Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2022 i Wilderness

What did you get up to last weekend? Get your photo published here to receive a meal from Real Meals worth $17. Learn more about Real Meals at www.realmeals.co.nz. Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz.…

Walk1200km PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Lowe Alpine was born from the hearts and minds of one of the world's greatest climbing families. After years exploring the outdoors, the Lowe brothers decided they needed a pack that could carry more gear while letting them move more freely on demanding terrain. So they designed their own, and in 1967 Lowe Alpine was born. It revolutionised the outdoor industry then and continues to do so today. Since 2020, Lowe Alpine, now owned by Equip Outdoors, has been carbon neutral and is on a path toward net zero by 2030. Fully 98 per cent of the fabrics used in Lowe Alpine packs are fluorocarbon-free and 34 per cent of fabrics contain recycled material. Equip Outdoors is a member of Fair Wear, which protects workers’ rights and…

OCTOBER'S #MICROCHALLENGE WINNERS ALL RECEIVE A WALK1200KM BADGE AND THE BEST EFFORTS RECEIVE A PAIR OF BRIDGEDALE MIDWEIGHT MERINO PERFORMANCE FIT SOCKS WORTH $43! #microchallenge1: Show how spring has sprung For Jeremy Keane, spring means warmer weather, more walking partners and kowhai in bloom. Annemarie Hogenbirk enjoyed the flowering cherry blossoms in Nelson's Miyazu Japanese Gardens. Pamela White found signs of spring on a walk in Little Hagley Park. #microchallenge2: Touch a trig We love Lachlan McKenzie's reenactment of his first visit to the summit of Kaukau in Wellington. Lake Hāwea provides a stunning backdrop to Stephen Chibnell's trig-bagging trip en route to Sawyer Burn Hut. Dina Parker found the remnants of a trig on Great barrier Island's Mt Hobson. #microchallenge3: Cross a bridge Hannah Martis went all the way…

It's spring and the flowering season for alpine plants is fast approaching. One of the earliest plants to flower, and arguably the most spectacular, is the Mount Cook buttercup. A striking plant with large green-marbled leaves and bold white flowers, it was known for decades as the ‘Mount Cook lily’ – despite being neither a lily nor confined to the Mount Cook area. Ranunculus was named after naturalist David Lyall, who served as the surgeon aboard the Acheron, which surveyed New Zealand's coastline between 1848 and 1850. Lyall described a specimen he collected in Fiordland, but only the leaves, as it was not in flower. A decade later scientists Julius von Haast and Andrew Sinclair made the first European description of its magnificent blooms when they explored the upper Rangitātā.…

WILD TRIPS From the Jig Road car park, head right and cross the bridge to begin the ascent up the Rhyolite Ridge. There are some steep sections, but a series of switchbacks makes the going a little easier. It takes around one hour (1.8km) to the top of the ridge where the track links with the Mt Somers South Face route. That route turns right; it's left for Woolshed, to head steadily across the face of Mt Somers along a well-formed route of open tussock. Previous boggy sections are now crossed on a boardwalk that has been added by the Mt Somers Walkways Society, a volunteer group that created the Mt Somers Track and works alongside DOC to maintain and improve access to the area. The track becomes steeper and…

WILD CONSERVATION At first I felt a bit miffed. In 2016 when I volunteered to check a trapline in the kiwi area of Remutaka Forest Park, I was offered an easy route – one that followed well-known and well-used tracks. ‘Is that all they think I'm capable of?’ I thought. I used to bash through all sorts of godforsaken supplejack-infested hellholes when working professionally in predator control for DOC. And before that I had spent countless hours off-track, sometimes in the dark, surveying kiwi. “TRY AND HIT THAT TREE.” KATHY POINTS TO A TREE ABOUT 15M AWAY. I HURL THE OLD EGG AT THE TRUNK AND MISS. “PATHETIC!” SHE RIDICULES ME. At the briefing session my suspicions seemed to be confirmed. The two fit-looking volunteers, both in their mid-20s, were…

FLY Most tents are double walled, meaning they include an inner and fly. The fly protects against wind and rain and will usually be made from waterproofed and seam-sealed nylon or polyester, the latter being more UV resistant. Flies with vents are preferable for wet and humid conditions. Single wall tents save weight by doing away with the fly, though they are still waterproof. PITCHING Most three-season tents are designed to be freestanding so once the poles are in, the tent will support itself and hold shape, which is useful if it's pitched where pegs can't be used, e.g. with the inner only inside a shelter. Multi-pitch tents allow the inner or fly to be pitched alone. POLES Poles provide the tent's structure and wind resistance, with tunnel configurations generally…

