Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club
Enjoying the great outdoors since 1947
After a slightly bleary-eyed 7.30am meet on the Saturday morning, a club minibus jam-packed with sleepy trampers left for the Tararuas in hot pursuit after Illona’s car. As a tramping-virgin, I had been warned about the mysteriously misty, murky and muddy Tararuas and had sat through various club presentations picturing drizzly-looking forest and decidedly damp-looking … Read more
When Gareth asked me for the sixth time “have you committed to the Jumbo-Holdsworth?” I weighed up the pros and cons for the sixth time. Pros – no time left to do any training, have run the route before and enjoyed it, unlikely to be snow this time. Cons – have not done any training, … Read more
Having attended the obligatory two club tramps before becoming a member, and a trip leading session, it was appropriate to contribute in a small way by volunteering to lead a trip. Encouraged by my brother in-law Mike and the fact that a number of other trips were planned around Nelson at the same time, this … Read more
As we were doing a crossing we had a few transport logistics issues. We left Wellington Station on the 5:30pm train bound for Masterton, a lovely scenic ride, with the goal getting a pickup from the MF Blackwater-Makaretu group on the Sunday afternoon. We arrived in Masterton a bit hungry and in no real hurry, … Read more
As I now hold double (dubious) honour of setting off the first WTMC beacon rescue, and the first time I have asked others to get me out of a tricky situation, I have been contemplating the necessity, or otherwise, of carrying a PLB. It is only in the last few years I have started to … Read more
Sarah Young, Newsletter Editor What a great way to start a new year than with a bumper issue of the WTMC newsletter. Thank you very much to all of you who contributed to this edition and to editions past. Writing articles is no easy task, and one that consumes a fair amount of time. That … Read more
We met bright and early on Boxing Day morning and boarded the ferry. Thankfully it was a very calm crossing over to the South Island so the Christmas over indulgences were forgiven. The weather forecast for the next 10 days was beginning to look a little foreboding but, keeping our fingers crossed that it wouldn’t … Read more
I always know when I am tramping on the coming weekend as I spend the week before checking the forecast. The week before this trip was more checking than normal as we all tried to decide whether it was going to rain and blow too much. This indecision affected Air New Zealand making my flight … Read more
On the morning of Saturday 5th January, myself and Tony Gazley set out for Otaki Forks. Our plan was to walk to the top of Mount Hector, pitch the tent and take photos of the sunset. Wellington had been blessed by awesome weather for the weekend so I was looking forward to getting out onto … Read more
“Punters are but a myth of the imagination, or perhaps the memory of the trampers from a bygone era. An era which has since passed. The era of signing up for a trip meant going on a trip has since passed. But the show, of course, will always go on.” – Disillusioned trip leader Craig … Read more