New Zealand Altitude Training Centre

Fantastic experience: Walter is a star ⭐️ and is extremely accommodating. His knowledge is immense and he happy to share.

Fantastic experience: I am not an athlete, and when I decided to go to Peru, my biggest concern was how I would cope with the altitude and the hikes I had scheduled. That’s when I found Walter, and I trained with him for four months prior to my trip. He recommended how many times a week I should train and when to incorporate passive altitude training into my program. I followed his expert guidance, and I’m so glad I did. While training with Walter, I focused on my breathing, which improved my overall lung capacity. When I arrived in Peru, I met a group of people the day after I arrived, and they all said, "Wow, you only arrived last night, and you seem so normal, we have been sick for days!" It was true, I felt great! I told them I had a secret weapon: altitude training. This trip was well outside my comfort zone, and I don’t think I would have been able to complete all the long hikes without this preparation. You don’t have to be an athlete , this training is for everyday people who want to prepare and enjoy their trip without worrying about altitude sickness. Walter is also a wonderful person, and I enjoyed my sessions with him. It’s important to be committed to the process, this isn’t just about the outcome, but also about what you learn about your body along the way.

Fantastic experience: I used the altitude training machine to prepare for a cycle tour that went up to 5,000 metres, and it worked even better than I had hoped, with almost no symptoms at the high elevation. Several of the other riders had dizzy spells and headaches, couldn't sleep, etc, but I was fine. The altitude machine made a HUGE difference.

Fantastic experience: I am 68 years old and wanted to get to Everest Base Csmp. I know I am relatively fit but the altitude requirements is a different ball game. Trained for a couple of months with Walter at his Center and am in no doubt that if I didn’t do so I wouldn’t have completed the challenge. The last day of climb from Gorak Shep to EBC was really taxing at 5000m plus. I will attempt to summit My Kilimanjaro next year at 5900m and will for sure enlist Walter’s help again. Anyone attempting challenges be it a marathon or whatever should give this a go as it makes the job so much easier

Fantastic experience: Whether you're training for a race, getting ready to hike at elevation, or even just want to improve your fitness level, Walter's place is a MUST. I personally went to see Walter as I was a few months out from climbing to Everest Base Camp (elevation 5,364m with ~53% oxygen). If it hadn't been for this training, I'm sure I would've succumbed to serious altitude sickness. Having done this training allowed me to just cruise through the trek, have a great time, and absorb all the views instead of worrying about being breathless and sick. Walter is extremely knowledgeable and will adapt any necessary training to your personal level on a systematic, approachable regime. There are no words to express just how grateful I am for his work! During the time I was training with him, I even had the added benefit of improved fitness and lung capacity when I went for my usual runs. If you had any doubts about altitude training before, I sincerely hope you just give it a go with Walter - the results will speak for itself.

Fantastic experience: Amazing! Very friendly, client oriented, really recommend. I went multiple times for various things, such as the anti gravity treadmill, renting the high altitude tent, and walking on altitude.

Fantastic experience: A class act from start to finish - we used Walter and his Training Centre to prepare for our Everest Base Camp trek with Adventure Consultants - we could not have been in better hands, making our trip the safe and successful adventure we had always hoped for. Thanks Walter

Fantastic experience: Walter was incredible in helping us prepare for our trip to Everest Base Camp. We couldn't have done it without you! 10/10 would recommend.

Fantastic experience: Great experience and results! Thank you Walter for all the guidance and support to help get me ready for my bucket list mountain ultra run in Europe. Everything went well and I had no issues with running at the higher altitude. My overall health and fitness feels like it has improved too. Great service, equipment, knowledge and support!

