Journey prep at the station after work on Friday involved us fitting five bikes, eight people and eight packs into and onto the van. The jigsaw came together well with people generally strapped in seats and bikes generally strapped to the bike rack so we had a comfortable if slow journey up to the lodge … Read more
When I saw a beer tramp listed on the trip schedule, I thought it was a mistake. Since when were we allowed to drink alcohol on club trips? I discovered it was a pub crawl requiring punters to walk between bars around Wellington on a hot sticky Saturday. What a great idea – I could … Read more
As a city bloke through and through, who loves his cocktail bars and having a wealth of restaurants to dine at, I can’t quite put my finger on why I have a yearning to get exposed to the elements on a wind-ravaged hillside. Maybe getting out in the elements is my way of restoring balance … Read more
I signed up for this tramp in order to brush-up on my navigational skills and also to travel over Pinnacle Ridge between the Atiwhakatu valley and Barton track. However, soon after signing-up I found myself organising and leading this trip with the expectation that I would be instructing on navigation! On the Friday evening we … Read more
When I saw that a tramp to the plane wreck at Shingle Slip Knob was planned I was keen and quickly signed up. On my first climb of Mt Holdsworth when I was 12 years old we spotted the wreck in the far distance. Something about the wreck captured my imagination and it had been … Read more
We all arrived in Glenorchy the day before the tramp with high hopes. The weather that day was beautifully sunny and to get off to a good start we had a pre-tramp dinner at the hotel – also celebrating a birthday. However, there were a couple of cautionary notes: the long term weather forecast was … Read more
For those of us used to city life, the night skies seen on cloudless tramps are always impressive. The reason is simply explained by the light pollution map. However we rarely have someone on a trip who can explain what we are seeing at night, so hence the idea for this trip to learn more … Read more
We’ve all been there…. weather watching in the days and weeks before a big trip, somehow trying to predict just when and how that next front from the South is going to hit, and how hard. All the while hoping it will be either side of your perfectly planned weekend. Add snow into the mix … Read more
Canyoning is heaps of fun. Don’t believe me? Well read Megan’s newsletter story of No 1 Canyon. Or take a look at our video of Phillips Stream. There is a small group within the club that is regularly canyoning – and now summer is here it’s time for lots more trips. So seven of us … Read more
We had the usual Friday Station departure in a rented van along with Andrei, Matt and Fons who were doing a Medium-Fit trip in the same area. Although Wellington was experiencing unusually hot weather, the forecast for the area we were heading to was a little dodgy; possible thunderstorms and localised heavy rain. Will we … Read more