We’ve got a number of great talks this month featuring places that our members have been, starting with the Tararuas and going over the ditch to Australia: 5 August – Brendan Eckert will take us on a canyoning adventure down Chamberlain Creek in the Tararuas, where abseiling meets tramping. 12 August – Joe Harbridge will … Read more
Merry Christmas everyone! Oh, I must be confused with the northern hemisphere; I thought Christmas was coming soon given the hail storm and poor weather in Wellington. But no, it is only mid-winter Christmas. Anyway, all conditions were met to spend a great weekend up in the club lodge on Mount Ruapehu, socialising and enjoying … Read more
Day 1. The drive north to Mahaku Saddle. It’s a fairly full hire van that leaves the Wellington railway station on time. Eleven people and packs and bags squeezed in. The drive north is made longer with roadworks and delays on the Rimutaka hill. But the real challenge lies in finding decent food on Highway 2 … Read more
Given that our Medium Fit minibus companions were embarking on a trip entitled ‘Dundas: the Hard Way’, one could be forgiven for thinking that there is an ‘Easy Way’ to reach Dundas Hut. This would be a mistake. Dundas is a wonderful, challenging, rewarding trip… but easy it was not. We set off from Putara … Read more
The plan was to spend the weekend in the Ruahines but given the adverse weather conditions we reconsidered it and opted for a closer tramp to the Tararuas. Yes, the Tararuas are not known for their best weather conditions during winter, especially when it is raining, but since shoes and gear were already packed, we … Read more
Saturday 9 May 2015 Departed Wellington 08:00 am Mangahao Lower No2 Dam 10:25am Burn Hut 2:25pm (6km, 300m to 800m) Near vertical hill. Grabbing tree roots and toeholds in the muddy earth. Right leg starts crammping during climb. Raining as we hit the ridge tramping out of the forest. Three of us Claire leads with … Read more
That the first Alpha Hut on the Tararua southern crossing route was built exactly one hundred years ago in 1915. Mr W Workman constructed the 3 m x 4 m hut, with a dirt floor, from timber cut at the site, and from corrugated iron carried in by pack horse, all under contract to the Greytown … Read more
Originally this trip was going to Howlett’s Hut in the Ruahines, but looking at the weather outside on Friday and the forecast ahead, Kevin and the trip leader of the tandem EM group (Garth) made the right decision to postpone and relocate to the Tararuas. After having a pie stop en route (unusual on the … Read more
I’ve been so busy organising exciting presentations for our Wednesday nights, that I’ve forgotten to tell you about them. Here’s what is coming up for the next month, including our WTMC Member’s only discount night at Wellington Bivouac store on 21 July. 24 June – Double feature! Paul Maxim, author of Bold Beyond Belief, will … Read more
Palmerston North Tramping and Mountaineering Club 50th Jubilee 27-29 November 2015 Calling all past members Palmerston North Tramping and Mountaineering Club celebrate their 50th Jubilee 27-29 November 2015 with a weekend of fun and fellowship at Camp Rangi Woods in the picturesque Pohangina Valley. If you have been a member of PNTMC and would like … Read more