CLEAN SHEET FOR DIRTY MATTRESS I enjoyed reading Hazel Phillips’ article ‘My Secret Tramping Shame’ (October 2022). It was a good reminder not to be judgemental of others’ tramping baggage. I usually try to keep my pack as light as possible but I have great memories of a tramp I did with my very fit son. He carried all sorts of delicious but heavy lunch foods that I would never dream of bringing, including a kilogram of tasty cheese and a whole cucumber. We ate wonderfully well and it was no bother to him to carry the extra weight. My own unusual piece of tramping kit is a fitted sheet which I made especially to fit the mattresses in DOC huts. It stops me sticking to the mattress when I…

WALKSHORTS On October 22 last year, two climbers near the summit of Kaimatau/Mt Rolleston activated a rescue beacon, but cloud prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching the pair. The next morning, in dangerous conditions, an alpine cliff rescue team from Christchurch helped the climbers return to nearby Crow Glacier, from where they were taken to safety. It was one of 3268 incidents New Zealand's search and rescue sector responded to in 2021/22 – and it earned the teams involved a certificate of achievement at this year's Search and Rescue Awards. The Search and Rescue Council's annual report shows the sector assisted or rescued more than 1500 people and saved 150 lives in the year to June 30, 2022. That's up from 134 lives saved in 2020/21, when there were 2966…

I'm doing it because I love tramping Anna Sophia has discovered a love for tramping at 58, and Walk1200km is helping her keep fit. Palmerston North-based counsellor Anna Sophia was a gym-goer but turned to walking amid Covid restrictions. That's when the Walk1200km challenge popped up on her Facebook feed. Tramping wasn't part of Anna's upbringing and didn't always fit in with raising children, but since beginning Walk1200km in February, she's been going great guns. “It's fitting in with where I'm at in my life,” says Anna, whose younger son is now 16. “I think there's a wave of women taking up hiking in their 50s.” She has walked 1200km in eight months and is doing five multi-day tramps this summer, including the Queen Charlotte, Kepler and Rakiura tracks. “It's…

WILD COMMENT This great maunga, Taranaki (2518m), is fervently respected by Māori and Pākehā for many reasons. My relationship with Taranaki started when I was 12 years old and first braved his summit. This seeded an enduring respect for the lonely mountain – and indeed for all mountains. In the years that followed, my interest and passion grew. When I viewed Tara- naki's lofty summit from New Plymouth I simply wanted to go there. Accessibility is a major attraction of this mountain: the car park at North Egmont Road end is only 20 minutes from New Plymouth, and the alpine zone is reached within an hour of walking. This rapid and dramatic environmental transition is inspirational and invited me to adventure on a regular basis, initially as a recreational enthusiast…

Wilderness * 9km WALK 1200km Here's a perfect intro to the outdoors: Herepai Hut, a short but rewarding tramp either as a day trip or an overnighter. The well-worn track follows the Mangatainoka River, an attraction itself due to its clarity and the surrounding birdlife, which appears prolific. In summer it's tempting to dive into the cool water. ALL river crossings are bridged, so this is an aLL-weather, allages trip. There are excellent views along the river from the second bridge. After 40 minutes the track heads up with tree roots providing foot- and hand-holds. The climb is steep and steady, gaining approximately 350m – but it's nothing a seasoned Tararua tramper won't have experienced before. At the top, the track splits. Left goes to the popular Roaring Stag Hut;…

WILD TRIPS Wilderness WALK 1200km 17.6km WILD FILE Access From Greenstone Station Road end. The last section of the road is rough and has several deep fords Grade Easy Time 2-3hr to hut Distance 8.8km to hut Total ascent 473m Accommodation Mid Caples Hut, ($15, 24 bunks) Topo50 map CB09 The Greenstone Valley is the entry point for this trip amid dramatic mountain scenery and lush beech forest. A large car park with signage on the north bank of the Greenstone River designates the start point. There is also camping here. The track heads directly into the forest and climbs on a benched stock track beside the river. It then enters the lower gorge of the Greenstone and climbs for about 20 minutes over a shoulder before descending to the…

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK Wilderness* WALK 1200km 48km Maps inspire me. I have a particular fondness for topographical sheets produced by Land Information New Zealand: the simple colours, the shading that lends form to ridges and gullies, the symbols and the hatching. A sheet like my old M30 Matakitaki is filled, margin to margin, almost entirely with mountains that offer countless possibilities for trips. At the 1:50,000 scale, these maps provide a lot of information for trampers: thick bands of orange contours warn of bluffs, shades of green show subalpine scrub, striations represent gorges. Maps are, of course, a simplistic representation of the landscape and the scale is not so detailed as to rob us of mystery. Planning a trip from the map alone, guessing at the challenges and rewards…

