For a lengthier and much more creatively written report of this trip take a read of Sam’s account here: https://medium.com/engage/tapping-out-of-tappy-de5027b8a21b. We caught the ferry on Thursday afternoon after squishing five people’s alpine packs into the car, and then stayed the night at a Picton backpackers – which made for a very leisurely start to the … Read more
With only a few weeks notice, I proposed a week long trip to Arthur’s Pass to get some time on the snow. The plan was simple – climb some of the many easy peaks as day trips and come back to the village each night and stay warm and cosy. Organising the trip was also … Read more
Don’t leave gear without surveillance at the train station! That’s the lesson we learnt almost the hard way on the Friday. As per usual with a WTMC trip, we were at Wellington Train Station faffing and loading the van, waiting for people to arrive and had some gear lying around – not really paying close … Read more
Taranaki Hard Core The adventurous late winter climb of the south side of Mt Taranaki at night
Holy Cupola! A snowcraft graduates ascent of Mt Cupola in Nelson Lakes National Park Spring was marching on, the snow was melting, and enthusiasm for alpine trips appeared to be on the wane. I felt like I hadn’t squeezed enough out of my snowcraft experience yet, so when Tony G offered Angelus trip-goers another bite … Read more
We had this trip on the schedule back in July, only for it to be scuppered at the last minute by rubbish weather. There were only two months this year where the full moon fell on a weekend during the snowy season, and they had now passed. We’d kept this weekend free just in case … Read more
A pillow, curtains, carpet, even a hot shower. I like this style of alpine climbing! Staying at the lodge on Whakapapa is a great way to soften the blow of an alpine start. Our crew were up at 5am and out the door by 6am on Saturday morning, and we enjoyed the soft glow of … Read more
Like the other snowcrafters who had recently completed the WTMC snowcraft course, I was itching to get out on a “real trip” to see what it was like. I had found snowcraft hard. The physical and mental effort required was so much greater than tramping, and I found it frustrating that I couldn’t seem to … Read more
It was the weekend before last, a double bluebird day, a rarity. As a recent ‘snowcrafter’ I found myself visiting the Tongariro Alpine Crossing to get in some practice. However, my eyes were constantly drawn to beauty. Stood there, timeless, always in my peripherals, Mt Ngauruhoe. It was then I knew I had to return, … Read more
This time last year, almost to the day, I stood on the summit of Mt Tapuae-o-Uenuku, and one of the few prominent sights staring back was the peak of one of its tallest partners Mt Manakau, the highest point in the Seaward Kaikouras. I resolved that next year I’d try to tackle it on the … Read more