FMC encourages all clubs and members to utilise the Instruction Courses offered by the Mountain Safety Council through its branches around New Zealand.
To find the branch nearest your club go to : MSC Branch Addresses
Read through the content covered by each course. If you would like to participate in a course then go to MSC Training and by choosing a Branch, then a category (eg Bushcraft) then a skill level you will be shown all the courses in that catebory being run by the particular branch.
A summary of the content of each course is listed here
Alpine |
Bushcraft |
Risk Management |
River Safety |
If the content that your Club wants to learn is not covered explicitly by one of these areas then contact your local MSC Branch and discuss with them how best they might be able to meet your instruction needs
Alpine (Introductory & Basic)
Alpine – introduction
An introductory alpine course covering snow travel and snow safety.
No experience necessary but you must be over 18 to participate.
Course includes:
Equipment use
Walking on snow with & without crampons
Ice axe handling
Self arresting
Glissading
Maintaining a group
Energy requirements – food
Fitness levels – preparation for mountaineering
Risk management
Alpine – basics
This course further develops techniques to prepare you for moderate snow climbing.
Alpine introduction is a pre-requisite for this course.
Course includes:
Harnesses
Belay techniques
Knots
Rope management
Anchors
Mountain weather
Navigation
Emergency shelters
Emergency procedures
Bushcraft
A wide range of bushcraft courses are run throughout the country.
They cover all the bush-related topics in a variety of combinations and levels, from basic to advanced.
Courses include:
- Navigation
- Weather
- River Safety
- Trip Planning
- Survival
- Leadership
- Clothing and Equipment
- Coping with Emergencies.
Risk Management
Risk management is defined as “the process of reducing potential loss to an acceptable level”. Participants learn how to apply risk management principles in outdoor activities and test their ability to cope with emergencies. Risk management is an integral part of all outdoor activity.
Course Includes:
- Principles of risk management
- Introduction to Risk Analysis Management System (RAMS) analysis
- Perception of risk and competence when leading risk activities in the outdoors
- Coping with emergencies – theory and practical
- Practical participation and teaching of selected outdoor activities.
River Safety
Three critical decisions must be made whenever a group considers a river crossing –
Should we cross? Where do we cross? How do we cross?
Course Includes:
- Crossing assessment
- Suitable clothing
- Preparing equipment
- Three ways of crossing
- The recovery technique
Full details of all the MSC courses are available at: MSC Training