Fantastic experience: I summited Mount Kilimanjaro, Uhuru Peak standing at 5895 meters high on the 20th August 2024 at 7:50am, I honestly feel that I would have either not made it, or, made it but under a lot of discomfort from altitude sickness, as it turned out I had an excellent outcome, not just the fact that I summited but that I summited so comfortably. I had a previous experience of nausea & headache when walking around Machu Picchu some years ago, admittedly we flew into altitude, then a train & then a bus to the top, so there was no going slow & getting use to the elevation so I may have been fine if we did take the slower route or I may not have, I was not going to take that chance with Kili, the financial commitment was too high to risk not making my goal. I hired the Altitude training machine (Walter shipped it all the way South for me, Otago) for 4 weeks prior to my trip to Kili, I had no discomfort or symptoms of AMS at all whilst making my climb, in fact once at the top I had energy to burn and had "what's in my snack-box" on my mind, I was actually feeling hungry. I even felt at one point about an hour from Uhuru Peak the air felt a little harder to breath, not much but I did notice it, but within 4-5 breaths later I felt that my body remembered the training and the air and my breathing felt instantly normal again, that has to be the Alt-machine training kicking in, especially when others in my group were going through various degrees of discomfort, breathing or otherwise, nobody else in my group had done any alt training, they all made it but I would say that some of them were not comfortable!. I would not consider myself a performance athlete AT ALL, however I did physically prepare for it but feel that the Alt-machine training is what got me up to the top in comfort (so-to-speak), I mean, why spend all that money & 27 hours just to get there (Kili airport) & start your ascent just to realise you're not going to make it or that you're nauseas, headaches, dizziness & question your sanity to do it when you could have spent a bit more, hire the machine and have a AMS symptom free and happy ascent. Of course you may still get some symptoms but in my case I had none and attribute most of my success to the Alt-machine training, so , Thank you Walter.

Fantastic experience: If you're planning a trip to high altitude then do yourself a favour and book in for some altitude-training sessions with Walter before you go. He is extremely knowledgeable and taught us how to breathe properly to best enhance our oxygen sats while using his altitude simulator. We learnt how it feels (weird!) when walking at altitude and what to expect. As a result, we all (team of 4) reached the top of Mt Kilimanjaro!! Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: I have been using the underwater treadmill for the past year as part of my hip rehabilitation and have found it to be highly effective. Pain levels have significantly reduced, and strength has improved. Walter provides a high level of expertise to ensure that you don’t go wrong. Would totally recommend this to anyone as part of a training or rehabilitation programme. Nikki

Fantastic experience: Definitely 5 stars! I contacted Walter to prepare for trekking the Annapurna circuit and Three Passes (+Everest basecamp). He quickly came up with the perfect training plan for the limited time that I had. After 10 sessions I feel ready for Nepal now!

Fantastic experience: Walter and the NZ Altitude Training Centre Rocks. Highly Recommend

Fantastic experience: Great place to train for hiking at altitudes.

Fantastic experience: 5 star! Definitely suggest seeing Walter for altitude training before you begin your high-altitude trek. 2 friends and I just finished our 11 day Everest Base Camp trek and not one of us got altitude sickness. This was in stark contrast to the other hikers that we were sharing the trek up with. 80% of other people did not make it to Base Camp due to altitude sickness. So, I couldn't recommend it more; to put in the work with Walter and it will all be worth it when you get to fully enjoy hike, fully prepped and ready to achieve your goals.

Fantastic experience: Have used the NZ Altitude Training Centre for years as part of my prep for running marathon events and now as prep for my trek in Nepal (trekking up to 5100m). Walter really knows his stuff and understands how altitude training works best. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to achieve their goals. It's next level.

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend doing this if you are about to go on a high altitude hike! Two friends and I did 10 sessions before heading to Mt Everest Base Camp, and we didn’t get sick at all! Lots of people had to turn back and we felt great!

Fantastic experience: Impressive experience all round. The owner, Walter, is extremely experienced in fitness and very welcoming. Top tier equipment and a must do for a mountaineer aiming to climb 8 thousanders’.

