Club Activities

The range of club activities include:-

  • Snowboarding, Skiing & Ski Touring from the Whakapapa lodges in winter
  • Weekend and day tramping
  • Mid week walks twice a month
  • Year-round tramping and climbing expeditions from the lodges
  • Alpine Instruction & Ski instruction
  • Biking Trips (road and mountain bike)
  • Instruction Courses (navigation, trip planning, risk management, gear & food etc.)
  • Camping at Christmas and some holiday weekends
  • Family Activities centered on the club facilities in the Waitakeres and at Mt Ruapehu
  • Club night presentations & get together each month
  • The club will support as best it can any member who wishes to lead a group astray on an adventure into any outdoor activity not listed here. Email any of the committee members listed in the "contact" tab to discuss.

We cater for all ages, veterans, midis down to youths. Families are particularly welcome.

Snowboarding/Skiing

The smaller Ruapehu Hut hut sleeps 20. facilities including hot showers, heating, and kitchen all function as they should. It is an important and underrated asset to the club. Mountain craft courses, additional demand for bookings at the A-Frame, organised club activities including ski instruction, sports weekends, and social activities all depend on it.
The Ruapehu Hut can be rented exclusively for weekend and mid-week accommodation to schools or approved groups year round as a base for a multitude of activities. A little known option is of course, for members to get a group of mates (members or not) and hit the slopes based from their own exclusive ski lodge! This is an extremely rare opportunity for untold fun to be had with your chosen group.

Please contact the Booking Officer, Justine at bookings@alpinesport.org.nz, if you would like to arrange an exclusive booking. Members can use the booking system to book a bunk in the Ruapehu Hut and may be lucky enough to have the hut to themselves anyway! 


The A-Frame Lodge is 50 metres further up the ridge from the Ruapehu Hut and is available to club members and their guests for normal ski activities. Much larger and with more modern facilities. It has been the mainstay of Alpine Sports Clubs Ski activities on the mountain. Lockers within can be rented yearly for $20-$25 to members planning frequent use of the building. 
Both lodges comply with all accommodation and safety regulations applying to the mountain.


Accommodation at the huts is available through an internet booking system. Food is provided for breakfast and dinner and members must bring their own fresh bread and some specified vegetables determined by the Hut Wardens. Duties are rostered, including cooking & cleaning. Mattresses & pillows are provided but guests are required to bring their own sleeping bag and pillow case.

Children over 3 years old are welcome at the lodges but note that daily nappie disposal at the RAL rubbish building or any type of "accident" clean up is the parent's responsibility.

Family Activities

Families are very welcome at Alpine sports Club. The club has a vigorous family program that includes trips to places of interest, picnic days at a regional or local reserve, tramps that younger children and their parents can manage and a family camp at Christmas that often has more than 150 members, all camping together with organized activities and trips..

The Ruapehu Lodges make a great place to have a holiday or even just an active weekend during the summer to enjoy the tracks and activities organized by the parks board at Tongariro National Park. If you have older children, try staying at the hut and doing the Tongariro Alpine Crossing by catching the track shuttle bus from the Chateau car park.

The club has a very well appointed lodge in the Waitakere ranges about 1 hours drive from the city centre and 10 minutes walk from a secure car park. The lodge is very popular with members and their families and provides excellent access to the track system of the Waitakere Ranges.

The club runs instruction courses in bushcraft, snowcraft, beginner ski instruction. We also run bushcraft weekends especially for children and parents from the club lodge in the Waitakere Ranges. Its fun and mostly social. A great chance to get away into pleasant surroundings with the children. Have a look at the Photo Gallery page to see what we do.

The club has a vigorous tours program of tramping trips of all types from easy day trips in local ranges to multi day trips further afield including the South Island. The tours program includes climbing instruction, kayaking and Kayak safety instruction, cycle touring and mountain biking and even occasional caving trips

With such wide range of activities available, family members can take advantage as they mature and develop specific interests in the outdoors.

 

Tramping

The club runs regular day and weekend tramping trips to the local and Northland ranges and as far afield as the Ureweras, Kaimais, Coromandels, Ruahines, Kawekas, Kaimanawas and Tongariro National Park. During the Christmas break there are regular tramping trips to the South Island and Stewart Island.

Alpine Sports Club runs regular Alpine Instruction, general mountain and bushcraft skills courses, ski instruction and ski touring (ski mountaineering) courses.

Each Christmas there is a very popular camp at a suitable site for tramping and summer water sports. The site is usually away from the major camping areas, available only to club members.

There is an active programme of mid week tramps and walks every second and fourth Thursday of each month. Email thursday.walks@alpinesport.org.nz for details.

Instruction Courses

Alpine Sports Club runs a snowcraft Course each winter. Check the Upcoming Events page for details.

Mountaincraft is the skill of being able to travel safely in dangerous places in the mountains. At its extreme is Alpine climbing, a huge adrenalin rush, fantastic scenery and teamwork based on preserving each other's life.

For most people it is the skill necessary to enjoy the mountains safely and includes such skills as :-

  • Assessment of weather and snow conditions
  • Climbing skills to tackle obstacles & travel safely
  • Navigation in poor visibility or unfamiliar terrain
  • Skiing and ski touring (skins and touring bindings in NZ)
  • Gear and food planning
  • Trip and route planning

If you want to step out into the mountains, move up to alpine climbing or be more adventurous with your skiing then this is the series of courses you should consider.

This year there will be 1 weekend on Mt Ruapehu learning basic snowcraft and climbing skills combined with a series of opportunities to put the whole package into practice on Ruapehu and later in the year, on some real mountains.

The snowcraft course is an introductory level course intended for trampers and others interested in gaining skills, confidence and experience in alpine conditions. The course runs over one weekend at the Clubs’ Ruapehu Hut a few minutes walk from the Top of the Bruce road end at Iwikau Village, Whakapapa. You should also be available for one Wednesday theory night.

There are no particular minimum requirements for attendees. Participants need a good level of fitness and to have clothing and equipment suitable for alpine weather conditions and prolonged exposure. We will spend a full day on the mountain - good clothing is important.

The course covers:

  • Movement on snow
  • Ice axe and crampon technique and use
  • Self arresting on snow
  • Safe terrain selection
  • Snow shelters and construction
  • Basic use of avalanche equipment

Joining ASC

Details for joining the club can be found on the Joining ASC page.

For more information, contact the Membership Officer, Jeanette at membership@alpinesport.org.nz, to discuss the club and what it has to offer. You can use the contact link on the top menu bar or email to membership@alpinesport.org.nz

Join the Club