Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2021 i Wilderness

DOC IS PHASING out the use of coal to heat huts by the end of the year as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The department’s heritage and visitors director Steve Taylor said there were still 32 visitor huts and 20 hut warden and backcountry staff buildings using coal as a fuel source. These would switch to burning wood. Taylor said this would significantly reduce carbon emissions from heating huts. “The burning of coal releases a great deal more carbon into the atmosphere than any alternative form of heating in huts,” Taylor said. “Our calculations show that total carbon emissions from using wood to heat huts and other DOC buildings would be approximately a quarter of those from using coal. This includes the cost of transporting the fuel to…

IF 86-YEAR-OLD Val Latimer has a small beef with the mountains she loves so much, it’s a bit of an abstract one. “As I get older, they get higher,” she says. “Or they seem to. The challenge to get to the top gets harder.” But that minor quibble doesn’t stop Latimer getting out with her tramping club as much as possible. She lives in sunny Nelson and has just returned from a rainy trip to Golden Bay. “We cut the trip short,” she says. “It was wet but still lovely. That’s the gamble you take with tramping.” Latimer was born in London and emigrated to New Zealand as a two-year-old, growing up in Wellington and beginning tramping at the age of 17. Her travels have taken her around the world,…

WHEN RICHARD HENRY, New Zealand’s ‘grandfather of conservation’, was in Tamatea/Dusky Sound in 1894, he said the sound of kākāpō booming was like distant thunder. In four years, with a small dinghy and the help of his sniffer dog, Henry moved 572 kiwi and kākāpō from rat and stoat-infested forests to Resolution Island, believed to be predator-free. Tragically, it wasn’t. More than a hundred years on, the battle for the birds has been reignited. But while resources now are greater than one man, his dinghy and dog, the challenge remains huge. The Tamatea/Dusky Sound restoration partnership encompasses DOC and Fiord-land community, tourism and business groups. It aims to eradicate pests from around the southern fiord, re-introduce ‘missing’ species and create a ‘bio-bank’ of species for relocation to pest-free locations. Paul…

1- Hollyford-Pyke Loop, Fiordland National Park With slow-flowing rivers and scenic lake paddles, this trip is made for the keen tramper transitioning to packrafting. Lean back and enjoy expansive views of the Darrans and Mt Tutoko from the Holly-ford River. The less-visited Pyke Track is challenging on foot, but in a packraft you get to float down the pristine waters with ease. Distance: 127km Time: 4-6 days Grade: I-II. 2- Greenstone Caples Track, Greenstone and Caples Conservation Areas Packrafting from this popular track is an opportunity to step away from the crowds and explore otherwise inaccessible gorges and deep pools on the Caples River. You’ll paddle through dense beech forest and enjoy stunning mountain views. The trip is done as an out and back along the Caples River or as…

1. Hydration: While hydration systems provide easy access to water on the hoof, in very cold environments the bite valve can freeze. A large-opening drink bottle, such as a Nalgene bottle, is the answer. The wide mouth is also useful for scooping snow for melting and because they tolerate heat well, these bottles can be used as hot water bottles in your sleeping bag. 2. Frozen boots: Wet boots are best avoided in winter, but that’s not always possible. In frosty environments, wet boots can freeze overnight making them an unappealing prospect in the morning. If they’re wet anyway, why not give yourself a tactical advantage and pour hot water through them and your socks (but wring out the water) before setting off. It’ll stop your toes from complaining –…

Outdoor Research Helium Down Hoodie $450 / 436g (m/w) Features: A high-end jacket aimed at alpine users and the weight conscious. It has 800+ fill power down and waterproof fabric on the adjustable hood, shoulders and upper arms. Deep internal glove pockets, handwarmer pockets and a small chest pocket provide storage. The jacket can be packed into its pocket and has a carabiner loop for convenient portage. 5/5 Fit: An athletic cut means it has a slightly fitted torso, while the shoulders are roomy for ease of movement. The hood fits well and is cosy with a generous fill of down. Its rain-shell style drawcord tightens the hood to your head, allowing it to move with you when you turn and maintaining peripheral vision. 5/5 Comfort: There’s optimum warmth to…

CLOSED CELL FOAM MATS ARE THE BEST I still have my 10mm closed cell foam mattress from 40 years ago. It was the bees-knees when it came out, with all the attributes mentioned in the article (‘The multipurpose mattress’, June 2021), but I think the author undersells the insulating properties of CCF. I have slept in an ice cave, a snow trench, and permafrost ground without an issue of cold penetration on my CCF. I have a slightly heavier inflatable now for comfort, not warmth and it is 1/8th the volume. Will it be around in 40 years? I doubt it. I suspect the R-values may be a guide, good for comparing similar mats but they don’t truly reflect real-life outdoor sleeping where a bony hip can compress a comparable…

