Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2015 i Wilderness

MY JAW DROPPED on hearing the news a new Great Walk was being proposed for Queenstown. This time last year, a Great Walk was being mooted for Northland and in recent months a Great Walk in Paparoa National Park has also been proposed. But rather than move these projects forward, we have a proposal for yet another Great Walk in an area already surrounded by Great Walks. A short drive from Queenstown, you have the Routeburn, Kepler and Milford tracks. Meanwhile, the upper North Island is so utterly bereft of tramping facilities that volunteers are cutting tracks to enable people to walk in the Kaimai Mamaku and Coromandel forest parks – both parks a couple of hours from Auckland, a city of 1.4 million people (read that story on p…

Complete the crossword and re-arrange the letters in the shaded squares to spell out the hidden solution. Send your answer, with your name and address, by October 21 to: wildernessword@lifestylepublishing.co.nz, or WildernessWord, PO Box 251566, Pakuranga, Auckland 2140. All correct entries will go in the draw to win one of five Nikwax packages worth $50. Nikwax Tech Wash and TX.Direct $49.98 All you need to safely clean and add water repellency to wet weather clothing. Tech Wash ($19.99) is a soap-based cleaner used to clean clothing and equipment without damaging the Durable Water Repellent coatings. TX.Direct ($29.99) adds water repellency and revives breathability to those fabrics that don’t have wicking liners. www.kiwicamping.co.nz…

We were deep in the heart of Te Urewera rainforest, carefully threading our way down an exposed slip to the Tauranga River. From there, our four-person team would wade upstream for three kilometres to Te Pua Hut, our home for the week and a welcome sight after 12 hours on our feet. But first, a steep, shifting slope of scree and sand stood in our way. We all wore cumbersome aluminium packboards – perfect for carrying heavy loads but a nuisance on the steep terrain we were now negotiating. As I approached the crux of our descent, I found myself on my backside, slipping slowly downhill with no handholds in reach. The pack shifted slightly, and suddenly my balance was gone – and I nearly was as well. I’d had…

The forecast indicated a fine weather gap if I was prepared to walk in with diminishing afternoon rain. I had the time so why not? I’d not yet been to the highest point of the Tararuas and this seemed like a good opportunity. As promised, the walk in was wet, but that wasn’t the main challenge. The trail to Mitre Flats Hut only gains 70m but, as I traced the Waingawa River, I had to climb much more due to the seemingly endless ups and downs, over more slippery tree roots than I’d ever come across on a tramping track. After a constant three-hour plod, I reached the 14-bunk hut just on nightfall, glad to be in a flat dry space. Next morning, I lightened my pack and headed out…

1 It’s important to have the beacon aerial as high as possible and ideally in a clear location to give maximum line-of-sight access to the sky 2 Make yourself visible – especially at night. This may mean waving a torch when you hear a helicopter or flashing a mirror if it’s daylight. A beacon’s homing signal may bring a helicopter to right above you but in New Zealand terrain that doesn’t mean you’ll automatically be seen 3 If you have turned a beacon on by accident, leave it on. Turning it off once it has been activated will not stop a search, just add to the concerns of rescuers. If anything, the worst will be feared and efforts will intensify…

Adjust the harness so the hipbelt sits over the hip bone and cups the bony point of your hips at the front. The shoulder straps should follow the shoulders in a smooth curve Loosen the straps before putting the pack on and put around 8kg of gear inside A good fit across the hips is important – they support 80-90 per cent of the pack weight. There should be at least a two-finger gap between the buckle and padded strap Tighten the shoulder straps by pulling both ends, drawing the pack towards you so there’s no gap between harness and pack, and the pack fits the curve of your back. Adjust the load stabilisers so they sit at 45-degrees, removing any remaining weight from your shoulders Tighten the sternum strap…

