Indholdsfortegnelse for October 2024 i Wilderness

WALKSHORTS Land Search and Rescue has introduced a new platform to reduce risk for those who wander and go missing when walking. The platform is aimed at people with dementia, autism or other cognitive impairments that cause them to wander. The ‘Safer Walking Profile’ form pro-vides first responders with essential information to enable quick action to be taken. Individuals and caregivers can submit information on the online form found at wandersearchnz.org.nz.…

CHIPPING AWAY Sarina Rochelle Clark remembers the day she broke her ankle: “It was wet and wild, and when the sun broke through my youngest daughter and I bolted for the trampoline,” she recalls. “A few bounces later I landed badly and felt my ankle give underneath me.” After eight screws, a metal plate, seven weeks in plaster and a few weeks in a moon boot, Sarina says, “I was so weak at first I couldn’t even raise that foot into a tiptoe.” Eighteen months after the accident, and worried about regaining her previous level of fitness, she learned about Walk1200km. “I thought it sounded really good and decided I would try it.” Spurred on by her “hyperactive dog”, Sarina found walking “was an enjoyable way of healing my body…

WILD COMMENT KIRSTEN DIXON has a unique insight into tramping that can be especially helpful to beginners and those venturing back into the outdoors. As a beginner tramper, she recently walked the Old Ghost Road, an 85km, five-day trip. A few years ago Kirsten was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative neurological disease that can result in the loss of mobility. She was a runner, and a friend encouraged her to write a list of activities she wanted to experience while she could, in case she lost mobility. Near the top of the list was an overnight tramp to a hut. Supported by friends, Kirsten and her crew went to Hooker Hut in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. That’s when she caught the tramping bug. Now, more than a year…

IT TAKES EFFORT TO GET TO AN ISLAND, and leaving may not be straightforward either. So it can be reassuring to know there’s shelter – a place where you can be quiet and away from the elements. A hot cuppa on the deck. Dry feet. A cradle for the sense of your own smallness – which seeing the horizon can evoke. You might even get the hut – or the island – all to yourself. Big Hellfire Hut, Rakiura National Park Hole up at a remote hideaway on Rakiura’s northwest coast by SAM HARRISON THE NORTHWEST COAST of Rakiura can be a stroll back in time. For walkers it’s a combination of wild coastline, dense podocarp forest and dunelands. Big Hellfire Hut (bookings not required) perches 200m above the coastline,…

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK THERE ARE REASONS for ‘going bush’. Some want to bag huts, some want to climb peaks, some want to get fit, some want to escape the hustle of the city. For me, it’s beauty and moments of solitude. It was midday when we laced up boots and shouldered packs over rain jackets. A knee-deep crossing of the boisterous Pariwhakaoho River was a shock to the system and ensured socks and boots were wet from the get-go. After a short farm track by the river we entered dank bush where the muddy Parapara Peak Track climbs above Copperstain Creek. In the 1960s miners tried to extract copper sulphide from these rocks, but now northern rātā and mamaku have taken over. It rained as we clambered up a…

SOMETIMES WHEN WE MAKE a plan to go somewhere, the destination takes over our thinking and we forget about the journey. We may push on too quickly and not enjoy the trip. It takes time to look at the views, the trees, the plants, the fungi, to wonder at that creepy crawly or just enjoy the pattern of dew on a cobweb. For me, the best part of New Zealand is stopping for a brew in a clearing in the bush by a stream with the birds. If you are rushing to a destination, all this may be missed. Making the destination the focus can also be dangerous. A common theme in coroners’ reports is that the deceased, or the party, continued on long after they should have turned back.…

A waterproof breathable shell jacket (aka rain jacket) is arguably the most important clothing carried in your pack. It can serve as rainwear, provide wind protection and be an extra in-camp layer when warmth is needed. Some items come and go seasonally, but a shell jacket is always in my pack. DWR COATING AND CARE Durable Waterproof Repellent (DWR) is a finish applied to the fabric’s outer layer. It helps prevent the fabric ‘wetting out’, enabling it to breathe at its best, be more comfortable and dry faster after use. DWR finishes will wear out but can be revived with tumble drying after washing, or reapplied with a wash-in product. Clean jackets work best and last longer, so wash it with a technical fabric cleaner as required. FABRIC DURABILITY Three-layer…

