Tongariro Northern Circuit – Tongariro National Park

Not a great walk, but an epic one! You know you are up for an incredible weekend when you have a smooth drive out from Wellington, enjoy a primo kebab a la Bulls (OMG those chips and Iskenders), and instantly connect with a bunch of awesome people from the get-go! This weekend was no exception. … Read more

Te Heuheu with a pack of dinosaurs

“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t.” This quote came to my mind as I approached the summit of Te Heuheu via Pinnacle Ridge, something I never dreamed I would be doing.  I was once again chasing dinosaurs up the mountain on a … Read more

A Summer Weekend at the WTMC Lodge

Journey prep at the station after work on Friday involved us fitting five bikes, eight people and eight packs into and onto the van. The jigsaw came together well with people generally strapped in seats and bikes generally strapped to the bike rack so we had a comfortable if slow journey up to the lodge … Read more

Ski Touring from Ruapehu Lodge

There’s a good reason why it’s been several years since the last ski touring trip was held at Ruapehu. That large volcano is a magnet for wind, rain and fog but this Labour Weekend, WTMC hit the jackpot. Well, sort of. For one day, Simon, Tony, Jan, Brian, Emily, Graeme (leader) and I slapped on … Read more

Ruapehu Summits from the Lodge

INTRODUCTION The purpose of running the trip as an Alp1 “PLUS” was to give experienced Alp1-level members a chance to try something with a bit more exposure, and maybe needing the occasional rope to make crossing certain features safer. This proved to be a very popular proposal, and despite this being a Fit trip I … Read more