Based at our private Caroline Hut, our 4 or 5 days courses cover rock, snow and ice climbing instruction on the Ball Glacier or near Ball Pass. You practise various kinds of belays, whether on rock, snow or ice, learn how to cut steps and stances, and how to select a good route. Good cramponing techniques are emphasized, likewise knowing different methods of self-arresting and choosing the right methods for the conditions. You may undertake steep ice climbing with front-pointing or ten point crampon techniques. Setting up an ice anchor and belay will become familiar. Depending on weather conditions and previous experience of the group you may also learn how to navigate in poor visibility, weather assessment and emergency survival. For climbers who already have considerable rock experience the focus will be on snow and ice skills. On the last day you have the choice of testing your skills by crossing Ball Pass, or receiving more instruction before returning to Mount Cook village via the Tasman Valley. Guide-client ratio on these courses is 1:4, enabling maximum benefit from instruction and a close tailoring of the course to fit the needs of the participants. These Introductory Courses can be extended byfollowing up with a 6-day Intermediate Course, where the guide-client ratio is 1:2, enabling more technical climbing.