Fantastic experience: I contacted Walter after booking a trip to hike Kilimanjaro. Having never undertaken a hike like that before, I had anxiety surrounding the altitude and was overjoyed to find something local to help train for this while living at sea level! Knowing that Walter has so much experience working with a wide variety of prior clients who have had great success on climbs like Everest and Kilimanjaro made it seem even more like a great fit. It exactly aligned with my goals! Walter has been so amazingly flexible in accommodating my session times working well with my hospital schedule. My training with him has included bringing home an altitude machine for some passive intermittent hypoxic training over the holiday period (How great is it to train while watching Netflix at home?!) and a handful of in person active treadmill sessions. He has worked with me to safely increase my altitude tolerance and endurance. Doing this training and seeing how my body reacts prior to Kilimanjaro has increased my confidence tenfold on my impending hike. I now have an expectation of what it feels like to have lower oxygen intake and what O2 saturation levels my body tends to sit at! I am so happy that I came to do some altitude training before my hike. I invested so much in my trip to Africa, that adding on sessions with Walter felt like an extra 'insurance' (or assurance!) plan for the trek.

Fantastic experience: A friend recommended I try Altitude Training Centre for their underwater treadmill as I'd had a stress fracture and couldn't run anymore So last night I finally went along and gave it a go I'm SO glad I did!! My legs feel absolutely amazing today, I can feel all my calf and thigh muscles activating again and it just feels sooooooo good.... after a month of feeling like my leg muscles were just turning to flab, I think this has really helped. Walter is really nice and so friendly and helpful too, and full of great knowledge and experience. I'll definitely be back!

Fantastic experience: World-class facility, with everything an athlete could ask for, and more! I've found the endless pool and underwater treadmill especially invaluable for my training. Coupled with Walter's expert advice and guidance, it's a place I'd most highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic training facilities that you simply can't find elsewhere - perfect for recovery from injury or building up fitness and avoiding it in the first place! Walter's depth of experience as a coach/trainer and elite athlete is unmatched in my opinion and he is always available to take the time to understand and meet individual needs. He keeps me believing anything is possible!

Fantastic experience: Couldn’t recommend highly enough. Excellent facilities combined with the advice and genuine care from Walter have been invaluable.

Fantastic experience: Hi All, I'm off to climb Kilimanjaro in a few weeks and wanted to pass on both my thanks and my recommendation for Walter and his Altitude Training Centre. Walter is one of the nicest blokes I've met in a long time, and has an awesome Kiwi can do attitude, with a refreshing down to earth approach. Walter has helped so many people achieve their goals with his wealth of experience. In my opinion, this is an essential part of your climb preparation. Honestly, I don't think I would have made it to EBC back in 2018 without it. Best wishes What am I going to climb next? CB

Fantastic experience: Excellent facility, well worth having a chat to Walter to discuss your training needs.

Fantastic experience: A great way of stepping your training up to the next level!

Fantastic experience: Great place for training, I had a really good time.

Fantastic experience: Did altitude training with Walter in June in preparation for our trip to South America. Spent 5 weeks in South America, with 10 of days at altitude in Peru including the Macchu Picchu walk. Had no problems at all. Would totally recommend doing Altitude training.

Fantastic experience: Really enjoyed my sessions here! Top class equipment and set up and Walter is brilliant, really accomodating and understanding of my sports demands! would certainly return here and recommend 100%

Fantastic experience: Just finished altitude training before heading to the Inca Trail. What a great experience, I can thoroughly recommend Walter and his wealth of information .

Fantastic experience: Top notch facility. Taught me how to breathe effectively and help rid me of sports induced asthma.

Fantastic experience: I heard about the benefits of strength training under hypoxia - and it's all true!

Fantastic experience: I have been going to Walter at the NZ Altitude Training Centre in preparation for my trek to Everest Base Camp. Not only is the training enjoyable but Walter has been able to provide additional advice and tips that will no doubt prove invaluable. Its a comfortable environment to train in and there are a variety of methods which can be utilised. For me, the piece of mind that I am more equipped to handle reduced oxygen and significantly reduced the likelihood of getting altitude sickness is something I would find difficult to turn down. I will certainly return for training prior to my next high altitude expedition and would highly recommend it for anyone planning on going on a high altitude trek. Not to mention Walter being an absolute genuinely nice guy. Ben Twigden