AROUND 18,000HA will be added to the conservation estate in the Mackenzie Country as part of tenure review agreements at two high country stations. The agreement will see 80 per cent of Godley Peaks station (11,800ha) become public land and 39 per cent (6308ha) of The Grampians pastoral lease (pictured). The land includes spectacular parts of the high country in and around the Southern Alps. From Godley Peak, the land will stretch about 33km alongside Lake Tekapo and up the Godley River to Aoraki/ Mt Cook National Park, alongside the existing Godley Peaks Conservation Area. It is the second-largest addition to the conservation estate through tenure review in the Mackenzie Basin. The remaining 2676ha of the station will become freehold, with 376ha subject to a conservation covenant. LINZ’s summary of…

A NEW DOC hut is being built by a local branch of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association in east Otago and is set to open by Christmas. The six-bunker, dubbed Kahikatea Lodge, is being built in Waianakarua Scenic Reserve, near Moeraki. The New Zealand Deerstalkers Association North Otago first proposed the hut two years ago and has been fundraising and working with DOC and council to get it approved. Project coordinator Barry Wilson said it will be run by DOC, but maintained by the Deerstalkers Association and will be bookable. “During the hunting season, from mid-March to the end of April, it will be very much in demand, but it’s available to everybody and hunters won’t get priority over anyone else,” Wilson said. The hut is based on a standard…

MOST PEOPLE thought we were crazy. Who would want to do a long-distance hike with their kids in tow? Lucky for us, we liked being out in the wild. So much so, we kept walking. And six months later we arrived in Bluff amidst a feral day of wind, hail and sleet; huge smiles on our faces. Best. Day. Ever. So what do we reckon about it now it’s done? We are chuffed and we are exhausted. Every day was new, we had little idea how each would evolve. And we feel very grateful that we had the opportunity and privilege to let it unfold. As a Kiwi returning home after 20 years in Oz, it’s the most remarkable experience to gut the whole country over six months. Northland was…

1 Tama Lakes/Ngā Puna a Tama, TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK Many New Zealanders get their introduction to tramping among the volcanoes, craters and emerald-coloured lakes of Tongariro National Park. An alternative to the popular Tongariro Alpine Crossing is the tramp to the Tama Lakes/Ngā Puna a Tama – two large tarns set in old explosion craters south of Ngāuruhoe. From Whakapapa, take the Upper Track to Taranaki Falls, then head east towards the Tama Lakes on a section of the Northern Tongariro Circuit. Blue poles mark the exposed terrain, with increasingly good views of Ngāuruhoe and Ruapehu. At a prominent signposted junction, take the Tama Lakes Track. Flat travel leads to a viewpoint over the Lower Tama Lake after about 10 minutes. The Upper Tama Lake viewpoint is a further 30…

During the depths of last year’s Covid-19 lockdown, while the rest of New Zealand was baking banana bread, Auckland tramper Geoff Mead was busy working his way up and down the country, following scores of tramping tracks that led to hundreds of huts. Mead’s lockdown journey was undertaken purely from home, I should add. Taking out old maps he’d collected since he started tramping in the 1970s, Mead carefully retraced more than three decades of tramps, Then he dusted off his boxes full of old tramping diaries and photo albums, all in an effort to jog his brain and work out exactly how many huts he’d visited during a lifetime in the bush. This wasn’t a purely nostalgic (or pointless) exercise, however. This was serious business. “I DON’T LIKE TO…

FLY Silicone-coated ripstop nylon fabric keeps rain out and handles strong winds and snow-loading. SIZE Choose a tent for the size of your party: four-season tents are heavy due to their more robust fabrics and any unoccupied space still needs to be warmed. FLOOR A heavy-duty floor with a waterhead rating of up to 15,000mm will prevent water seeping through the floor. Lighter floors (rated to less than 10,000mm) can be paired with a groundsheet to make them less prone to damage or seepage. Warmth trumps breathability with a winter tent, so expect the inner to be made from ripstop nylon rather than mesh. Guylines Multiple guyline attachments provide extra stability – essential for the exposed locations and extreme conditions in which these tents are used. LIVABILITY The tent’s floor…

Get your photo published here to receive a $30 Silva Pocket Thermo Compass for accurate wayfinding and temperature-sussing. Learn more about Silva at e.ampro.co.nz. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz…

