Kia ora, the end of the year is approaching fast and hopefully the weather becomes a bit more settled soon. I hope you’ve been able to get out into the hills this past month.
You’ve probably also seen the news about the fire raging in Tongariro National Park – our thoughts are with the communities affected and hopefully the fire will be under control soon.
This month, read a bumper issue to learn about:
- Updated draft Club policies – seeking your feedback by Sunday 7 December!
- We need you! Volunteer vacancies for Chief Guide, Assistant Chief Guide (Training) and Trip Reports Editor
- A summary of club trips and events in the last month, and what is coming up
- Get your entries for the Journal in now!
- Get your orders in for club merchandise!
- A recap of the successful Lodge winter season
- Upcoming Lodge Christmas party
- And much more!
As always, I welcome your comments and feedback – an engaged membership is what makes the Club special and helps ensure your Committee can better focus on the things that matter to you. Please feel free to email me at president@wtmc.org.nz.
Ngā mihi
Daniel Madley
President
Seeking your feedback – consulting on updated draft Club policies
The Committee mentioned at the AGM that we would be developing a conduct policy and consulting with Members. Given the Constitution was also finalised earlier this year, we’ve taken the opportunity to do a deep dive into all of the club policies that have accumulated over the years and exist across at least four different documents.
One of our focuses has been trying to simplify the policies, including separating out a lot of the process/guidance information that is in the current policy documents, and include that in a more appropriate place – for example in an updated Trip Leader Manual.
You can find more information on why we are updating the policies, and the links to the relevant documents here.
We are seeking feedback from Club members on the draft policies by 5pm Sunday 7 December. To provide feedback, please email president@wtmc.org.nz and/or the Responsible Officer for each policy.
Thank you for your engagement and feedback on the rules that help the Club function.
We want you! Three club volunteer roles need to be filled, including Chief Guide
Sara has accomplished a phenomenal amount in her time as the Chief Guide, but due to a range of other commitments needs to step down from the role in the coming weeks. I’ve been impressed at how quickly Sara came up to speed with the role and how diligently and methodically she tackled a whole range of issues in her area, from calculating trip fees more fairly, to training and van and gear maintenance. Sara’s had a tireless work ethic, and the Committee has been fortunate to learn from her.
The Chief Guide role is crucial, and one of the busiest in the club, with trips out most weekends. We do want to do our best to ensure the next Chief Guide is supported and are very open to discussing with people who are interested how the role could be structured.
To express interest in the Chief Guide role, please email president@wtmc.org.nz and chiefguide@wtmc.org.nz by 5pm Monday 17 November.
A reminder also that we are still seeking expressions of interest for an Assistant Chief Guide (Training), to support the Chief Guide and make sure we have a great pipeline of training courses to develop our trip leaders and trampers, which in turn supports the wider club. If you’re interested, please contact chiefguide@wtmc.org.nz.
Finally, Jacqui will be stepping down as the Trip Report Editor / Newsletter Editor after almost three years in the role. Thank you, Jacqui, for your tireless effort in this role, and always ensuring the trip reports are completed to a very high standard – accurate trip reports are very important to help keep a good record of club activities, and help other people researching trips get useful information. Every time I search for huts and tracks online I see links to WTMC trip reports, so they’re a great tool to promote the club more widely.
We would like to get Jacqui’s replacement finalised before Christmas, so if you are interested, please contact chiefguide@wtmc.org.nz by 28 November.
Club trips in the last month, and coming up
Unfortunately, a large number of club trips have been cancelled or rearranged in the last month on account of bad weather. I want to thank the trip leaders for being so flexible and identifying Plan B trips – it means a lot to trip participants that they can still get out into the hills, even though there is a lot of pain of rearranging trip logistics.
Anne wasn’t able to lead a group to find the chain ladder in Richmond Forest Park, so the group had a more relaxing stroll into Tutuwai Hut. The hut got a good spring clean, and the trip participants got a swim in the river, a gourmet dinner and double dessert – sounds like a great weekend!
I made a second attempt to get along the ridge from Longview Hut to Makaretu Hut but unfortunately the wind was not co-operating, so my group headed down to Awatere Hut for the night and had an enjoyable afternoon up and down the river exploring Black Stag Biv, Happy Daze Hut and Stackers Hut.
Despite the weather we’ve had groups in the last month heading to Abel Tasman, Stanfield Hut and on the weekend just been into Powell Hut, Mitre Flats Hut and an attempt to get up to Table Ridge.
As I mentioned above, it’s really important to please complete your trip reports and send them in after the trip. It’s a good idea to ask someone to volunteer before the trip so they can jot down notes on the trip to write up later. Having good trip reports helps us all, and the number of trip reports coming through in the past couple of months has been very low – it would be great to see these increase please.
On a more positive note, sign ups for the summer schedule are already, with a number of trips in February and March next year already oversubscribed. You may have seen we’re attempting to revive the idea of a ‘President’s trip’ – next year’s trip will go to Paua Hut in late-January.
Thanks to Anna and Sara we now have two lockboxes for the club van or private cars that can help make key swaps and logistics easier. And a reminder that the club gear available for use, including new tents, is listed here.
