Tapokopoko to South Saddle ‘Where is the Tapokopoko scree slope? The map shows it is right here.’ ‘The map lies. I reckon the cheeky aliens stole it out from under us and planted a whole forest of trees instead!’ Tony and I were standing on the edge of the supposed ‘scree slope’ that was marked … Read more
“The lights are moving—the aliens are coming for us now!” I jokingly teased Tony and suggested we both hide in our tents… Tony and I had decided to do a two-day tramp exploring our own backyard a bit more—a circumnavigation of Mt Matthews that would include both on and off-track travel in the Remutaka Forest … Read more
I had never stayed in Paua Hut (the club hut in the Orongorongo Valley) and also had not been up Mt Matthews for over four years. When I saw that this tramp required a leader I volunteered. After leaving Wellington Station as per normal on the Friday evening we drove to the Catchpool carpark at … Read more
Mt Matthews from Corner Creek – Remutaka Forest Park A 2 day hiking loop trip through some adventurous terrain on the eastern side of the Remutaka Range passing over the summit of Mt Matthews With Covid-19 still limiting the club to day trips, and some of us desperate to sleep in a tent again, Tony … Read more
Leave the Catchpool Carpark at a leisurely 10:00 am Saturday morning. Wander through to the Orongorongo River – always pleasant no matter how often you go. Climb up to South Saddle and try to avoid being blown off the ridge in the north-west gale. Scurry down into the Mukamuka to find a sheltered spot for … Read more
As we climbed up to Mt Matthews’ South Saddle, I found myself thinking of Aesop’s fable The Hare and the Tortoise. ‘Slow and steady; slow and steady’. I did my best to keep an even—but what seemed like sedate—pace. It was a change to how I would normally climb a hill with just a day … Read more
What you need to ken… There was a Scotsman, an English Lass and a Kiwi – probably the only time in history that a Burn’s supper celebration has had such a composition! For those of you who are not familiar with the traditions of Burn’s celebrations, I’ll give you a rundown. The 25th January is … Read more
See more pictures from Sarah. Andrei’s report of Saturday: An important takeaway was quickly realised – my venerable Mazda Millenia sedan, which was the surrogate club van for the weekend, can only hold four backpacks. Three in the boot and one in the middle of the back seat. Just as well we had a late … Read more
