The Taranaki Alpine Club is an Incorporated club that provides instruction, trips and a mountain lodge known as Tahurangi Lodge to it’s members.

Open Climb

For over 80 years the club has organised and hosted the annual public Open Climb event. Climbs in the past have been so successful, numbers are now limited to ensure compliance with our safety management which is being constantly reviewed, audited and updated.

The climb of Taranaki Maunga is a physically demanding challenge of at least ten hour’s duration. Participants must be physically fit and mentally prepared. If you are not used to this type of physical activity, you should be training prior to the climb. We recommend regular long walks and tramps with plenty of hills. For safety reasons, the Club reserves the right to refuse and send down anyone it believes is unfit or otherwise unsafe to themselves or others on the mountain.

Safety Plan

Our event safety plan includes a set of reasonably generous time limits to reach various well known ascent markers on the mountain. Participants must complete each segment of the climb within these limits. Failing to do so indicates either a lack of preparation or an inability to fully participate. To this end and for everyone’s safety, all participants failing to ascend within these various limits agree to abort their climb and be escorted off the mounting by our staff.

Personal Information

Due the the nature of the Open Climb including climate, alpine environment and the associated risks, we require a full manifest of contact information for all climbers, including age, and medical conditions. As such the maximum number of participants per booking is 5 people. If you have a larger party please make multiple bookings, ensuring all required contact information is provided for each member. Children under the age of 18 are to be accompanied by a suitable adult. Children under the age of 12 are not permitted.

Event Cancellation

In the unfortunate event that the weather compromises the safety of the event and it’s participants, a cancellation may be issued at any time both during or before the event. Unlike prior years, there is no postponement date. Should the Open Climb be cancelled in the 7 days prior to the climb there is no refund payable.

Registration on the Day

Participants will need to arrive at Tahurangi Lodge for registration between 6:30am and 7:30am. Our registrars will assign climbers to groups of 10 in the order people arrive at the lodge. If you intend to participate with a friend and wish to be in the same group, ensure you arrive at the lodge at the same time. Each group will leave when full and within an assigned window; with the last climbers leaving for the summit from Tahurangi Lodge no later 7:45am.

Public Information Brochure

Participants must read the Public Information Brochure (PIB) available on the Open Climb page and agree to comply with it. By purchasing a ticket or tickets to participate in the Open Climb, the purchaser acknowledges they will read and abide by the PIB. Equally they will ensure all other intended participants represented by their purchased tickets are also made to read and abide by the PIB and instructions therein. Failure to comply on the day will create undesirable risks to crew and participants alike and will result in an early managed exit from the event. This is at the purchaser’s cost as no refund will be offered.

The PIB also includes an excellent video by the Mountain Safety Council on the Taranaki Maunga summit track.

Terms and Conditions

By purchasing ticket you the purchaser agree to our terms and conditions.