NATURAL HISTORY FOX GLACIER Te Moeka o Tuawe began to change in the mid-2000s with the start of a new advance phase. I was researching and teaching about glaciers then, and over the next five years Fox Glacier thickened and grew 300m in length, overriding boulders and vegetation at the glacier margins. This growth was over by the end of 2009 and Fox Glacier, along with glaciers all around the world, has receded rapidly ever since. There is no mystery surrounding the cause of these spectacular fluctuations. As renowned glaciologist Trevor Chinn put it, “glaciers can’t lie”. This global glacier recession is connected to rising global temperatures. Glaciers are systems that constantly adjust in size. They’re balanced with climate, growing or shrinking with climatic cooling or warming. A glacier’s health…

TONGARIRO National Park’s Mangatepopo Valley and its neighbouring volcanoes present a unique landscape, having been shaped by fiery lava and pyroclastic flows as recently as the 1970s. The valley is the traditional access for the Tongariro Alpine Crossing. It is also a location for an overnighter in a Great Walks-standard hut, a camping excursion, or day walks in a rugged and beautiful environment beneath Ngāuruhoe, Tongariro and Pukekaikiore. Although Ngāuruhoe is named as a separate mountain, it is actually a secondary cone of the older Mt Tongariro; Pukekaikiore is thought to be one of the oldest vents in the entire volcanic complex. The lower valley is a remarkable place to explore, with volcano views and easy walking to the freshwater Soda Springs alongside Ngāuruhoe’s sprawling lava flows, the last of…

HIGH ABOVE THE MANUHERIKIA BASIN at the northern end of the Dunstan Mountains is an impressive upland area of rocky tors, open tussocklands, cushion fields and alpine tops. It’s the Lauder Basin Conservation Area, one of many substantial high country station areas that some years ago became public conservation land through tenure review. Cosy Lauder Basin Hut, smack bang in the middle of this area, is an obvious objective for trampers, cyclists and fit day walkers. Access is via a network of farm tracks from Lauder Station in the east or Cluden Station in the northwest. The Lauder Station route is easiest for those without a 4WD vehicle. The first 6km follows an easement through Lauder Station. From the sign and car park near the end of Lauder Station Road,…

ULTRALIGHT THE FAMILY Going as light as possible means this family can do longer trips into tougher terrain. by VICTORIA BRUCE FOR FATHER LIAM STEWART, going ultralight means his family can tackle more adventurous off-track trips without heavy gear holding them back. Setting up his kids with light, high-performing gear means Stewart can romp around the hills with son Hunter and daughter Marlee, from their home base in Canterbury, and do longer trips to more remote locations. “Going lightweight has revolutionised our backcountry adventures,” Stewart says. “Our agility and endurance is increased, and we can move faster.” In April the trio attempted Pikirakatahi Mt Earnslaw at the head of Lake Wakatipu, taking a classic approach via the Rees Track onto the Kea Basin Track and crossing Birley Glacier to access…

NEW TRAIL THERE ARE SEVERAL entry points to Kawatiri Coastal Trail / Te Huarahi Takutai o Kawatiri (KCT), the most popular being at the Buller Bridge. More than 120,000 people have been recorded entering the trail here. So, what’s the appeal? Is it the diverse scenery, the sense of history, the wetlands, award-winning bridges, surf beaches, rivers and lagoons along the way? Or that it’s a family-friendly trail? Maybe it’s the likelihood of meeting the locals out trimming the trail margins or checking traps? Because community volunteers are everywhere here. The 40km dual-purpose walking and cycling trail, kick-started in 2020 with $9.36 million from the Provincial Growth Fund, complements the more advanced trails in the region – the Old Ghost Road, Paparoa and Heaphy tracks – and attracts a broader…

Therm-A-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT $550 / 486G / R4.5 Features: Rated a high R4.5, the Neo-Air uses ThermaCapture reflective coating and triangular baffles to reduce convective heat loss. It’s 7.6cm thick and the new WingLock valve has three times the airflow of Therm-A-Rest’s classic valve. It packs down small and, although not seamsealed, the pump bag can be used as a stuff sack. A repair kit with instant patches and an alcohol wipe is included. 5/5 Shape: The NeoAir Xlite NXT’s mummy shape trims weight and the mat is available in four sizes, so there’s plenty of choice. We tested the regular, which is 51cm at its widest and 183cm long. The wide version is 7cm wider and the large is 13cm longer. 5/5 Comfort: I’ve used earlier, thinner, versions…