CAPACITY Offering up to 35-litres, daypacks will be zip or cinch-cord opening. External storage in the form of bungy cords or a stretch front pouch allows quick access to jackets and oversize gear. SHOULDER STRAPS Padded closed cell foam is common. Shoulder straps are contoured to eliminate excess weight and prevent chafing around the neck and armpits. Sternum straps are used to prevent the shoulder straps from sliding down the arms. Shoulder straps can be positioned, via a slider, and often come with a built-in emergency whistle. VENTILATION Airflow between the pack and back is provided by mesh suspension systems or foam with channels cut into it to promote air movement. HIPBELT These lighter packs don’t always require a padded hipbelt. Packs up to 20-litres often have a webbing belt…

CAPACITY Large capacity packs can go as high as 90-litres, with detachable daypacks thrown in. Smaller capacity packs can be carried in the cabin. Some packs zip open like a suitcase while others provide access through the top just like a tramping pack. Zip pockets with organiser pouches for essential items should be easily accessed without opening the pack’s main compartment. Magazine and tablet/laptop pockets keep your travel entertainment close to hand. HARNESS More often than not a simplified version of a tramping pack harness and stowable for ease of transport. HANDLES AND STRAPS Top and side handles allow for easy pick-up from airport carousels and loading into cars and buses. There should also be a removable shoulder strap to provide an alternative carrying option to using the harness. FABRICS…

HEADLAMPS INCREASE VISIBILITY FROM THE AIR A GREAT MEANS of being seen by helicopters (Wild skills, July 2015), especially in low light conditions, is looking at the helicopter with a head torch on. I had cause to look for a couple of misplaced trampers who failed to turn up at an agreed rendezvous and spotted the pair at 10am in a search along a bush-clad creek in drizzly conditions simply because one of the two had his headlamp on and had looked up at the noise of the helicopter passing nearby. The light was very obvious, whereas the trampers were almost invisible. I would advise anyone being looked for by helicopters to use their headlamps as soon as the helicopter can be heard. The lower the light level, the better…

Forget a cabbage tree, nikau palm or stunted beech tree; the real ‘Dr Seuss’ tree of New Zealand is the mountain neinei. Growing at high altitude, often in the few hundred metres below the natural bushline, this stubby tree has an unmistakable form: a shaggy trunk with peeling bark, a multi-branched candelabra-like form, and tough, leathery leaves that grow in tufts. The leaves, khaki green but tinged with rusty red, shed easily and often form a dense layer underneath – wonderful to slide down, but hell to climb up. To add to its tropical appearance, in summer the mountain neinei produces a flower shaped a bit like a pineapple. Dr Seuss couldn’t have created a more unlikely plant to grace a chilly New Zealand mountain slope. The first time I…

I’m on a tramp with my Wednesday tramping group and there are so many new faces, it’s hard to remember them all. Our group, the Forest and Bird Wellington Regional Tramping group, is growing to the extent that we need to offer a choice of two tramps each Wednesday – if we can find enough leaders for them, that is. What’s behind the growing number of people joining day-tramping and walking groups? Ask around my group and the answer varies. “It’s baby boomers retiring”, “people are being told they need to get walking for their health”, “they come along for the company”. There’s also people who have always been trampers and still enjoy the pastime, but like to fall into their own bed at the end of the day. These…

Auckland Tramping Club’s Kaimai project, Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park: $44,433 NZAC’s project to build a relocatable Beatham Hut to be placed half way up Tasman Glacier, Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park: $40,000 Kauaeranga Tramping Club’s maintenance to tracks from Thames to Crosbies Hut, Coromandel Forest Park: $37,000 Waimea Tramping Club’s Balloon Hut project to install a woodshed and woodburner in this once threatened hut, Kahurangi National Park: $14,909 Hugh van Noorden’s (Permolat) project to repair and relocate Veil Biv, Mt Somers area: $7130 Lionel Clay’s project to maintain and improve Robin Saddle Hut, Fiordland National Park: $6900 Nelson Tramping Club’s improvements to Flora Hut, Kahurangi National Park: $6500 NZAC’s urgent repairs to Centennial Hut, Westland/Tai Poutini National Park: $6329 Marlborough Tramping Club’s maintenance of Gosling Hut, Glazebrook Conservation Area: $6055 Mt…

