TTC Youth Snowcraft on Ruapehu 18-20 September
Youth Snowcraft will introduce you to the skills essential for grade 1.5 climbs, going above the bushline in winter conditions, or transalpine tramping.
There are 8 spaces available for young people 15-18 years old. Standby applicants are now being accepted as we have reached the 8 spaces available.
Overview of Youth Snowcraft
We begin with a session at the TTC club rooms to introduce the course, basic concepts and the plan for the weekend. Here we will issue you with helmets, crampons and an ice axe.
The practical two-day weekend is on the Whakapapa ski field on Mt Ruapehu.
It covers the fundamental snowcraft skills such as:
- Correct selection and use of an ice axe
- Moving on snow without crampons
- Moving on snow with crampons
- How to self-arrest
Is it for me?
The courses include supervised travel on moderately-angled snow slopes which can be icy. Participants are encouraged to climb short steeper sections as their confidence and footwork improves.
Participants are expected to have reasonable level of fitness and the ability to walk for up to 8 hours a day, at standard walking pace and 500m of vertical ascent.
Adapting to the conditions
We can expect to experience storms and strong winds on Ruapehu and we will adapt the Youth Snowcraft programme to suit the conditions.
Contact the course convener Stu Hutson -> mailto:stuart [period] hutson [snail] ttc [period] org [period] nz if you have questions about the suitability of the course for you.
Post-course trips
Post-course trips are an excellent opportunity to help embed the knowledge you will gain through the courses.
We plan to run post-snowcraft trips mainly in the North Island. This will be a mix of adults and youth.
These post-snowcraft trips will be led by our volunteer instructors. It’s weather and avalanche condition-dependent. Dates will be confirmed shortly.
Course Costs and Registration
You need to be a TTC member, or a child of a member and under 18 to be eligible for the course. If you are already one of these go to step 2.
- Joining the club is straightforward. It costs $49 for those 25 or younger. Pay into the TTC bank account: 02-0500-0022732-00 with your name, phone number and ‘youth’ as the reference.
- Register for Youth Snowcraft 2026.
- Wait for Snowcraft registration acceptance. On acceptance go to the next step.
- Once you’ve joined and paid your membership, or given the course convenor -> mailto:stuart [period] hutson [snail] ttc [period] org [period] nz the name of your parent who is a TTC member, please pay the course cost of $50 to the TTC bank account: 02-0500-0022732-00 with your name and ‘youth snow’ as the reference.
We’ve been able to keep course costs low thanks to generous financial support from the John Nankervis Bequest, approved by TTC’s General Committee. This is covering accommodation at Tararua Lodge, transport, some food, and subsidising our volunteer instructor costs. Nank as he was known, was a famous climber in New Zealand and around the world. He had a mischievous wit and humour which kept you on your toes and laughing. He was a generous instructor in TTC’s Alpine Instruction and taught generations of climbers. He would be delighted that he is still helping a new generation learn how to climb.
TTC will provide all technical equipment for the course and optional post-course trip (axes, crampons etc). Students will be required to have appropriate mountain clothing and footwear (e.g. tramping cold and wet weather gear).
The club gear room does have some gear which members can borrow.
Further details on gear needed will be provided closer to the date.