Big Day Out: Jumbo-Holdsworth in pictures
Group times (approximately): 8:00am Holdsworth Carpark – 9:00am slip – 9:50am Atiwhakatu Hut – 12:00pm Jumbo Hut – 3:00pm Powell Hut – 6.00pm Holdsworth Carpark.
Tararua Forest Park
Winter Womble to Tararua Tops
All photos taken by Tony S. Tony’s Tarn Ridge trip appealed to me for two reasons. The first being the physical challenge. The trip had an “MF” label that would usually have sent me screaming in the other direction. However, over the past few weeks I had done a number of long day trips and … Read more
Mick-ey Mouse Business in the Tararuas
Somewhere on the western side of the Tararuas, between the more popular spots around Otaki Forks and Poads Road end, is a selection of old meandering forestry tracks that go nowhere in particular. One of these, for reasons unknown to the author, is called the Mick Track. The Mick Track offers up the standard Tararua … Read more
Phillips Stream canyoning: keep your head down and drink from the side stream
For most of us the trip started on the rocks of Titahi Bay a week before learning canyon abseiling basics from Megan, David and Jay. Once we’d got the hang of hand signalling, figure of eights and locking off, we climbed the nearby ‘sheer cliffs’ (with only a handline) for some real descents. Megan and … Read more
Angle Knob Hut Site
Matt had put a trip to visit the old Angle Knob hut site on the schedule which sounded interesting. He planned on getting to the site via Baldy and the Broken Axe Pinnacles which are both places I have never been to. The plan also included staying at McGregor biv which I had stopped off … Read more
Mitre Flats Navigation (AKA not getting to Mitre Flats but not getting lost)
I signed up for this tramp in order to brush-up on my navigational skills and also to travel over Pinnacle Ridge between the Atiwhakatu valley and Barton track. However, soon after signing-up I found myself organising and leading this trip with the expectation that I would be instructing on navigation! On the Friday evening we … Read more
Shingle Slip Knob Plane Wreck
When I saw that a tramp to the plane wreck at Shingle Slip Knob was planned I was keen and quickly signed up. On my first climb of Mt Holdsworth when I was 12 years old we spotted the wreck in the far distance. Something about the wreck captured my imagination and it had been … Read more
Flora and Fauna Fiesta
llona lead a group of us up to Cone Hut in the Tararuas in search of some cool flora and fauna. I was a new member to the club so was excited to see what the Tararuas had in store. We made out way down the Waiohine river gorge (via a small detour) and started … Read more
Southern Crossing
(Featured image: Sumudu) This one had been on the to-do list for a while, and after chatting with my workmate and fellow WTMC member Sumudu, we decided to co-lead a trip together over the Tararua Southern Crossing. After chatting to the chief guide, the trip was added to the Sep 17 – Feb 18 Trip … Read more
Tararua’s No. 1 Canyon – putting new skills to the test
A few of us did a canyon instruction course over Easter this year with the NZ Canyoning School. Winter shortly settled in and there was no more canyoning for the season. Once daylight savings had switched over, we got ready with a refresher of anchors, abseiling, rope management, ascending and more at Titahi Bay. Then … Read more