FEATURES The quest to understand steam-driven volcanic eruptions is personal for Dr Sophie Pearson-Grant. “I have started going on overnight tramps with my six-year-old to huts around Wellington, and we love it,” the GNS Science geophysicist says. “I'm looking forward to taking him tramping at Mt Ruapehu one day and telling him all about what we have learnt through this project.” Fascinated by volcanoes since her own childhood, Pearson-Grant is leading a Marsden Fund-supported study to uncover precursors to steam-driven eruptions, like the Whakaari / White Island tragedy in 2019 that killed 22 people and injured 25. There have been no tours on Whakaari since the eruption, and court action is being taken against the island's owners, GNS and tourism operators over alleged health and safety breaches. At the other…

Skills Your planned trip may have no significant river crossings but a bridge may be damaged or a side stream may be in flood. Don't forget, flooding can happen when it's not raining where you are, and a river or stream can rise in minutes. Rock-hopping to keep your feet dry is not recommended. If you slip you're likely to end up with much more than your feet getting wet and it could result in serious injury. This needn't reflect your hopping skill: the rock to be hopped on may be slippery or unstable. IF IN DOUBT KEEP OUT The first river crossing rule is ‘if in doubt keep out’; you never need to cross a river. What other options are there? Turn back the way you came Look on…

WILD GEAR I go tramping with a friend who does not use loo paper but instead has an intriguing ‘squirty bottle’. I've scoffed at it several times. Recently, after an unplanned pack float that resulted in sodden toilet paper, I had to swallow my pride and borrow the much-maligned bottle, which, for want of a better word, is a portable bidet. I am now converted to a toilet paper-free experience, and after some practise I can confirm the following: You only need 150-200ml of water It cleans you thoroughly Your hands stay clean. ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND Many trampers will have seen unattractive piles of decomposing paper in the bush and at scenic beauty spots like Earnslaw Burn. Using the ‘bottle’ means one less thing to buy, no mess and a clean…

How did the club come about? There were a couple of smaller clubs in Wellington: the Outdoor Club and the RucSacs. Following World War II, the number in both clubs were lower, so they looked at amalgamating. They joined in 1947 to become the United Tramping Club for a short time, then changing the name to Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club. The club was founded with a constitution that set out aims of fostering friendships, a love of the outdoors and care of the land. What were those early days like? When you think about the late 1940s going into the 1950s, it was a different lifestyle to now and the club attracted a lot of younger people. It wasn't unusual to have members in their mid-to-late teens. There was…

Walk1200km came at just the right time. A chat group I started in April 2020, Fun Walkers, had almost run its course. It was designed to motivate me and my friends to get out and walk under Covid restrictions. It was much like the Walk1200km #microchallenge concept. We took turns to dream up a lighthearted photo theme for the day and then share the results. Themes such as ‘quirky letterboxes’, ‘snap a cat’ and ‘upside down’ ignited our creativity, got us talking, laughing and walking. Walk1200km offers all these benefits and more. I love members’ accounts of their walks, sharing their challenges and triumphs, and the way we are motivated to stay on track. I aim to get as many people as possible to join Walk1200km. I feel fortunate because…

Complete the crossword and rearrange the letters in the blue squares to spell out the hidden solution. Send your answer, name and address, by November 19, to: wildernessword@lifestylepublishing.co.nz. All correct entries go in the draw to win a copy of Rob Brown's Rakiura, the wild landscapes of Stewart Island. Across 100Challenge created by NZ Alpine Club in 1990 (5) Sound largest sound in Marlborough Sounds (7) Fastenedtrampingbootssecurely(5,2) Oneofgreenpartsthat form calyx of flower (5) Burnsuperficially-whatyoumightdo to socks drying too close to fire (5) Continuetrampafterrest eg (5,2) MtHut basic 4-bunk hut in Nelson Lakes National Park (6) Snowandiceinavalanche area are not this (6) Sufferfromheatduringsummer tramp, maybe (7) RegionalPark– situated on coast to east of Auckland (5) Delicioussmellofcampcooking (5) PassHut on way…

WILD COMMENT “H ey Mum, look, I'm riding a horsie!” I squint through the dense foliage of the windfall that's blocking the track and see my daughter straddling a thick branch, a big smile on her face. We're in the lush forest of South Westland on a trip up the Moeraki River, and this is one of many trees – sorry, horsies – that we've had to climb over. My experience of tramping with my daughter Emilie, who is now eight and recently visited her 140th hut, is that many children prefer tracks with plenty of challenges such as mud, rocks and windfall to keep them entertained, especially during long walks. While many adults can zone out and enjoy the scenery, children don't always appreciate landscapes as much (what, another…

