Wilderness November 2016

LIFE LESSONS I THINK THE biggest ‘life lesson’ tramping has taught me is that no matter how awful and stressful things might be, I can get through. I found that out on Stewart Island's Southern Circuit, cold and tired, up to my thighs in mud, rain driven horizontal by a bitter wind and cursing ever coming on the trip. But shortly after I was in the shelter of the bush, the winds forgotten, the mud easier to avoid. Later, in the hut, I laughed about the misery with others who had also experienced it. There was that time I was freezing my backside off camping in the snow, woefully unprepared with a three-quarter length mattress and an old, damp sleeping bag. I still consider it, many years later, as my…

PURPLE IS HERE TO STAY I BELIEVE THE innovations in lightweight clothing and equipment (‘From purple fleece to pimped GPS’, October 2016) that took place in the 1990s made tramping accessible to a far greater number of people. There was no longer a need to keep those expensive, heavy boots in the cupboard until their next outing or hide away that heavy ugly ‘sweaty’ waterproof until it was needed out on the hills with the serious walkers. The new clothing, boots and equipment were comfortable, easy to wear, stylish, colourful and fashionable. They could be worn on a regular basis. Now, 20 years later, fleece, waterproof jackets, down jackets and hiking shoes are accepted as standard everyday dress for all. Now, it is not only the serious trampers who explore…

SEND YOUR PIX Get your photo published here to receive an Opinel No.5 folding knife worth $20. Learn more about Opinel at ampro.co.nz. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz…

DOC is accepting submissions for comment on a proposed hydro scheme on the Waitaha River, near Harihari on the West Coast of the South Island. Greymouth-based Westpower Ltd has applied for a 49-year term in which the Waitaha would be diverted into a tunnel at the head of the Morgan Gorge, and would be returned to the river 2.6km downstream below the powerhouse. Westpower’s proposal is similar to its scheme on Amethyst Creek, a tributary of the nearby Wanganui River. The company’s application for concession states that it expects the Waitaha scheme could provide up to 25 per cent of the West Coast’s energy needs, powering the equivalent of 12,000 households. The plan also states that it would be the largest hydro scheme on the West Coast, and would provide…

If you’ve ever been to Franz Josef glacier in the peak of tourist season, you’ll recall the throngs of visitors on the trail and nearly constant buzz of helicopters overhead. But that could change soon; tourist company Skyline Enterprises is proposing building a gondola that would give tourists a closer view of the glacier. Skyline Enterprises Chairman Mark Quickfall said the idea for a gondola was first raised in the 1980s, but only became a real potentiality recently. “What’s changed since then is that you can no longer access the glacier by foot – you have to fly in,” Quickfall said, adding that technological advances make it more feasible. “When the face of the glacier collapsed in 2012 and foot access was no longer an option, we recognised there are…

In our October hydration pack gear guide, we mistakenly included the wrong image for the Osprey Viper 9 pack. The correct image is pictured above. So, by way of correction, we’re giving a Viper 9 away to a Wilderness reader who can answer the following question: how much does the Osprey Viper 9 weigh? The easiest way to find the answer is to go to www.wildernessmag.co.nz and search ‘Osprey Viper 9’. Send your answer, along with your name and address, to competitions@lifestylepublishing.co.nz.…