About Outdoor Pursuits

The Outdoor Pursuits courses at Mount Aspiring College give senior students an opportunity to take their learning outside of the classroom. Through participating in practical outdoor activities they learn transferable skills which they can apply in other aspects of their lives. Common themes that run through the courses are teamwork, personal challenge, self responsibility, communication skills and goal setting.

Course options and structure

Mount Aspiring College offers Outdoor Pursuits courses at Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Each OP class is timetabled with 4 periods per week on the school timetable. Two periods are used for theory instruction. One period is the afternoon and is usually used for practicals. On that day students leave school at the start of lunch (1.20pm) and spend up to 4 hours doing outdoor activities. The final period is a used as a study period to compensate for the extended time out on practicals. Overnight trips within most terms are also part of the course.

Frequently asked questions….

Q Do I have to be fit?
You don’t need to be an athlete. If you get puffed walking to the letterbox this may not be the course for you. A determined attitude is more important.

Q I’m scared of heights. Do I have to do climbing?
The ethos of “challenge by choice” applies here. You will be encouraged to do as much as we believe you can do, but you will never be forced to do things you don’t feel comfortable doing. We differentiate our activities so there are appropriate levels of challenge for everyone. All we ask is that you try your best.

Q What happens if I work after school?
You will have one afternoon each week that you need to keep free. Each session will finish by 5.30pm. It is not possible to get students back to town earlier, so schedule work and other appointments for other days. Some L1 OP trips may run over weekends.
Q Do I need to buy a season pass for the winter?
In L1 OP the cost for nordic skiing (including a season pass) has been built into the course fee.

Q What do the fees cover?
The course fees cover the costs of transportation, the winter snow programmes and costs associated with an activity, such as hut fees and mountain radio hire. An equipment levy is also included. Fees are invoiced incrementally each term. The cost of instructional staffing is met by the college.