Ruapehu

Never, never get out of control. A great day on Ngauruhoe – November 2011

Date: 30 September – 1 October 2011.
Trip type: MF ALP 1.
Location: Mt Ngauruhoe.
Author: Kate Cushing.
Trampers: Kate Cushing (Leader), Stijn Schepers (Sleepy), Megan Banks, Ian Harrison, Spencer Clubb (Fearless co-leader), Tony Van Horik, Mike Travers.

Firstly, for those who know me, let me state that this trip actually started and was completed on Plan A!  Yes, I managed to actually lead a trip that not only went someplace but was successfully completed on the intended plan and I didn’t lose any punters along the way.  You can check with my … Read more

Covert Ops Black Tie Lunch at the Waihohonu Hilton – November 2011

Date: 1 October 2011.
Trip type: Ruapehu Lodge Daywalk.
Location: Waihohonu Hut .
Author: Amelia White.
Trampers: Amelia and Mark White, Colin Bouttell and Nathaniel Bouttell (aged 8).

Friday night, 5.30pm, Wellington Railway Station. Perfect. We have infiltrated a party of climbers heading for “The Lodge”. This lodge will be a perfect base for our weekend operation. We hope this lodge will prove as comfortable as it sounds, even if it  traffic reports indicate we might be in for a long drive. Friday … Read more

The Tale of Tahurangi

Date: 26-28 August 2011.
Trip type: Alp 1 MF.
Location: Ruapehu.
Author: Katy Glennie, Kate Cushing, Mike Phethean, Ian Harrison, Marie Henderson, Megan Banks.
Trampers: Katy Glennie, Kate Cushing, Mike Phethean, Mike Travers, Megan Banks, Sharron Came, David Jewell, Harry Smith, Marie Henderson. Ian Harrison in Wellington, Allen and Sue Higgins met up..

The Walk (Kate’s take on it anyway…) Despite what you read in the rest of this carefully conceived article, in which we are attempting to combine a multitude of writing styles and varying levels of the truth, this was actually a tramping trip.  Well, ok, it was an alpine trip which means we carried wee … Read more

Snowcraft 2 – A reply from the Elites

Date: 5-7 August 2011 .
Trip type: Snowcraft 2.
Location: Ruapehu Lodge.
Author: Katy Glenie.
Trampers: Rowena Johnstone, Katy Glenie, Mike Travers, Weimin Ren, Anna King, Paula Vincent, Tatiana (Tanya) Krayushkina, Simon Lovatt, Mika Verheul, Hans Wiskerke, Ian Harrison, Dmitriy Alkhimov. Leaders: Sharron Came, Mike Phethean, Steve Austin, Jenny Beaumont.

Quick out of the blocks on Friday night at 5.30pmish, Snowcraft 2 set off for our second trip to The Mountain. Due to delays from phaffing, traffic and phaffing, some had to consume their Bulls kebabs on-the-run. The sun-gods seemed to have turned their back on Whakapapa this time, choosing instead to warm the faces … Read more

Snowcraft – 1st weekend: A brief report from the Podium Group (Not to be confused with the ‘elite’ group…)

Date: 22-24 July 2011.
Trip type: Snowcraft 1.
Location: Ruapehu Lodge.
Author: Hans Wiskerke .
Trampers: Punters: Donna Maher, Rowena Johnstone, Katy Glenie, Mike Travers, Weimin Ren, Anna King, Paula Vincent, Tanya Drayushkina, Simon Lovaatt, Mika Verheul, Hans Wiskeike, Ian Harrison, Dmitry Alkhimov Leaders: Sharron Came, Mike Phethean, Steve Austin, Jenny Beaumont.

When signing up in the balmy month of May, it wasn’t there yet. And even for many long weeks into June, there was hardly any snow on the ski fields at the big hill in the North, which we can often see on a clear day when tramping in our Tararua backyard. However, we still … Read more

Not your usual weekend trip

Date: May 2011 .
Trip type: Lodge Working Party.
Location: Whakapapa Lodge.
Author: Ray Walker.
Trampers: Sue, Marie S, Anita, Mike, Karl, Mark, Amelia, Donna, Colin, Barbara, Ray, Andrew, Hannah, Pete, Kev and Barrie .

It was an offer I could not refuse!   It included free accommodation and food at the club lodge for the weekend.  There would be no sleeping under a fly at a shitty road end, no grovelling through Tararua mud, and I probably would not get my boots wet.  Of course there was a catch!  It … Read more

Ruapehu Round-the-Mountain

Date: Easter (April 21-25) 2011.
Trip type: Easy-Medium Tramp.
Location: Mt Ruapehu.
Author: Amelia White.
Trampers: : Amelia White, Mark White, Mike Travers, Annie van Herck, Lieselot Whitbeck, Jonathan Karp, Tim McGurk, Vincent Grealish, Jo Boyle (part time at least).

Thursday Thursday 5.30pm found Amanda and I corralling punters into our respective vans at a very busy platform 9 on a warm and overcast evening. We were headed for the club lodge for the night; the other van was headed for somewhere north of Taupo. Unusually, we encountered no traffic issues; we were all the … Read more