Thanks also to Ellis and Anne for leading a webinar recently about the weather course they went on. The webinar was very well attended, and we learnt a lot about different sources of information and things to watch out for when planning a trip.
Be part of our 2025 journal!
We want to hear what you’ve been up to this year! Whether you’re a writer, artist, poet, chef or photographer we’d love to have your voice in the next WTMC club journal. We’re looking to capture the memorable, fun, unexpected and interesting stories and images from 2025(ish) through the eyes of the club — find out more details at wtmc.org.nz/journal. Email your submissions, questions or bright ideas to journal@wtmc.org.nz. We’ll be taking submissions until the end of the year.
Club events and social activities
We’re excited to share our first batch of WTMC merchandise. We have the Tui Pullover Fleece from Macpac, with a 1/4 front zip, available in a range of colours, which you can see on the order form. The WTMC logo will be featured on the right chest. Fleeces are $70 each. Orders close on Sunday November 16 to arrive for Christmas, so get in quick! You can order here.
We also now have WTMC patches (perfect for displaying on your tramping pack) available to collect from the Gear room every Wednesday from 6.30-7pm. Patches are $5 each – payment by bank transfer please. And while you’re picking up a patch, feel free to collect an FMC discount card and quarterly Backcountry magazine if you haven’t already done so.
Many thanks to James and Emily for sharing their thoughts on ‘packs and snacks’ recently, and to Sam and Anna for leading the club’s involvement in the gear swap with VUWTC and NZAC Wellington. There seemed to be lots of happy trampers keen to find a better home for some unused gear.
It was also great to see so many people from the club at the Hut Keepers screening on 29 October – Andrew Buglass’ story founding Permolat and maintaining remote huts across the West Coast has certainly inspired many.
Looking ahead, I’m excited for Kevin Thompson’s talk on Wednesday 19 November at the club rooms. Kevin will talk about how search and rescue was done back in the 1970s to 90s, before a lot of the modern technology existed. See you from 6.30pm, with the talk starting at 7.15pm.
Finally in the social scene, Roger is doing a great job at bringing Christmas forward by organising a Christmas party at the Lodge 28-30 November. There’ll be day walks, dinner and entertainment and it’s going to be a great deal of fun. To come, you can make a booking at the Lodge here (wtmc.org.nz/lodgebookings) and email veterans@wtmc.org.nz so Roger can keep track of numbers.
Another successful Lodge winter season, and looking ahead to Summer Lodge
Speaking of the Lodge, congratulations are in order to the entire Lodge Sub-Committee for another successful winter season up at Ruapehu.
From the start of July to the end of October there were a total 1,244 bed nights booked at the Lodge, and the Lodge was continuously occupied for 37 nights straight, from 8 August to 14 September, and again for the whole of the September/October holidays.
Thank you to the efforts of the entire LSC, and many other volunteers and Lodge Operators, without whose work behind the scenes we simply would not be able to keep the Lodge operating for current and future generations, let alone in as good a condition as it is in.
If you’re interested in helping out and being trained as a Lodge Operator, Sam K is running a Lodge Operator training session at the club rooms on Wednesday 19 November from 6pm sharp (immediately before Kevin Thompson’s talk). If you’d like to come, email lodgebookings@wtmc.org.nz to help Sam get an indication of numbers.
Every year we run Summer Lodge, where the Lodge is open, and no bookings need to be made. You simply ring a mobile number provided the day before you want to come, (to let the Lodge Operator know you are coming) and once you get there you pay via bank transfer for the nights you intend to stay. If you end up staying more nights, you pay more money. It’s that simple!
Summer Lodge is a great way to enjoy the many activities that Tongariro National Park offers, and a great opportunity to relax with friends and get to know others.
This year our Summer Lodge runs from Friday 26 December to Tuesday 6 January.
If you have any questions, contact Miles at lodgeconvenor@wtmc.org.nz.
Reminders and other happenings
- Please collect your FMC discount card and quarterly Backcountry magazine (and club patch) from 6.30-7pm each Wednesday at the club rooms (4 Moncrieff Street, Mt Victoria).
- Geoff Spearpoint is giving a talk to NZAC Wellington on his career and mountaineering adventures overseas at the club rooms (4 Moncrieff Street, Mt Victoria) on 26 November at 2pm.
- Ski Trading Post in Levin is offering WTMC club members a 50% discount on gear until the end of November – just mention the club in store to get the discount, or email them to get a code before buying online.
- The Mountains on Stage Film Festival is on in Wellington on 4 December. WTMC members get 20% off tickets, if you’re interested contact communications@wtmc.org.nz to get the discount code.
- Ross Kerr is offering free copies of an eight-page supplement to his 2015 book, “A Chronology of the Tararua & Rimutaka Ranges”. If you’re interested, email Ross on rakerr4679@gmail.com and a copy will be emailed to you.
- Finally, last month I mentioned that Lodge Convenor Miles was changing roles in his church community. Unfortunately, the website wasn’t letting me upload the awesome photos of his very detailed tramping cake and tramping farewell, so a month later here is take two!
