Another very successful month for the Club with 14 trips that went ahead. We had 120 people participating (with some people going on more than one trip). One weekend, we had four trips taking place : Natasha took a group mountain biking on the Timber Trail; Anne led a navigational tramp to the Hauhungatahi Wilderness Area; Emily led an alpine trip to the Mt Snowflake area of the Seaward Kaikoura Range; and Jacqui led the Bushcraft course that was based at Holdsworth Lodge. The Lodge had a successful month with lots of people staying up on the mountain and enjoying the various options that the Lodge provides. We also had a successful family outing to Battle Hill where everyone had a fun day.
This high level of activity is very pleasing to see (and take part in). I’m pleased that as a Club we are providing trips that people want to participate in. We are lucky that in our Club we have enough experienced and willing people who are leading such a wide range of trips.
I was on Anne’s Hauhungatahi Wilderness Area navigational tramp. We had sunny but chilly weather and had a good off-track adventure that provided a physical and mental challenge for us.
During September, the Mountain Film Festival took place after Covid related disruption over recent years. Again, the two evenings of films were very well attended with a really good vibe. The films were fantastic and very inspirational. The Film Festival was held in conjunction with the Victoria University of Wellington Tramping Club which helps create connections with other outdoor people in Wellington and fosters good relations between our two Clubs. Our share of the proceeds of the Festival go into our Club’s scholarship fund which we use to help develop our members and Club for the future : https://wtmc.org.nz/training/scholarships/
75th Anniversary.
Meredith and her team of other volunteers have sent out the invitations for our 75th celebrations during the weekend of 4-6 November. We have over 20 people so far signed up for the dinner and about the same number for the BBQ. There are a few of us going to Paua hut at the moment and there is still space in Paua hut for more people. The anniversary weekend will be a good chance to socialise with other people in the Club. Please see https://wtmc.org.nz/promotions/wtmc-75th-anniversary/ for more details.
Volunteers.
We are looking for a few more people to help out with Club duties.
Meeting MC : we already have a roster of people willing to host Club meetings but a few more people would help reduce the work-load for everyone. Duties include preparing the tea and coffee, the biscuits, greeting the meeting attendees and introducing the guest speaker.
Gear room assistant : Anne has a roster of people who are helping out in the gear room. Again a few more people willing to go on the roster would be greatly appreciated. Gear room duty is an unsung but vital role in the running of Club activities. If you are interested in helping out please contact me.
Assistant transport officer : to help James in the organising of transport for our Club trips. This will involve coordinating with James and trip leaders about transport requirements and helping booking rental vehicles.
Mental Health Week.
The recent Mental Health Week got me thinking about the mental health benefits of outdoor activities and of belonging to a club. The theme of this years Mental Health Week was ‘Reconnect with the people and places that lift you up, hei pikinga waiora.’ I think by getting into the outdoors that we love and making connections with other people we can help maintain our mental health. The Mental Health Foundation website has a ‘Five Ways to Wellbeing’ model that we can all use to help our mental health and wellbeing :
You can see that by participating with the Club you will be making connections and being active along with being able to give your time/words/presence to other Club members. By going on Club trips, you will be able to notice the areas you are in and be able to take part in new activites and learn to help stimulate your brain. All of us have ups and downs in our lives and I really believe that by participating in outdoor activities and with the Club we can all help our mental health. For more information please see https://mentalhealth.org.nz/.
If you are struggling with your mental health the Mental Health Foundation website lists services that can help : https://mentalhealth.org.nz/help
Up Coming Trips.
As per usual, there are trips running near and far during October. I’ve signed up for an easy tramp to Wairongomai hut in the Remutaka Forest Park, to a trip to Kapiti Island and also for a tramp to the Ruahine range during Labour Weekend. The long-weekend gives us a chance to go further afield and there are trips planned to the Kaikoura range, Ruahine and Kaweka Forest Parks, and the Abel Tasman area. Anne is also leading a tramp to a mystery location.
We are also running a river safety course in late October. I did a similar course to this some years ago and really found it useful and beneficial for my awareness of river safety and of river crossing techniques. Being able to assess a river for crossing potential and then being able to cross safely are essential outdoors skills in New Zealand. If you would like to build your confidence in and around rivers please sign up to this course.
You can see https://wtmc.org.nz/trips/ for more details about our schedule for October.
Up Coming Meetings.
We continue with our fortnightly meetings. On the 19th of October, Jonty will be giving a presentation about his adventures in the Nelson Lakes National Park. I’ve done some great tramps in Nelson Lakes over the years so am looking forward to his talk.
Final Comments.
The Club is doing well at the moment with plenty of activities taking place. I really urge you to sign-up and participate in Club activities so you can benefit from what the Club offers. If you have any comments you can contact me : .
See you in the hills.
Tony