The Section

The regional hub for alpinism, rock climbing, and mountain safety. We contribute to the Taranaki climbing and mountaineering scene via:

Hosting climbing meets

Professionally led instruction courses

Facilitating learning workshops

Crag development & working bees

Bringing guest speakers to the region

South Island trip funding support

Hosting outdoor film festivals

Maintaining the Taranaki route database

Get Involved: To help you meet others with similar interests and catch up with committee members, we recommend attending a section meeting and checking out our Facebook Page.

Instruction Courses

We offer professionally led instruction courses on Taranaki Maunga and abroad. We strive for high-quality offerings that teach modern best practice techniques through structured learning progression.

Meets

Every year, we host the highly anticipated Taranaki Climbing Meet on Taranaki Maunga! For NZAC members who want to experience excellent adventure trad climbing in a truly special alpine environment, this is the perfect opportunity. You'll be surrounded by a crew of psyched locals who know the maunga inside and out and are always willing to offer beta.

Workshops

We offer evening workshops in New Plymouth with a goal to improve people's skills to make them better mountaineers.

Topics (not limited to):

• Weather forecasting
• Alpine Navigation
• Introduction to Ropework
• Alpine Equipment

Chris Prudden demonstrating how to shorten the rope for alpine climbing

Banff Mountain Film Festival

Every year, the Taranaki Section is proud to host the New Plymouth screening of the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour.

This event brings our local outdoor community together for an inspiring night of world-class cinematography, featuring epic adventures, remote landscapes, and adrenaline-fueled mountain sports. It is our biggest social event of the year and a vital fundraiser for the section.

Tickets & Dates: Dates are typically announced in the winter months. Keep an eye on our Facebook Page and the national NZAC website for ticket releases, as they often sell out quickly!

Conditions & Trip Planning

Taranaki Maunga presents highly changeable alpine conditions. The following links are helpful for trip planning.

Standard Winter Alpine Kit

News

Follow us on Facebook for the latest news and updates.

Section Leadership

Past Newsletters

• Summer April 2025
• Spring October 2023
• Summer March 2023
• July 2022
• September 2021