Table of contents for Issue 162, Nov-Dec 2017 in Wild

The birds were singing a moment ago, but as dusk descends on the mossy corridors of this confusing forest, all the chirrupers have flown away. Up ahead, at the top of a steep fern-clad gully, there’s a break in the trees. My hiking buddy (Steve) and I have been groping along animal tracks for a couple of hours, unsure as to how we became so lost. We climb and emerge from the forest. A dark, grey sky suggests a heavy downpour may be imminent. The clouds are irksome and brooding. This area of Mount Aspiring National Park gets six to eight metres of rain each year, so it’s a place where you take the clouds seriously, where murmurs of thunder are polite forewarnings to batten down the hatches. It’s a…

The shop is just a couple of sheets of plastic, blue and orange, strung up and secured by spindly wooden poles, pulled taught against a turquoise wall, which is splattered with dried animal dung. The entire establishment has seen better days. Outside stands a donkey, fraying ropes biting into its malnourished belly, securing a load of white sacks full of grain. Inside is the broadest smile I’ve ever seen, belonging to the shopkeeper who has for sale what seems like one of everything imaginable. We buy a couple of bottles of water before heading north and on to Debark to begin our trek into the Simien Mountains National Park. The 1.5-hour road trip from Gondar to Debark in northern Ethiopia is full of stories. We pass through the small villages…

Think of New Caledonia adventure travel, and your thoughts are likely to gravitate to beaches, diving and sailing. And, while New Caledonia certainly offer all three of these in spades, there are plenty of other great adventures that can be experienced. New Caledonia comprises three provinces, with the main island “Grand Terre” comprising two provinces, and the nearby Loyalty Islands being the third. The closest of the Pacific Islands to Australia, just +1 hour time difference (AEST), New Caledonia and New Caledonians are a unique mix of indigenious Kanaks, French, Indonesian, Tahitian, Wallasian, Polynesian and Javanese. The greatest number of New Caledonians live in the capital Nouméa, while the West Coast is largely farming and of European heritage, and the East Coast being less populated and the home for the…

The Nature Conservancy Australia (TNC) is launching a reality show of its own, starring some of Port Phillip Bay’s oldest residents – the local flora and fauna from the area, including those from deep under the sea Located at Popes Eye, within Port Phillip Heads Marine National Park Victoria, live-feed cameras will operate daily and are a southern Australia first, combining webcams under and above the water to ensure viewers don’t miss a thing. The webcams form part of the Reef Cam project, giving people around the globe a chance to see some of the life teeming in the bay. TNC Australia Country Director Rich Gilmore said the project is striving to improve public awareness and appreciation of the underwater and above water values of Australia’s temperate southern seascapes. “By…

It’s an all too familiar story that grabs the headlines: Hikers, bushwalkers or other outdoor adventurers have failed to report back at their scheduled arrival time. The police and rescue services are alerted and a full-scale land and/or air search commences. In most instances, the missing persons are located without any misfortune. Nevertheless, becoming lost, underestimating distances, poor weather, or non-life-threatening injuries have delayed the missing persons long enough to warrant the search. However, the cost and time of organising and undertaking a search, and the angst caused to waiting families, can often be easily avoided. And, unfortunately, on some occasions a search and rescue is too late, and the focus changes to body recovery. Distress beacons are small, lightweight devices that can alert search and rescue services of an…

It was the late 1980s and Colorado river guide, Mark Paigen, had an epiphany. “The difference between a river guide and a US savings bond is that after 20 years, the savings bond matures and starts to earn money. After five years of guiding, the writing was on the wall.” Chacos was born. As a river guide, Paigen had long ditched running shoes when on the water and instead wore either Teva or Alps sandals. However, he wanted to improve on their design, and create a sandal that would stay on his feet after being flipped in the most gnarly Grade 5 rapid. The design would be based on five key points; 1) synthetic materials, 2) anatomical strap placement, 3) a continuous pull-through strap, 4) top shelf components and 5)…

Having finally ‘arrived’ in the adult world of full-time work and genuine responsibilities, I feel strongly that I’ve been cheated of something. Everyone expected that I’d just slot into my well-earned place in the workforce; there was no doubt that this would involve some hard work and long hours, but there was also the promise of satisfying and rewarding work. The deep engagement and motivation of my peers suggests that despite this hard work, they were reaping the rewards of their work. Not me though. The hospital where I work is a constant maelstrom of noise and stimulation; beeping machines, phone calls, messages, demands, bad smells, chemical smells, interruptions, distractions, paperwork, takeaway coffee, mistakes, bright lights, fast food eaten on the run. I feel like I’m fighting against something, but…

