Tarn Ridge Hut trip

It was going to be a great weekend with light winds and sun shine for Weimen’s trip to Tarn Ridge hut. I had been in that area many times, so I asked Weimen what he had planned and I gave him the times I thought the different options would take. After he had studied the … Read more

Broken Axe Pinnacles – The Not Tappy, Light and Fast Daywalk

Broken Axe Pinnacles viewed from Baldy

Broken Axe Pinnacles The Not Tappy, Light and Fast Daywalk A day hike loop from Holdsworth carpark over the Broken Axe Pinnacles “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley.” And so they did. What was to be a three day trip to climb Tappy became a furtive dash in the Tararuas … Read more

Jumbo-Holdsworth run

When Gareth asked me for the sixth time “have you committed to the Jumbo-Holdsworth?” I weighed up the pros and cons for the sixth time. Pros – no time left to do any training, have run the route before and enjoyed it, unlikely to be snow this time. Cons – have not done any training, … Read more

Holdsworth Jumbo

Rory: Well, after an exceptionally early 7am meeting at the train station, (I am used to 9am) introductions were made, bacon and egg English muffins were crammed into mouths and we were on our way with Paula only stalling the manual van a few times before getting to the destination. Rory: After about a 1.5 … Read more

Jumbo / Powell circuit

I had one of those days where serious lapse in judgment overtook me.  This coming Sunday weather was going to be a stunner.  So, what do I do?  I decide to enquire with Shirley (Queen of the Tararuas) if she’d like to do a day walk on the Sunday.  Left it entirely up to Shirley … Read more

Musings on a Jumbo Trip

Transitions…from CBD to backcountry within a few hours, from a toasty van into the pleasantly cool evening air, from road end car park onto a rooty track, and then into an overly toasty Atiwhakatu hut with windows wide open. Changing from a horizontal mattress to breakfast, to a vertical position while going up a steep … Read more

E/M/F Trip to Atiwhakatu and Jumbo

One of the easy aspects of this E/M tramp was the Friday evening to sort out your stuff and fill your pack, although a little voice in the back of my head kept telling me we had to get up reasonable early on Saturday. Indeed the alarm went off shortly after 6AM, allowing us to … Read more