IN THE LEAD up to winter, Met-Service has made some changes to the mountains and parks pages on met-service.com . These include the addition of weather hazards across all MetService mountain and park forecast areas. Melanie Graham, MetService’s public weather services manager, tells us what’s changing. Why introduce weather hazards? Some common risks outdoors include falls, rivers and hypothermia and these risks are all elevated in adverse weather conditions. MetService has worked alongside those in the mountain safety sector to identify ways our forecasts can better highlight the possible impact of the weather on a tramping trip; it helps people stay safe and make informed decisions based on the weather. What should someone heading into the outdoors do when a weather hazard is active?  Weather hazards will help people better prepare for the expected weather conditions. They are not a…

PHILIP GREEN and Wendy Johnston have hiked through the Himalaya, mountain biked through Kyrgyzstan, climbed in the Pyrenees, tramped through the Bolivian Andes and summited Tititea/Mt Aspiring. But they say their most recent adventure was the best yet: a 33-day alpine traverse from Arthur’s Pass to Aoraki/Mt Cook. “We were just gobsmacked from start to finish,” Green says. “The immersement in the mountains, the fact you have to be so self-sufficient, the lack of human activity – it was probably the best thing we’ve ever done.” Green, 61, says they came up with the idea for the trip 20 years ago, but only recently found time after selling their wine tour business in Central Otago. “It would have been nice to do 15 years ago when we were younger and…

NAMES ON A MAP are often a clue to history, and the backcountry is no exception. It’s fascinating how many seemingly remote and wild places have seen past human activity, including attempts to extract minerals. Take, for example, copper mining. Although copper is not common in New Zealand, mining attempts have occurred in a few places, most notably at Kawau Island. Opened in the 1840s, the Kawau Island copper mine was the country’s first underground mine and produced a credible 2500 tonnes. There’s a Coppermine Island in Northland’s Hen and Chicken Island group, and Marlborough has a Coppermine Bay on D’Urville Island. Of more interest to trampers though are these four places, all worth visiting as much for the scenery as for the history. 1. Coppermine Stream, Ruahine Forest Park…

How do packrafts work? Packrafts are lightweight rafts paddled kayak-style. They have one-way valves to inflate, as well as an airtight zipper allowing access for gear stowage and to quickly deflate. Packrafts come with a simple inflation bag that screws onto a valve at one end and is open at the other. To inflate, air is trapped in the bag and squeezed into the raft. Mine takes six or seven bags of air and it’s ready to roll. Are packrafts glorified pool toys? I was sceptical when the idea of taking an inflatable raft down rapids was presented to me, but white water packrafts are rated to class four rapids and hold their own on drops up to six metres. They’re made from puncture-resistant nylon and can withstand bottom scraping…

A hiker’s request for condoms and another who asked for the removal of rotting avocados from a package posted weeks earlier are two things Bill Trolove did not count on having to do when he diversified his backpacker business. Te Araroa hikers have generated a welcome spin-off for the likes of Trolove, who runs The Sanctuary backpackers in Arthur’s Pass. Trolove says they have propped-up turnover now running at between 10 to 15 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels. “Three years ago, I threw my hat in the ring with the Te Araroa Trail and it’s now my main market,” he says. The ‘bounce box’ service is available at only three locations on the trail; all in the South Island, according to Brad Mc-Cartney’s online Te Araroa Resupply Guide and confirmed…

WINTER IS A GREAT TIME TO TRAMP. There are fewer people, leaving the huts and tracks quiet. There are also fewer sandflies. Snow brings another dimension to the mountains and landscapes can look more beautiful in the low-angled light. Longer evenings also allow extra reading or hangout time. But winter tramping is more challenging: there’s less daylight and, what do you know, it’s colder. As the temperature drops, warmer clothes, sleeping bag and tent go in, and pack weight goes up. And travel can be slower if the ground is frozen or there’s poor snow conditions. To boost my comfort vs cold ratio on winter trips, here are a few equipment extras I often pack. CLOSED CELL FOAM Lightweight inflatable mats are popular, but can have limitations in the cold…

I understand Covid was a game-changer for you? My clientele was 99 per cent foreign tourists. Covid struck near the end of the season so all was not lost, but I quickly realised things would not be back to normal for many years. So I finally decided to tackle a problem that’s been bugging me for years: how can I pack all my essential survival gear in an easy, organised and compact way? Looking around, it was obvious this problem had never been solved, so I began to develop the Kea Kit. Are Kiwis lax about outdoor safety? If anything, Kiwis just under-prepare. Our ‘she’ll be right’ attitude is a hard one to shake and we seem to just do the bare minimum. KIWIS UNDER-PREPARE. OUR ‘SHE’LL BE RIGHT’ ATTITUDE…