Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club
Enjoying the great outdoors since 1947
Snow on Powell!Our journey began with a drive on the winding road to the Wairarapa, we eventually arrived at our first stop, the Clareville Bakery, for a last minute coffee and pastry. Once satiated with morning tea, we began our journey to the Tararuas, with a radiant sun shining, the snow was glittering off the … Read more
I saw this trip on the schedule and thought ‘that could be fun’. I know of several people who have done this trip before – both heading up High Ridge and going down High Ridge – and I was keen to give it a go too. The following report outlines Saturday’s adventure, as Sunday was … Read more
Mt Holdsworth day walk – a hiker’s point of view A video of a day walk to the summit of Mt Holdsworth in the Tararua Range from a hiker’s point of view. Includes walking time for sections of the track. There is even some snow to add to the spectacular view from the peak. The … Read more
Friday (Road end to Powell Hut – 2h 45min) As we hopped into the van with the EM group on Friday, the vision for the trip was clear: there would be pizzas. How we would justify it as a club trip and what the tramping would actually involve was not as clear, however… The trip … Read more
This weekend was scheduled as an Alp 1 trip to Bounds Peak in the Raglan Ranges. It’s proving a very elusive objective, with a growing number of thwarted attempts over the past few years. The weather was definitely not good enough for alpine climbing, so we settled on an overnighter to Powell Hut, to play … Read more
Dorset Ridge Not even close (Note: This trip report was posted pro tempore 3 years ago) With the Ruahine Crossing cancelled due to COVID level 2 restrictions, I managed to persuade a number of club members to come out on a private trip with me that had the goal of having a fun weekend out … Read more
The first stop on this trip was the mysterious Mount Holdsworth Pizza restaurant. This joint – a Canadian Rockies style log building located close to the Mount Holdsworth camping area – is only open on Friday nights during summer. It’s a full-blown pizza restaurant however, serving delicious pizzas to an enthusiastic clientele. I can recommend … Read more
Walking from Powell Hut to Jumbo Hut in winter [Aimee] Tony said it was time for another trip. We all agreed. Outside of working hours, the best weather window was between Friday evening and Saturday mid-morning. Because of this, Tony suggested we go for a day walk, but at night. Recalling the last time we … Read more
If you go off track in the Tararuas, beware of the enchanting goblin forests. The morning started with my favourite way to start a tramp, taking photos of amazing mushrooms before crossing a nice swing bridge. About an hour in we met a couple of veteran club members coming out of the bush to get … Read more
On my last trip to High Ridge we did not manage to get to Totara Creek or Totara Flats hut and instead found ourselves marooned on Flaxy Knob on the Saturday night. There is good travel along High Ridge and I was keen to do the section from Flaxy Knob to Totara Creek. Pete put … Read more