High above the Spey River, Mt Memphis (1405m) commands one of the most impressive views accessible from the Dusky Track, stretching across the Matterhorn Mountains of Southern Fiordland. To make it even better, the approach to the summit is surprisingly easy from the track. From Centre Pass (1051m), the route to the top follows steep tussock slopes to the north-east before coming out onto a rolling rocky plateau that makes easy going for the final kilometre. A trig marks Mt Memphis proper, but for even better views continue for 100m to where the land drops suddenly away to the Spey Valley a kilometre below. Centre Pass is roughly halfway on the five hour walk from Kintail Hut to Upper Spey Hut, so the 1.5hr return walk makes for an excellent…

Wilderness WALK 1200km 17.8km Waiohine Campsite is perhaps the grandest of all gateways to Tararua Forest Park. From it, high above the Waiohine River, the 120m-long Jim Nimmo suspension bridge beckons you on. Cross the bridge, turn right onto the Lower Waiohine Track and wander through stands of rimu, tōtara and mataī. There are some nice lookouts along the valley, including a particularly inviting one at a nīkau grove. It's about an hour to Clem Creek and a first swing bridge, and the same to the second, at Makaka Creek, just past the junction with the track to Cone Hut. This is the hallway point, and travel is now faster. The track levels, going through dense bush before dropping to the Waiohine for a rock-hop upstream past a large slip.…

Hidden along the convoluted and often steep north-facing ridges and valleys of Wedge Point runs the 42km Link Pathway, a community-based construction that soaked up thousands of volunteer hours and utilised four sections of historic pack track and an old stock route. It roams from Anakiwa, east to Picton and west to Havelock. It's an amazing trail to ride with stunning scenery and a historic bent. A bonus section of track starts from Picton and heads northeast to a prominent coastal point called The Snout. It can also be linked up with the Queen Charlotte Track, Whakamarina Track and Waikakaho/Cullens Track. Wedge Point stretches like an accusing finger into the sunken valleys of Queen Charlotte Sound. Its hills are cloaked in regenerating native bush and rise up to Te Tara-o-Te-Marama…

PROFILE Time: 5min prep, 20min cook time Cost: $12 Serves: Four THIS QUICK AND EASY ONE POT FIX IS RICH AND SATISFYING, MOSTLY THANKS TO THE ONE LITTLE CARTON OF CREAM. MUSHROOMS ARE A FANTASTIC COMPONENT TO THIS DISH BUT FEEL FREE TO SUB IN YOUR FAVOURITE VEGETABLES. INGREDIENTS METHOD Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook pasta according to packet instructions, minus a minute or so (until it's al dente). While that's cooking, finely chop the onion, slice the mushrooms and shred the greens. Drain the cooked pasta, retaining a cup or so of the pasta water, set pasta aside in a bowl and stir through some butter or oil, to stop it from sticking…

MERRELL MTL MQM TRAIL SHOE $289 /602g(m), 510g (w) FEATURES: The MQM (Moving Quickly over Mountains) is a hybrid running and approach shoe that's distinctive for its specialised Vibram sole: Idrogrip under the toes and forefoot and MegaGrip under the heel. The Idrogrip offers high friction for traction, particularly on wet rock, while the Megagrip is grippy but harder for durability. Sandwiched between the sole and a bonded TPU upper (with almost no exposed stitching) is a rock plate that provides structure. For trail runners, the MQM has a stack height (sole thickness) of 25.5-19.5mm (6mm drop). 5/5 FIT: This shoe is of medium width and the sizing is consistent with my usual shoe size. There's no gusseted tongue, but an internal bootie wraps firmly around the foot arch and…

WILD GEAR CAPACITY If you're only buying one daypack, make sure it's roomy enough for all your waterproof clothing, food and water along with other outdoor essentials. Capacities range from 10l to around 30l SHOULDER STRAPS The most comfortable packs have contoured shoulder straps and a sternum strap, which helps keep the pack firmly attached. Straps with perforated foam or a mesh component will breathe well in hot weather. Load stabilisers on the top of some shoulder straps draw the load close to your back. VENTILATION Some daypacks feature ‘breathable’ harnesses that create an airspace between the pack and your back, or use a combination of perforated foam and mesh. These provide additional comfort in hot weather and reduce pressure points. HIP BELT If you plan to carry heavier loads…