Inhaltsverzeichnis für July 2023 in Wilderness

The popularity of Te Araroa Trail is booming. Before Covid there were close to 2000 hikers each year. During the 2022/23 season, more than 4000 people walked the trail and it’s believed numbers could continue to grow by 10 per cent each year. “If the trail were to grow by 10 per cent a year … we’d be looking at around 10,000 walkers in about the year 2030,” said executive director of Te Araroa Trust Matt Claridge. With interest growing (particularly internationally), some walkers have suggested numbers should be managed, perhaps with staggered start dates. According to Claridge, such issues are being discussed. Proposed changes could include redeveloping the walker registration process. Gathering more information from walkers when they register is key, Claridge believes, and would help form a potential…

There can be five tramping fatalities every year in New Zealand. For those who attempt to save people or recover bodies, it’s part of the job, but the scars can be lasting. Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR) national health, safety and wellbeing advisor Nicky Hansen said two programmes to protect its 3500-plus volunteers’ mental health already existed: a member wellbeing course included within training, and regular wellbeing checks through an outside counselling service. “Members have their own resilience training, then we have professional help at the other end, but we didn’t have anything in the middle,” Hansen said. “So we’re setting up a new peer support network. We have a bunch of people keen to be support leaders – they’ve been out on searches and understand what the members are…

WILD TRIPS THERE ARE reminders of the past around Castle Hill Village before you face the present and begin the climb up the hill In the mid-1860s’ West Coast gold rush there was a hotel on the coach road (now SH73). Traces of it can be seen from Castle Hill Village. The village is less than 5km from Castle Hill’s limestone rock formations, a natural, historical and cultural wonder of the South Island. And, from the village, the marked trail to Leith Hill begins on Trelissick Loop. Initially, it’s a short gradual descent to Thomas River. If the river is low you might even keep your feet dry. The track then ascends to an open terrace between the bush and the river. Turn left at the junction onto the Leith…

WILD WINTER One winter, when I set out to climb and hopefully ski Mt Ruapehu’s 11 summit peaks, another interest intervened and I began tracing the history of the naming conventions on my favourite mountain. Which are summit peaks? It depends on who you talk to, and which topo map you look at. For me, it was Tahurangi (2797m), Te Ataahua (2757m), Paretetaitonga (2751m), Te Heuheu (2732m), Tukino Peak (2720m), Dome (2672m), Cathedral Rocks (2663m), Pyramid Peak (2645m), Glacier Knob (2642m), Girdlestone (2658m), and Ringatoto (2591m). However, some climbers reckon you should also count L Peak (2580m), a wee tooth next to Pyramid Peak that is not named or marked on the topo map, and the Clocktower (2480m), a rocky outcrop on the ridge separating the Whangaehu Glacier from the…

Sooji Clarkson loves technical ice and mixed climbing in alpine terrain. In her pack much of the weight and space is occupied by climbing hardware and ropes. Everything else is carefully chosen to be lightweight, small, and to have multiple uses. “I try not to carry more than 20kg,” she says. “I’m not a very big human and it definitely gets a lot harder for me over this. An ideal weight would be around 15kg, but that’s usually wishful thinking! There’s not much space for luxury extras once you add up all the ropes and technical gear, so going very lightweight on personal gear is important.” FOOD Dehydration makes you more susceptible to cold and frostbite. In snow, a stove creates far more than its weight in water! I love…

Destruction wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle has resulted in closure of the Lake Waikaremoana Track Great Walk until the end of September. Te Uru Taumatua, local iwi Tūhoe’s operations arm that manages Te Urewera, said tracks, bridges, huts, campsites and car parks had been significantly damaged by Cyclone Gabrielle and the safety of trampers could be compromised. Some sections of the Great Walk were impassable. Korokoro Campsite was flooded with 700mm of water, causing sewage contamination. At Maraunui Hut the lake level rose over 800mm, causing vegetation to rot and exposing lake edges to complete erosion. Damage to Waiopaoa Bridge will require engineering advice, and flooding at Te Karetu car park and boat ramp moved pontoons off piles. Elsewhere in Te Urewera, transitional shelters are set to replace some of the…

