The Canterbury University Tramping Club has been helping and encouraging people to get outdoors and into the mountains since the 1930s, back when it was easier to catch a train into the hills than it was to drive a car.
Now, in 2026 we are better than ever! So whether you’re into tramping, mountaineering, conservation, trail running, partying in the bush (or all of the above), CUTC is the club for you. With trips heading out every weekend, what could be better!
Joining the club has great benefits: weekly trips to some of the best places the South Island has to offer, subsidised instruction courses, mean discounts at local outdoor stores, convenient (and cheap!) gear hire at our very own gear locker, FMC membership, and not to mention the opportunity to meet some bloody cool people. Not convinced? Find out why you should join the club here!
Your time in CUTC will sure be one heck of a time with plenty of crazy trips and social activities planned to get you through the constant drag of study. We run a large variety of trips including some bigger trips like Freshers, TWALK, Bushball and Snowcraft. So if you’re a nimble footed goat who only eats One Square Meal bars or a sloth on trail there will be something for you.
As the largest sports club on campus (!!!), we have a massive assortment of resources and skills to call upon. Our trip leaders are always enthusiastic and experienced trampers who will share their love of the outdoors with you, taking you to some pretty cool places in the process. Any keen bean can lead a trip, so if you want to find out more about it, go to our Leading a Trip page. Haven’t done much tramping before? Nothing to fear! Come along on some of our trips and check out our Tramping Guide!
We also have our own hut Avoca Hut! This wee cutie is located at the head of the Avoca River in a heck of a spot surrounded by some 2000m+ peaks, and is one of the most remote huts in the Craigieburn/Arthurs Pass region. Not to mention it has a fire heated cast-iron bathtub outside. Check out more info here.
So if you’d like to experience awe-inspiring places, visit interesting huts, see unique wildlife, meet entertaining people and make some unforgettable memories, join the club today!
Key Club Trips
The club runs a few big trips per term, but there’s almost always something happening every weekend (unless the weather is terrible).
If there isn’t something on, you can always lead a trip yourself!
Make sure you join/lead one suitable to your skill level. Click here to find out the Trip Difficulty Levels Explained.
The big trips (official club trips):
- Freshers: Our first big tramp of the year! Location varies, and we usually try and pick a destination that has both easy, medium and hard routes to get to
- Wine and cheese: Involves tramping somewhere with posh wine and cheese… what more could you want?
- Re-Freshers: Like Freshers, but at the start of semester 2. Usually to the Otehake hot pools on the West Coast.
- Bush ball: Tramping into the middle of nowhere, with costumes, music and drinks. Usually happens sometime in semester 2.
- Snowcraft: Learn the basics of tramping in winter! This includes how to walk in snow, how to use ice axe and crampons, and how to avoid getting yourself and others into trouble. This is a weekend course, that includes a night camping in the snow or sleeping in your own snow cave if weather allows! All the technical gear will be provided, but you will need to have all our personal winter tramping gear.
- Bushcraft: Learn some bush skills, including navigation, which way to pitch your tent, trip planning and more.
- TWALK: Our slightly crazy 24-hour event in a mystery location. Been running for over 50 years! See the TWALK website for more info.
We also run social events like BBQs, Flat crawls, and BYOs, Keep an eye out on the calendar above and the weekly email to find out when they’re planned.
Want to get more involved? Consider joining the committee at our next AGM. As a student-run club, we are always looking for more enthusiastic people to help keep the CUTC going. Check out the current committee here and keep an eye out for our next election.