Our Trustees

Anna has been an NZOIA-qualified outdoor instructor for over a decade, runs rock and alpine courses for the New Zealand Alpine Club, and is a volunteer for Alpine Cliff Rescue Christchurch. Anna enjoys ski-mountaineering, mountain biking, and trail running, but rock climbing is her biggest motivator and passion – from sport cragging to multi-pitch alpine climbing in the Southern Alps. She is currently based in Christchurch. 

Anna draws on her career in risk management to provide professional and strategic experience to ACAT. She is a Senior Advisor for the National Emergency Management Agency, focussing on long-term community building strategy following disasters. Anna sees a need for a more strategic and educational approach to access issues and is keen to get stuck in as an advocate for the climbing community.

Sam is passionate about outdoor recreation and has a wide variety of interests including rock climbing, mountaineering, ski touring, packrafting, and tramping. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, and has been a recipient of the Sir Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship.

Professionally Sam has held a variety of roles, including as a Parliamentary Advisor, and as General Manager of the New Zealand Alpine Club. He is currently the Advocacy Manager at Recreation Aotearoa, based in Christchurch. 

Sam brings a wealth of relevant governance experience to ACAT, having served as Chair of the Canterbury Aoraki Conservation Board, Deputy Chair of the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council, and as a Trustee of the Graham Dingle Foundation.

Vickie has been climbing for over 25 years throughout North America, Canada, Europe, and Australasia. While her climbing psych started on gear at Frog Buttress, it has since expanded to both bouldering and sport climbing. She is the proud mother of two boys, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Management, a Graduate Diploma, and a Master of Industrial Relations. 

Vickie has been the Managing Director of CI Consulting for over 18 years, specialising in working with Boards and Management teams on some of Australasia’s most complex infrastructure projects in road, rail and water. Vickie and her partner Lukas are also directors of Wanaka-based Aspiring Guides. Vickie brings a balance of business experience, industry knowledge, and an understanding of climbing and its rich culture to her role on the ACAT board.

Erica is a well-rounded climber. She is a boulderer, climbs sport, trad, and also is well versed in the competition scene. She has travelled the world for climbing and has been competing for 12 years both nationally and internationally, while being heavily involved in the climbing community throughout. She has been a climbing coach, an instructor at NZAC youth climbing camps, a member of the Climbing NZ committee, and she organised the Flock Fest bouldering festival held at Flock Hill in 2019. 

Erica grew up in Auckland and is currently based in Palmerston North while studying for a Bachelor of Veterinary Science. Her enthusiasm for climbing is infectious. Erica aims to be a familiar and friendly face that can represent the climbing community, encouraging climbers in all aspects of the sport to protect access for climbing in NZ.

John is a Wellington-based climber, and has been rock climbing for over 25 years. John has travelled extensively to climb in New Zealand and abroad, as well as being an active developer of new routes and climbing areas. He has a professional background in Commercial Law and is former President of the New Zealand Alpine Club. He has two children, one of whom humours him by pretending to be interested in climbing.

John has co-authored climbing guidebooks, is an internationally published climbing writer and photographer, and hosts a podcast about climbing in Aotearoa. He has worked extensively in the climbing access space and hopes to bring that passion and experience to the table to help ACAT achieve its objectives.