The conference will focus on practical solutions in terms of adapting to a changing mountain environment, responding to changing visitor patterns and behaviour and preserving mountains for the enjoyment of future generations in relation to core conference themes.

Core Conference Themes:

Environmental Impacts
Human waste, water contamination, noise from helicopters and other machines, tracks and erosion, huts, bridges and tracks – visual impacts.

Natural Hazards
Large rockfall (e.g. South Face of Aoraki / Mount Cook 2014), ice recession and unstable geology, avalanches, adverse weather conditions, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions

Social Impacts / Cultural Values
Pressures on popular mountain routes – increasing numbers, out-of-season use of tracks, hut and track development; commercialism in the mountains; influences of social media; cultural awareness and visitor implications, Tōpuni areas (sacred), water protection