I first heard about this challenge a year or so ago when I found out about the book full of all the previous trip reports, most recently updated and published by Tony and Megan from our club. The challenge itself started out with the simple rule that you need to work until closing time Friday, … Read more
Ivory Lake – a hiking trip through spectacular west coast NZ scenery. A 10 day hike through Westland National Park to visit Ivory Lake and its icebergs. Day 1: 23rd Dec 2017 – Hokitika Gorge to meadow campsite (45 mins) We arrived in Hokitika eager for shade and faffing time. Having driven from Picton that … Read more
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
From the 21st anniversary WTMC Journal, “Impressions of a Tramping Club”. It took two weeks of interminable wrangling, four customs agents and dozens of rubber stamps and signatures to clear the two tons of expedition gear and food through customs in Lima – a very depressing time. Ken and I had stayed in Lima for … Read more
I mentioned to Pete one weekend at Ruapehu Lodge that I was doing some Life Member interviews and he promptly said ‘Right we’d better bloody get on with it then’. So he regaled me with decades of club adventures over coffee surrounded by kids playing and with stunning views of Taranaki out the window. When … Read more
Saturday morning was sunny but quite cool when we emerged from the van at the road end. Extra layers of clothing were quickly added. Our track was a 4-wheel-drive route, at times deeply rutted and beginning with a huge muddy pool. We walked downhill through regenerating bush to the first of 10 river crossings and … Read more
I woke up to my alarm at the ungodly hour of 6:00AM on a Saturday. This only reminds me of my time as a struggling student, having to wake up for the early morning shift at Moore Wilsons. Nevertheless I put on my tramping gear and threw my pack over and ventured into the early … Read more
What’s better than going up a mountain without having to walk to its foot? Yes correct – going up lots of mountains without horizontal walking. And that was basically the entire plan for this trip. We flew down to Christchurch on a Saturday morning, hopped into a rental car and drove down to Ashburton to … Read more
“Footstool? You really wanna climb a mountain with such a name?” – that was pretty much the reply I got from my boss when asking for a day off late October. I usually don’t care too much about mountain names, but I had to admit that it is a weird name, probably originating from … Read more
Friday 3rd February Fish and chips, pizza and Subway at Paraparaumu gave the group a foundation of reserves for the start of the long Waitangi day Weekend on Friday eve. We reached Mangaweka international airport around 9pm in time to check in for a flight to la la land, pitching our tents at the departure … Read more