WILD TRIPS MOLE TOPS is a delightful tarn-studded tussock expanse at the northern end of the Ella Range. The tops are accessible on two good tracks that can be combined to make a satisfying circuit. There’s a signposted car park beside Mole Stream, near Mataki Lodge. Access to the Jameson Ridge Track is back up the road a bit and across a stile on the edge of farmland. The track heads east, briefly diverting down to river level beside Mole Stream before climbing again through beech forest. While never strenuous, the gradient eases even more at about 1000m then becomes a pleasant amble along the forested ridge, with the trees becoming more and more stunted. Higher are a few tussocky clearings before the track emerges onto the tops proper. Mole…

Why is the golden hour so good for photography? The hour before sunset and after sunrise are known as the ‘golden’ or ‘magic’ hours. The sun is lower in the sky, which provides the best light to capture the best photos. Christchurch photographer Dennis Radermacher regularly shoots at these times. “It’s a magic thing. It’s very pretty light,” he says. “Two effects come together: the angle of the light and the amount of air the light travels through. When the sun is low in the sky, light hits the ground at a flat angle and casts long shadows, and is softened because it travels through a lot more air. Moisture in the atmosphere also helps scatter the light, and you end up with directional sunlight that’s soft and warm.” Soft…

Skills ALWAYS TAKE communication equipment suitable for your trip; it could be a life-saver in emergencies such as injury, getting lost or bluffed. With cell phone network provider OneNZ soon to offer full coverage throughout New Zealand thanks to the Starlink satellite network, some people are suggesting a mobile phone will soon be the only safety device you need to take on a trip. However, rescue professionals still consider a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) to be the gold-standard device for an emergency requiring urgent evacuation. When activated, a PLB sends a signal to a satellite which transmits your exact location to emergency services. The signal doesn’t provide the status of an emergency, but Search and Rescue personnel will treat it as urgent and get to you as soon as possible.…

FLY SILICONE-COATED RIPSTOP NYLON FABRIC KEEPS RAIN OUT AND HANDLES STRONG WINDS AND SNOW-LOADING. STEEP SIDES PREVENT SNOW FROM RESTING ON THE FABRIC AND COLLAPSING THE TENT. THE FLY MAY EXTEND TO THE GROUND TO BLOCK LOW DOWN WIND. THERE WILL BE LARGE VESTIBULES FOR GEAR. GUYLINES Multiple guyline attachments provide extra stability – essential for the exposed locations and extreme conditions in which these tents are used. WEIGHT Weights shown are for the total weight of the tent, which includes poles, pegs, guylines and the various carry bags. The in-use or ‘trail weight’ will be less. STORAGE Pockets and suspended gear lockers can help to keep the tent tidy and provide easy access to essential items like headlamps. POLES The more poles the tent has, the stronger and heavier…

Get your photo published here to receive a meal from Real Meals worth $17. Learn more about Real Meals at www.realmeals.co.nz. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz.…

Dozens of DOC huts and shelters across the country are ‘high-risk structures’ overdue for maintenance. The cost of the maintenance backlog on DOC’s network of huts and tracks is said to be $300 million. The figures were released to Newsroom under the Official Information Act, and stated the department is 70,000 hours behind on scheduled repairs. Wilderness spoke with Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) vice-president Allan Brent, who said FMC is exploring solutions with DOC to tackle the backlog. What was your initial reaction to the work backlog? Like FMC, Wilderness readers might be wondering if we could see tens or hundreds of backcountry huts being demolished, bridges removed and tracks left to grow over. But before anyone starts throwing stones, FMC wants to keep it constructive. In the past with…

It could be months before walks like Piha’s Tasman Lookout Track and Laird Thomson Track reopen in the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. Some may not open at all. A number of tracks in the Waitākere Ranges were badly damaged and in some cases destroyed when Cyclone Gabrielle hit Auckland. The bridge at the Bethells end of Te Henga Walkway was washed away, and multiple tracks remain littered with large slips. While other regional parks in Auckland reopened after clean-up missions, Muriwai Regional Park, Te Rau Pūriri Regional Park and Waitākere Ranges Regional Park remain closed. Auckland Council western principal ranger Reg Phillips said park rangers and staff continue to assess damage and accessibility. “A number of tracks suffered major slips and flooding that are unlikely to be resolved in the…

