Training Courses

At Off Track Adventures we know how valuable your time is and we are committed to maximising what time you have available.

Unlike large public or club training programmes where you are just one of many and may not get best value for time invested, our personalised approach and low instructor to guest ratio ensures that you’ll get true value.

Are you ready to take on the great outdoors with confidence and the knowledge that if things do not go as planned you will have the ability to turn things around in your favour? Whether you are just starting out and would benefit from learning the basics, or have years of experience behind you and wish to fine tune certain aspects, Off Track Adventures can assist you to develop skills and knowledge in the area of the outdoors that most appeals to you.

These courses can be tailor-made to meet your requirements, covering the basics over two days, or a more intensive programme over seven days with ample time to put theory into practice.

Off Track Adventures only uses instructors who are at the top end of their field. In other words, a specialist, so you are guaranteed to be learning from some of the best available.

Hunter training:

Provides a grounding in the critical areas of firearm safety, safety around aircraft, hunting equipment, animal identification and habitat, hunting techniques, photography, field dressing (skinning, butchering & trophy preparation), actual hunt.
Hunters will also need to have a good understanding of bushcraft skills, including navigation, river safety and, if planning to hunt at higher altitudes, aspects of above bushline and snow craft skills.

Bushcraft:

Ideal for beginners to gain a good grounding in the various aspects of going into the bush and mountains by studying trip planning (leadership & hazards), clothing/equipment, food, shelter/campsites, weather, basic map skills, environmental care/outdoor ethics and emergency procedures, if something unforeseen happens.

River safety:

Rivers are New Zealand’s biggest killer in the outdoors and we want you to enjoy them. By learning and practicing well tested and up-to-date methods to cross various types of rivers you will be able to avoid becoming a statistic. We look at why, where and how to cross and, if things go wrong, what you can do to recover.

Above bushline:

Great for those who like to gain some altitude or are in more open terrain where basic rope skills, exposed travel and poor visibility can be encountered. This environment is uncompromising and you will need additional knowledge on route planning, hazards, clothing/equipment, shelter building, managing people and equipment, weather, micro-navigation, night time travel, rope use.
If you are contemplating winter travel or travelling over high altitude passes, a good knowledge of snow craft skills is also important.

Navigation:

A central key to almost everything we do is, knowing where we are, where we are going and how to get there. Here we focus on getting you through untracked or featureless terrain, or when visibility is very poor, by using compass, map and natural features. We use techniques that bring it all together and look at modern electronic devises such as the GPS.

Snow craft:

If travelling in winter or at altitude, it is likely that you will encounter snow at some stage. In New Zealand snow can fall to 1,000 metres above sea level at any time of the year. To assist you, we provide an understanding of potential hazards, walking with confidence on soft or firm snow in boots without and with crampons, using an ice axe for balance, step cutting and self arresting, managing people and equipment/clothing, shelter building and emergency procedures.

Alpine:

For those of you with a good understanding of snow craft and a desire to venture further afield in mountainous terrain there is a need to expand your skill base to cover route selection, snow conditions/hazards, ice axe/crampon use on steeper slopes, rope techniques for glacier travel and pitch climbing, and snow/ice anchors
A sound knowledge of navigation can be life saving in the high mountains.

Extreme Adventure:

If you are very fit, have a need for adventure and have a good understanding of all the basics, then this course will provide you with those little tips and variations of techniques to get you through the most challenging locations you are likely to encounter here in New Zealand. This course would also be of great value to other outdoor instructors who may like to sharpen up their technical skills and gain insights as to how to better deliver their presentations in the field. On this course, we include aspects of all the others and apply them with a focus on the type of event in which you are most interested.

Check out the training images in the photo gallery for examples of the locations and experiences you may encounter and articles that provide information on and insights into many of New Zealand’s outdoor experiences.