We are a very lucky Club. Last weekend four of our life members braved a freezing southerly to patch the roof of the Club Lodge thereby fixing the lounge leak. Life members are worth their weight in gold particularly when it comes to looking after our Lodge. They are also an inspiration in terms of modelling how members can make a practical, positive contribution to WTMC. Next time you see one at the Clubrooms, or up at the Lodge remember to show your appreciation.
The winter trip schedule is up and running. If you’ve already looked at it you will have noticed that we are featuring lots of navigation trips. This is so everyone can practice their locational awareness, an essential tramping skill. It is not just trip leaders that need to know where you are going and how to get there, we all do. Like all skills navigation improves with practice and if you don’t use what you learn it fades away. Another great way to pick up navigation skills while getting fitter and having fun in a social setting is to participate in the local after work rogaines. Check out this site http://www.mapsport.co.nz/rog/rogaine.htm Yes it can be a bit cold and you definitely need a good head torch but it is great fun.
In July we hope to run both a Snowcraft and a leadership course. These represent great opportunities to up skill while having fun in a friendly, small group environment. Check out the club website and the trip sheets at the Clubrooms to find out more or for Snowcraft email DJ on . For the leadership course talk to Amanda or Richard or email
Sue, our Social Convenor, has some great slideshows and other entertainment lined up for the winter months. We hope to see some of you at the Quiz Night. We have not run one of these for a few years as they take a bit of organisation, if this one is a success we may be inspired to run some more. If you have ideas for Wednesday night entertainment talk to Sue or email her at social.wtmc.org.nz. Oh and please remember to take your tea cups back to the kitchen after you have drunk your tea and wash them. Sue is not your mother!
Another fun event to mark in your calendar for June is the annual showing of a selection of films from the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Check out this site for details of the films on show at the Paramount in Wellington on the evenings of June 11 and 18 – these are Tuesday nights so no need to skip our club night! Films on show typically vary in length with one longer film each evening and a bunch of short films. As well as rock climbing and mountaineering there are usually films featuring mountain biking, kayaking, skiing and a range of other extreme sports in exotic locations. http://alpineclub.org.nz/banff-mountain-film-festival-tour-of-new-zealand-2013
Finally, something I neglected to mention in an earlier newsletter. Back in February Yibai He and Mike Phethean completed the legendary S-K . S-K stands for Schormann-Kaitoke which is code for the challenge of traversing the Tararuas from north to south or in reverse. Punters used to start from the Schormann track but now the southern road end is Putara via Herepai hut so it is really a P-K. The S-K challenge was dreamed up by a few WTMCers in 1961. It doesn’t take a particularly in-depth knowledge of the Tararuas or the associated weather to figure out that traversing the entire range is hard work.
Traversing the range in under 48 hours is strictly for the crazy. Traditionally WTMC has sheltered a healthy population of crazy people so it is good to see Yibai and Mike carrying on the tradition (see picture below). Harry Smith also completed the S-K. Some of you may not have realised that Harry is sane and therefore he did it over 3 days. There are many variations on the S-K, the S-K valleys for example. The stories of the various attempts, successful or otherwise make interesting reading and I hope to organise a reprint of the S-K book at some stage and to add to it the stories of those who have made the journey since 1995. Meantime belated congratulations to Yibai, Mike P and Harry.
Have a fun filled June!