Check out the latest news and trips reports below or view the archives using the menu on the left. If you want to know more about the newsletter including submitting stories, see Newsletter>Publication Details. To learn more about the club, check the top menu. Some links will take you to the old website, but content will eventually move to this site.

Ruapehu Lodge Report – September 2013

We are having some mild weather up the mountain and along with that comes more fine days than normal due to some persistent easterly winds with Whakapapa being in the shelter. The snow base is ample for some good skiing particularly, above the waterfall and above the west chair. With a mix of weather throughout … Read more

Membership Update – September 2013

This month we welcome three senior members: Richard House, Sam Thornton and Fiona Elliott – Congratulations! If you have any membership questions please find me at the club on a Wednesday night otherwise contact me on  or send it to PO Box 5068, Lambton Quay, Wellington 6145.

Matemateaonga Track to Pouri Hut

The one line summary: long drive for an overnighter in an old nurses’ home with a damp tramp to a hilltop hut sauna for fine dining, escaping the worst of the weekend weather. While Wellington was being lashed by weekend gales and rain, a group of trampers escaped the worst of the weather in the … Read more

Girdlestone Alp 2 – Meeting Friends

Planning mountaineering trips like this in advance you hope for at least one goodish day out of two so that you can get to the summit. This time was different – the forecast was brilliant 5 days before and fell to a little windy by Friday. The only problem with weather like this is the … Read more

There’s No Business like Snow Business – The Snowcraft Course Production and the (near) Ascent of Mt Minger

Featuring Assembled Cast Members: Ye Enlightened and Wise Instructors: Sharron Came, Mike Phethean, Marie Henderson Keen Bean Students: Sam Thorndon, Fiona Elliot, Emily Shrosbee, Doug Jones, Adam Threlkeld, Inky Hickey, Nicky Shields, Megan Sety, James Skeggs First of all, if you’ve never done the snowcraft course or been on trips in the snow, I would … Read more

Four Degrees and Gales

If that was the forecast for Auckland what was the rest of the country going to get that weekend? I was in now in Plan B mode and instead of packing a sarong, sunblock and fly swat I was packing a down jacket, over trousers, merino jumpers and extra plastic bags for a four day … Read more

North and East Ridge Taranaki

Some work weeks can be quite nice, some are ok, but this one just had sucked from the very beginning. However, knowing that there are some great outdoorsy activities waiting at the end made the week a lot easier to endure, especially when it is a really scenic destination such as Mt. Egmont. As usual, … Read more

Holly Hut

We headed off for Egmont National Park on Friday night in good weather and good spirits and, after a hefty drive, were lucky enough to catch a view of the mighty Mt Taranaki as we drove past in the dark. After a good rest overnight at the local backpackers, we set off from the North Visitor centre … Read more

Neither Howletts nor Cow Creek…

The original plan for this trip was to go to Howletts Hut in the Ruahines via a Friday night stay at Longview. This would be a great plan for a dry and moonlit Friday night, but that wasn’t the way the weather was shaping up. Instead, the forecast was for strong winds and heavy rain … Read more