1 Start with your feet hip-width apart, toes straight ahead. Rest your hands on your hips 2 Bend your knees. Lift the right leg up and place it on top of the left thigh. Touch your right toes to the ground to the left side of your left leg 3 Keep bending the knees, and squeezing the thighs together 4 To challenge your balance, lift your left toes off the ground 5 Keep lightly pressing the thighs inward towards each other, helping the back of your hips to release 6 Hold the pose for 3-4 breaths, then unwind the legs and step your left foot down. Bend your knees a few times and then switch to the other side. As you get stronger, try staying in the pose for longer…

CAPACITY Between 50 and 90-litres, multiday packs will be single or double compartment in design. The lid is often extendable, creating up to 10 litres additional storage. Additional pockets on the front, in the lid, on the side and on the hipbelt provide ample storage for your gear. EXTERNAL STORAGE Straps, gear loops, beaver tails and daisy chains allow tents, walking poles, ice tools and other essential equipment to be carried outside the pack for easy access and without the risk of loss. HIPBELT Fitted correctly, the hipbelt will sit just above the hips so that 80 per cent of the pack’s weight is supported by the hip bones. The belt pivots to move with the body, ensuring a natural gait and aiding stability over uneven ground. FABRIC Nylon fabrics…

COMPRESSION With many overnight packs intended for light and fast action, having control over your load is imperative – especially on those fast descents where the load can move around if unrestrained. Compression straps secure the load and modify the profile of the pack to suit the amount of gear being carried. HARNESS AND BACK PANEL Most models have a fixed, non-adjustable harness (though some have multiple length and volume options to suit the user’s height and shape). Airflow, muscle support and moisture wicking comes in the form of padding or a mesh trapeze. HIPBELT These smaller capacity packs most often have light, moulded hipbelts. The padding needs to be comfortable without bulk, and should cup the pelvis, providing a snug fit to keep the load in place. FABRIC Ripstop…

POCKETS A combination of external and internal pockets help keep things organised and there should be specific places to store things like keys, wallets and purses, smartphones and drinks as well as lunch or snacks. COMPARTMENTS Besides a main compartment, urban bags often feature places to store magazines and documents. A padded sleeve is used to hold laptops and tablet computers. STRAPS A single, over the shoulder strap is common though larger capacity bags may have a harness with all the features – hipbelt, sternum strap, padded straps – found on a day pack. ZIPS Secure and reliable zips are used to keep contents safe. Some are water-resistant to protect valuable electronic equipment. FABRIC Rugged bags for the urban explorer will feature tough, high-denier fabrics with water-resistant treatments to ensure…

If there’s one thing an experienced mountain search and rescue volunteer will have in abundance it’s gripping, terrifying stories – some heart warming, others heart breaking. And while these tales are fascinating in their own right, often the rescuer will only know half the story. This is what mountaineer and LandSAR Wanaka volunteer Phillip Melchior discovered when researching his book Mountain Rescue. “It became immediately obvious to me that you couldn’t tell the story of the rescue without telling the story of why they needed rescuing in the first place.” By speaking to those who have experienced being rescued, Melchior discovered that a standard rescue for a SAR volunteer may well be an epic drama for those involved. After discussions with experienced rescuers such as Gary Dickson and Aaron Nicholson,…

Walking groups are often listed with regional organisations such as Sport Otago or Active Canterbury, at recreation centres or council websites. Once you’ve joined one, you are sure to hear about others as walkers often join more than one group. You don’t need lots of expensive equipment for day walks or tramps, but good walking shoes or boots and a raincoat are essential. There’s nothing worse than not having any lunch when everyone else is sitting down to eat theirs. Some groups have a trial period or want to test you out. Don’t be put off by this, it could mean you have a better chance of finding people who go at your pace. Some groups grade their trips, so if you’re not sure about which level suits you, choose…

