From the President…in September

First Aid Training – Sign up now!

WTMC is organising first aid training for club members in the first weekend of November. The training will be run by St John and involve practical first aid scenarios for trampers.

The committee believes that it is important to provide training opportunities for members and has agreed that the WTMC will subsidise most of the costs of the training, with participants only paying $45 for the 2-day course.

In return we just ask that anyone who does the training commits to contributing to the club in some way, for example by leading trips or helping out at the club night on Wednesdays. Eligibility criteria for the subsidised course are the same as for the WTMC Scholarships (see below).

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about the training please contact Matt Conway ().

 

WTMC Scholarships – Applications are open

As I announced last month, applications are now open for WTMC Scholarships. Members who meet the eligibility criteria can apply at any time until July next year, but I’d encourage you to apply early as when the money’s gone, it’s gone! We’ve already granted three scholarships to members wanting to upskill in pack-rafting, canyoning and alpine mountaineering. Scholarships aren’t limited to these activities though. These scholarships are funded through the money we raised bringing the NZ Mountain Film Festival to Wellington both last year and this year.

 

The WTMC Lodge – for us all to enjoy

The WTMC Lodge at Mt Ruapehu has had a bumper winter season with bunks filled to the rafters most weekends. This is the result of lots of hard work by the lodge sub-committee and other members helping both with the everyday running of the lodge and with other improvements. A big thanks to everyone involved.

A huge variety of WTMC members and non-members use the lodge, for many different activities all year round. There’s skiers, snowboarders, rock climbers, alpine climbers, sledgers, ice climbers, mountain bikers, trampers, ski-tourers, café-tourers, waterfall-seekers and the list goes on. Different groups visiting the lodge may have different arrangements depending on whether they are on a club trip or a private trip, and on what activity people are doing which is something for us all to be aware of.

Club trips, for example, have a no alcohol policy (except with permission from the Chief Guide), and club alpine trips have specific arrangements for safety reasons. Different activities have different schedules or gear storage needs, for example alpinists are usually early to bed and early to rise to catch the snow at its optimum conditions for fast and safe travel. Skiers tend to work to the lift opening and closing times, and groups with children may have a different schedule again. Of course, there’s also chores to be done to ensure everyone gets fed, and the lodge is kept tidy and cleaned up in time for the next guests to arrive. With a bit of cooperation and flexibility everyone can enjoy their activities of choice, and the lodge can function smoothly.

The Lodge is a great place to mingle with people who you might not normally see on a Wednesday night or meet on a weekend tramping trip. While our members participate in a range of outdoor activities, we’re all part of the same awesome WTMC and the Lodge is available for us all to enjoy.

 

Trapping

One of the focus areas for the WTMC Committee this year is conservation. We’re keen to support club efforts in this area so we’ve agreed to put some funds towards maintaining the traps on our club trap line in the Ruahine which helps protect Whio. This includes contributing towards bait and gas bottles (required for the traps to function) as well as fuel costs for those using a private vehicle for monthly trap maintenance. Huge thanks to Illona and Amanda who coordinate all the club’s trapping-related efforts, and to those who give their time to maintain the traps. You can read about WTMC’s trapping here, here and here, and there’ll be more updates out soon.

 

Sad news

You may have heard the news that a climber passed away at the Ruapehu Crater Lake/Te Wai ā-moe last weekend. Magesh Jagadeesan was a member of WTMC since July 2017 and had been on a couple of trips with the club. Our thoughts are with Magesh’s family and friends and all those involved in the incident. The group who Magesh was with have published a statement about what happened which is a good reminder about the heightened risks in the alpine environment, no matter what level of experience. Kia kaha and stay safe out there.

 

This news came as myself and twelve others finished a wonderful alpine adventure in Nelson Lakes which you’ll be able to read more about in this year’s WTMC Journal. We were lucky to have wall-to-wall sunshine, low winds, reasonable snow conditions and a great group of people willing to get up before dawn three mornings in a row! Other than that, my September has been quiet on the tramping front…but I have been out practicing my MTB skills in preparation for biking the Heaphy Track in October.

I’m always happy to take suggestions if there’s things you think should be included in this monthly update. Just let me know via 

 

Emily

WTMC President