The Old Penn Creek Sidle Track

The weather this summer hasn’t been great, and so it wasn’t a surprise to see a forecast of thunderstorms for the weekend where we planned to tramp the Otaki Forks – Penn Creek – Pakihore Ridge – Kime – Otaki Forks loop. And so the route evolved during the week and ended up as a … Read more

Summertime Daywalks

In the brief fortnight of summer this year the family group went out for a couple of day walks to explore the rather foreign concept of warm sunshine. Hemi Matenga Reserve Sunday 26th February 2017 The Hemi Matenga reserve in Waikanae on was first up, and up it was, a good 400m climb between carpark … Read more

What I wish I knew at Cloudy Peak

Last year a few members from the WTMC smashed out a weekend trip to Cloudy peak. Their goal had been the Great Prow, a 9 pitch alpine climb with varying grades up to 14. They had one day and the weather wasn’t cooperative. After waiting for cloud and mist to clear, they started at 10am and … Read more

Taranaki East Ridge – again

On Taranaki summit

Another WTMC trip to Mt Taranaki and the East Ridge A fun day climbing the solid rock (an old lava flow) from Straford Road up the East Ridge to the Sharks Tooth then the summit of Mt Taranaki. Taranaki always seems a lonely mountain separated from all his mates on the Central Plateau. The Maori … Read more

Magical Mole Tops

admiring the view

Condensed version. The trip plan as submitted on the intentions sheet was: Friday evening – ferry and travel to Murchison. Saturday – drive to Mataki Lodge and walk up the valley to Mole Hut. Sunday – walk up to Mole Saddle and Mole Tops. If the weather is OK camp at Mole Saddle, otherwise Mole … Read more

Totara Flats

We departed the Railway station shortly after 5.30 on Friday night, sharing a van with Simon’s Medium grade trip who were heading for the same road end – Holdsworth. After delicious kebabs in Carterton, we arrived at Holdsworth Campground to find the place heaving with trail runners and their support teams and families preparing for … Read more

Broken Axe Pinnacles

I was a bit concerned about the weather and this trip certainly had a reputation (as I had been told that the last Club attempt at the Pinnacles resulted in a trip turn-around due to weather). Nevertheless, once the trip was organised and food allocated, we met up at the train station on Friday night … Read more

Jumbo Holdsworth Tramp – Powell Hut (EM)

We all met at Platform 9 at 8.00am on Saturday, a delayed start from Friday night due to a running race being held on the Holdsworth Track. We also changed our route plan, missing Jumbo Hut, so as to avoid the ridge on Sunday. The weather looked good as we headed to the Wairarapa onto … Read more

Terrific Triangle

The lure of Christmas shopping, or perhaps the panic of not having done it earlier, meant that there were only three of us on the medium tramp to Triangle hut in the Ruahines the weekend before Christmas. We shared transport with the equally select ‘gourmet’ easy tramp  group of four who were heading up to … Read more

Mid Pohangina-Ngamoko-Piripiri Loop

The four of us left the Railway Station on a sunny Friday evening bound for the Pohangina Valley and the Ruahines. The good weather forecasted for the weekend and the free-flowing traffic along SH1 meant spirits were high in anticipation for a good weekend’s tramping even before Maarten announced he would be providing a breakfast … Read more