ALL PACKS GREAT AND SMALL FROM URBAN TO MULTIDAY AND EVERYTHING INBETWEEN How to fit a pack STEP BY STEP TO THE PERFECT FIT WILD CUISINE Zesty quinoa salad FIELD TESTED Keen’s latest sandal, Jetboil’s newest stove, Garmin’s flashest watch and more... EXPLORE HERE 1 Girdlestone via Mitre Peak, Tararua Forest Park 2 Harwoods Hole, Abel Tasman National Park 3 Kawhatau Base Circuit, Ruahine Forest Park 4 Kirwans Hut, Victoria Forest Park 5 Lockett Range, Kahurangi National Park…

TIMEX IRONMAN MOVE X20 $179 FITNESS TRACKERS ARE all the rage at the moment and for good reason. They really do motivate you to get up and walk more. The Move X20 does more than count steps – it tracks your vitals: sleep, how far you’ve run or walked, and in what time, and whether you’re meeting your training goals. When using the X20 I found myself walking much more than when I wasn’t wearing it. I set a goal of 10,000 steps each day, which I missed on occasion but for the most part surpassed. Vibrating commands instructing me to move or to congratulate on reaching goals helped. Once calibrated (using the free smartphone app), I found it quite accurate in recording distance travelled. On a three-day trip to…

STORAGE AND CAPACITY While some hydration packs have capacities over 10-litres, most are smaller than this, purposed with holding essentials like food, hydration, bike tools and an extra layer or two. Slim-line pockets and hip belt pockets hold energy bars and basic cycle tools. Bike packs should have a helmet attachment. FABRIC Lightweight ripstop nylon and polyester fabrics predominate for fast-paced activities like running and mountain biking. RESERVOIR, HOSE AND BITE VALVE Made of polyurethane or food grade plastic, reservoir volumes are typically two or three litres. They either have a twist-off cap or a zip/slide top. The latter makes filling and cleaning super easy. The bite valve prevents water from dripping – though they are not perfect. Some reservoirs have an on/off valve, which do a better job of…

CAPACITY It’s not uncommon to have a couple of alpine packs, anywhere from 35 to 75 litres. A small pack for day climbs or light overnight trips and something bigger for those three- to 10- day trips where you want the lightest pack possible, but still the capacity and fixtures for carrying alpine equipment. Alpine trips are synonymous with heavier loads, so it’s worth trying to save weight by having the right pack for the job. HARNESS Alpine packs are narrower than tramping packs to enable agility in gullies and on technical ground. A fixed back length is desirable too, both for fail safe simplicity and weight saving. Excessive padding and airflow harnesses aren’t necessary as you’ll usually be wearing more clothing. Look for a frame system that is not…

I’ve never liked cows. Ever since, as a traumatised youngster being dropped off after school, I had to walk through a field of cattle to reach my front door. I would pray the bull – motionless, huge and angry – was well out of my path. Otherwise I’d just wait… and wait. I was also told to be wary of cows. ‘Never stand between a cow and its calf or it might run at you’ – a terrifying thing to be told when a cow, to a six-year-old, is the size of an elephant. These haunting messages were echoed in a far more recent chat to Katie Milne, who’s a national board member for Federated Farmers of New Zealand. She says the vast majority of encounters with livestock will involve…

There’s much about Mt Tarawera we could be angry about. Its 1886 eruption not only destroyed homes and killed up to 120 people, it also drowned the pink and white terraces, which surely would have been one of the world’s top attractions if they were still above water. Today, the mountain looks gargantuan, yet placid. Its rounded exterior masks the deep, violent craters that run almost the entire length of the summit. To local Maori it’s a sacred mountain and climbing it is not allowed. But a weekend exploring its majesty and history, and enjoying the surrounding lakes and bizarre geothermal activity, is enlightening. We all know the region’s covered with volcanic happenings, but there’s more to experience than bubbling pools. There’s also a wild serenity about the place with…