Month: May 2023

Thanks to generous funding from NZAC Tūpiki Trust, Hillary Outdoors Tertiary students will scale new heights. $250,539 in co-funds has been secured to complete stage three of an all-weather indoor climbing wall for the Tongariro Centre.

This project has been a long time in the making as we embarked on a three-phase project in 2020 to create a world-class climbing training facility for students at a total cost of $773,289.  

Benefits for Tertiary students

As we begin the final stage of the project, the funding from Tūpiki Trust enables the creation of a dedicated classroom next to the climbing wall so that students can apply theory immediately in reality.  

The funding will also ensure we are equipped with the latest safety equipment to ensure our students can climb with confidence and peace of mind. 

As New Zealand’s leading provider of Tertiary Outdoor Education, we deliver the New Zealand Certificate (Level 4) and the New Zealand Diploma (Level 5) in Outdoor and Adventure Education from our Tongariro Centre, construction of this high-spec climbing wall will allow for highly technical lessons as well as the ability to learn alongside instructors. 

The climbing facility will teach all facets of skill associated with climbing, from movement skills to technical, including belaying, anchors, abseiling and multi-pitch systems.

Being based in an Alpine environment has many benefits, namely being able to practice what is learned in the outdoors almost immediately however, we are sometimes interrupted by weather, which can disrupt schedules and the momentum created in the classroom. 

This new indoor facility will ensure that the 300 hours of training dedicated to rock and alpine training (Certificate and Diploma) always go ahead, no matter the weather.

We are incredibly grateful to the Tūpiki Trust for their support and generosity in making this project possible. As we progress with construction, we look forward to sharing progress updates with you all. Stay tuned for more updates!