also I think it is good to jump in and do the course!! we all have to start climbing somewhere, and I can't think of a better place than in the mountains with a guiding company - different story if you were going out by yourself without experience. I think you are doing it the right way... someone else here said that back in the dark ages, we actually learned to rock climb on rock.... shocking I know! I'll take this one step further, moutnains are one of the best places to learn to mountain climb. The TMC starts off fairly basic anyhow, but it does ramp up fairly quikly and you'll need to be repared to lead up ice and snow slopes up to probably 35 - 40 degrees - and some shorter vertical ice climbing if your lucky! You'll love the crevasse rescue! you get to jump into a crevasse - heaps of fun! anyway, I could go on all day about this so I'll stop here.