It is almost cliché to describe mountains as violent – jagged, sharp peaks can seem temperamental and unwelcoming. However, seldom when we talk about violent mountains are we speaking literally. The Cordillera Huayhuash is one such exception. Today, the Huayhuash represents the site of a significant transition from a complex system of guerilla-dominated terrorism to a peaceful, safe, and world-class outdoor destination. The horrifying history of the region is one riddled with narco-trafficking, kidnapping, and social systems ingrained in poverty and dirty money. Above all, the otherworldly natural beauty of the Cordillera is home to the complex realities of rural life, a situation endemic to not only the Andes, but also much of the developing world more generally. The compact Huayhuash range sits tucked away behind the Peruvian altiplano, five…

New Zealand has no shortage of amazing hikes, or ‘tramps’ as the Kiwis like to call them, and it can be tricky deciding which to tackle next. While the South Island has some of the most renowned alpine landscapes in the southern hemisphere, the North Island, and the Tongariro Circuit in particular, has something a little bit different to offer – constant volcanic activity. The Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) is the most active of New Zealand’s six major areas and comprises three frequently active cone volcanoes, including Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and nearby Ruapehu, a popular ski destination. Lake Taupo itself, a short drive away and lies in the base of an enormous dormant caldera, or collapsed volcanic crater. The vents and craters of the Tongariro complex make up both NZ’s highest…

I must admit, often when I hike, I prefer to wear a cotton t-shirt. Despite their shortcomings, I find cotton is more comfortable on the skin. Synthetic polyester often feels clammy and after a long hike my nipples often felt raw and painful. So, I was a little nervous when I replaced my safe option cotton T’s for a couple of Outdoor Research Echo Tees, for two days of hiking in hot, humid conditions. The Echo comes in eight colours. I had the typhoon/hot sauce (pictured), which I’d call aqua and the jolt/pewter, which I’d call canary yellow. What you notice immediately when first picking these shirts is that they’re super lightweight. The large is just 88 grams, and they scrunch down to about the size of a pair of…

Eliza wins an Osprey Manta AG 28, valued at $239.95. Designed for lightweight hiking for the day or even overnight, the Manta includes Osprey’s LightWire frame, mesh backpanel, BioStretch shoulder harness and AG hipbelt for on-the-go comfort. Winning Photo This image was taken at ‘Disappointment Spur Hut’, which turned out to be not so disappointing at all! We had spent the previous two nights out exploring the winter wonderland of the Australian Alps. In this moment, the three of us were very happy, because just as the sun went down, we had success with our fire. We spent the remainder of our evening beneath a clear sky and full moon, revelling in the adventures we had shared and enjoying the company of each other and our surrounds. Eliza Rowe -…

The river is swift and the country we are travelling through is remote. We passed the last, easy exit point two days ago and the next is three days downstream. There are no other paddlers to run cover for us. It is just the two of us in our 12-foot whitewater raft and every stroke counts. I grip my paddle and tuck my right foot under the raft’s cross-tube as we push into the flow toward a long, complicated rapid ahead. Craig calls his instructions, telling me to keep paddling forward as we need some pace for the first drop. After we manouevre through the next two drops, Craig suddenly shouts for me to back-paddle. There is a tone of urgency in his voice as he calls, “keep coming back,…

When the moth starts talking, I know I’m close to breaking point. It’s day one of four of the Long Range Traverse that I’m doing in Newfoundland, Canada’s easternmost island province. But after only four hours of hiking we’re in the middle of a rocky near-vertical ascent that has almost beaten me. I’ve tried every trick in the book: talking, music, breathing, visualisations, zoning out. Now, it seems, my brain has resorted to hallucinations. ‘Come on, you can do it!’, I imagine the white moth hovering over the tip of a wildflower saying, each flick of its powdery wings encouraging me to lift my quivering legs. ‘You’re so close, just a bit further!’ Whether this is my mind’s last attempt to get my body to react, or whether I’ve just…

We stand astride the summit, absorbing the salty air and 180-degree vista of aquamarine ocean. It’s only when a low-flying plane intrudes upon our view that I remember we’re just half an hour from home. The plane is making its landing approach to Maroochydore airport, and we’re on Mount Coolum, midway between Noosa and Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. INDIGENOUS HISTORY The first inhabitants of the Maroochy district were the Aboriginal people of the Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi language group. A Dreamtime legend tells of a young warrior named Coolum, who fell in live with Maroochy, a beautiful girl from his tribe. One day while Coolum was out hunting, Maroochy was stolen by a mighty warrior named Ninderry from a fierce and warlike tribe. Seeking her back, Coolum crept into Ninderry’s…

During the 1960s, Lowe brothers, Jeff, Greg and Mike were synonymous with serious rock and alpine climbing throughout North America. At age 7, Jeff Lowe was then the youngest person to climb the Grand Teton with his father and brother Greg. Jeff would ultimately become a legendary mountain climber and has the distinction of being the first – and only – person to climb the near impossible route up the very centre of the Eiger Nordwand in Switzerland. This is an accomplishment that has not yet been replicated. However, back in the late 1960s, the brothers faced another challenge. The gear available at that time was simply not up to task for the serious rock and ice climbs the brothers were wanting to attempt. They could see the lines they…