Land-Based Activities

Our land based activities range from rock climbing & abseiling to tramping, bushcraft and alpine pursuits.

Challenge your body and mind while having adventure and fun! The vertical adventure of rock climbing and abseiling promotes new skills, increases confidence and develops team building through trust. Our programmes can be tailored to suit a range of ages, timeframes and objectives set out by individuals, groups or schools.

Whether you are taking your first steps into the mountains or are seasoned in mountain exploration we can provide mountaineering courses to suit your aspirations and level of experience.

With PFOPC you can be assured of having a safe, challenging, memorable mountain experience.

For those who want to have a real taste of wilderness, we now provide snowshoeing. Snowshoeing gives you access to out of the way, stunning mountain countryside without needing special skills or equipment.

Bushcraft promotes self-sufficiency in the bush and ways to respect the environment while camping. The native NZ bush is a wonderland and tramping is one of NZ’s most popular activities. Our tramping events provide a wealth of knowledge not only on how to make every walk safe, but also information on local history, geology, flora and fauna.

Our knowledgeable, experienced instructors ensure that each event is well run, managed with high safety standards while providing a premium experience of adventure and challenge.

Challenge Ropes

The Project Adventure Ropes Course in Geraldine is an excellent opportunity to develop teamwork, confidence, group and individual skills. The course consists of approximately 10 "elements" at a low level, and 12 at high level.

"I will never forget facing my fear of heights. I now have more trust in my friends and more confidence in my own abilities".

Rock Climbing/Abseiling

Our abseil sites, beside the Orari River and at Emily Falls (Peel Forest), provide perfect locations for abseiling. We can also run abseiling at a site of your choice, subject to suitability.

Tramping/Bushcraft

There are numerous half-day, full-day and multi-day tramps in the area that our instructors can take you or your group on. Bushcraft instruction can be provided during the day if required, where we instruct group members in:

• Environment-friendly camping
• Fire lighting
• Bivy building
• Map reading and orienteering

Stream and small river crossings can also be introduced into this session.

Mountaineering

Peel Forest lies amid the foothills of the Southern Alps and offers great access to both the Two Thumb and Arrowsmith Ranges. Our experienced and qualified staff can offer introductory and advanced mountaineering training. Courses range from a one-day introduction to snowcraft to ten-day skills courses for those wanting to take their tramping and climbing to the next level. Mountaineering courses can be tailored to your needs and may include accommodation in high country huts, ski lodges or even snow caves! Peel Forest OPC can offer unit standards in mountaineering in conjunction with Aoraki Polytechnic.

Snowshoeing

Ever wanted to get out into the snow but didn’t want to ski? Snowshoeing is a great way for anyone to explore the wilderness without needing special skills or equipment. With snowshoes you can walk across unbroken snow without sinking up to your waist, allowing you to look beyond the hustle and bustle of the skifields and to explore the back-country. Peel Forest OPC offers half day, day, overnight and expedition snowshoeing trips in the foothills and ranges of Canterbury. We can plan a trip to suit your timetable and wishes. Snowshoeing can also be included in our mountaineering courses and trips – it’s a great way to get to those back ridges and bowls.