WAYPOINTS CLIMBING MT RUAPEHU is a rite of passage for many aspiring North Island mountaineers. And, its northern side provides an excellent training ground to consolidate mountaineering skills. With good solid ice in the mornings, multiple routes can be undertaken depending on experience levels. There’s also access through the Whakapapa Ski Area, where a ride on the Sky Waka Gondola will shave an hour or more from the climb. If the gondola’s not running, it’ll be the reverse of what’s known as the ‘Waterfall Descent’ following up the Rangatira Express, then a route with waratahs. In summer, there is a relatively well-tracked path that leads to the Summit Plateau, though it is easy to lose in places. In winter, the easiest path is to follow up the Knoll Ridge T-Bar,…

A COUPLE of minutes beyond the car park is an extensive grassy picnic area with a shelter, fireplaces, picnic tables and flushing toilets. It’s a place to camp before an early morning start to the trip. From the picnic area it’s all uphill through podocarp then leatherwood forest to Te Ao Tūpare/ Traverse (A-Frame) Hut. The track is well marked and after about two hours of climbing, Takapari Road, a well-maintained 4WD track, is reached. Turn right and the hut is 100m away. It’s at 1092m, nestled among leatherwood and, on a fine day, there are stunning views both west and east. The hut has been restored by members of a local hapū supported by the Backcountry Trust. It had previously been vandalised by people who drove up the 4WD.…

OFF the BEATEN TRACK Knees trembling, I look down at the runout below while balancing nervously on frozen scree. Somewhere on the side of survivable, I think. But let’s rewind to the previous night where this story really begins. We were five trampers happily starting up the track to Sunrise Hut in Ruahine Forest Park, thoughts firmly fixed on snuggling into our sleeping bags. It was 10pm, after all. I’d left my ice-axe in the car; we would turn around if conditions got gnarly. The wide, benched track wound playfully through rimu and ponga forest. Three NZ Forest Service cullers spent three winters in the 1980s cutting this track by hand: an impressive feat. We caught the occasional glimpse of the twinkling towns of Hawke’s Bay stretching for miles. The…

OUTDOOR EDUCATION It’s after dark in Torea Bay. We are relaxing on the lawn outside Outward Bound’s Te Kainga cottage, where we are staying overnight. Or not, as it turns out. “Tonight, you will sleep on the cutter,” says instructor Kate Gloeggler. “First, you will need to row it out to the buoy. We will give you sleeping bags. You will need to be back at the jetty and dressed ready for physical training at 6.20am.” Our little group processes this bombshell. We’d assumed we’d be sleeping in the cottage. Our PT gear is still in our luggage. We are Sheppard Watch, Course 699, on the first of an eightday Discovery course and our first discovery is that Gloeggler is good at dropping bombshells. We later learn that she’s just…

PROFILE Prep time: 15min Cook time: 5–10min Serves: 4 Cost: $8–$12 DUMPLINGS keep and freeze well and can be prepared in advance at home, or carry in fresh ingredients and make a big batch on your first day to last for several meals. The base recipe makes a vegetarian-friendly meal to which optional chunks of meat can be added. INGREDIENTS Dumpling base 10 slices of white bread ripped into pieces 1 egg Handful of fresh parsley (or dried equivalent) Approx ½ bag of breadcrumbs 1 small onion Bit of butter 1tsp pepper 1tsp salt 1tbsp paprika Sauce 2 beef OXO cubes or brown gravy mix 200g mushrooms Bit of parsley Bit of butter for frying Vegetable soup 2 carrots Handful of peas Other vegetables as desired (optional) 1–2 vegetable OXO cubes METHOD Dumplings Soak bread pieces in some boiling water in a…

Why did you update A Walk a Day? I’ve probably done around 1200 walks but I still find, or am told about, new ones. Councils are huge on developing trails, and new and upgraded walks are appearing all the time. So 30 or 40 entries have been significantly rewritten to reflect this, plus there are 100 new walks that were not in the previous edition. How did it all begin? I realised that there were a lot of books about tramping and long trips but nothing about short walks. Publishers were dubious about the need for a book on walks that might only take a couple of hours, but I assured them that an awful lot of people were doing just that. And they sold well. What is your criteria…