MSR WindBurner Duo Stove System 1.8L $539.99 A two-person, windproof, modular stove system for minimalist trips and fast-boil meals. There’s an enclosed wind-blocking radiant burner, built-in heat exchanger, pressure regulator for consistent Boil times, nesting components, anti-topple design and 850ml integrated bowl. Output 7000 BTU Boil time 4min 30sec Water boiled 18l (227g canister) Burn time 95min Weight 597g. www.ampro.co.nz Fire Maple Polaris X5 $199.99 A wind-resistant cooker that will work in temperatures down to -6o. It has a micro-regulating valve for incremental heat adjustments and a pressure regulator for consistent Boil times. There’s a locking handle, push-button ignition and all its pieces nest inside the pot. Output 6142 BTU Boil time 3min 50sec Weight 622g. ww.vaughansports.co.nz MSR PocketRocket Deluxe $219.99 A premium-featured PocketRocket with a pressure regulator for consistent…

During November, Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) is inviting the public to visit Aotearoa’s 900+ huts, give them a spring clean and a bit of outdoorsy love. Sign up to the ‘Love our huts and track’ campaign on the FMC website and elect which huts you plan to visit. FMC will provide a phone-based form to record the hut’s ‘health check’. These health-check reports will then be used to create a draft strategy covering hut, track and bridge protection and options to strengthen this outdoors network. In 2025 the people and organisations who maintain, protect and manage the backcountry will attend a workshop to consider the future of this network.…

WALK1200KM PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Rab’s new collection of inflatable sleeping mats provides the protection needed from bitter conditions and plummeting temperatures. The collection comprises compact, ultralight sleeping pads for fast and light missions, robust self-inflating mats for camping, and winter sleeping mats built to insulate in freezing conditions, Rab’s mats, with their packable warmth and comfort, allow you to explore further. Rab Ultrasphere 4.5 From bikepacking through mountain ranges to multi-day trail running, the award-winning Ultrasphere 4.5 offers warmth when you can’t compromise on weight. It features two heat-reflective layers to reduce radiant heat loss and heat-trapping offset air chambers to achieve a 4.3 R-Value. 370g (reg). Rab Ultrasphere 1.5 An ultralight, low-volume mat for fast-paced mountain missions. It has a soft, exceptionally lightweight fabric, and its weight-saving construction makes it…

WILD TRIPS HEALEY CREEK HUT IS INLAND FROM ROSS, where New Zealand’s largest gold nugget, weighing approximately 3kg, was discovered in 1909. From the car park head south-east along a short section of track that skirts a bluff, then follow track markers 2.5km up farmed river flats. The route passes the privately owned historic Mikonui Flat Homestead Hut. Built in the late 1880s, it was the original homestead of the Gribben family, early pioneer farmers of the Mikonui Flats.Cross to the true left of Totara River to reach Mikonui Flat Hut. Carry on upriver for another 20min to the sign for Healey Creek Hut (100m past a shingle fan). There are no water sources from here to the hut, so top up before leaving the flats. A good honest climb…

Gear Lynne is curious about →A lighter pack – a priority →A lighter sleeping bag →An ultralight tent, essentially a back-up “I’m looking for a two-person tent with room for two packs in the vestibule, up to 2kg in weight. Preferably not a hiking pole tent.” →A sleeping mat – “I’ve used closed-cell foam mats in the past and would welcome guidance on a sleeping system.” LYNNE'S BUDGET Lynne’s total budget is $2200: about $1000 for gear and $1200 for a tent and sleeping system. GOAL When Lynne Kroening retired in her mid-50s, she joined the Aoraki Polytech Third Age adventuring course in Timaru and learned plenty of outdoor skills. She joined the Geraldine Tramping Club and led many day trips over 13 years. She has also completed seven of…

Gerber Compleat Multi Function Tool $49.99 This tool includes a fork, spoon, spatula, and four-function multi-tool. All nest together for storage and snap together to become functional tongs. 71g. www.huntingandfishing.co.nz Oyo Family Camping Cutlery Set $89.99 A lightWeight, compact four-person cutlery set. It’s made from bamboo and includes a knife, fork and spoon stowed in a recycled felt bag. 208g. www.gearshop.co.nz Kiwi Ultralight Smelly-Proof Brand Food Bag$12.50 Keep smells in and mice out with this waterproof and airtight food bag. Made with laminated nylon reinforcement, it’s tear and puncture-resistant and fits up to five days of food. BPA, Phthalate, Latex, and PEVA free. 40g. www.kiwiultralight.co.nz Firepot Orzo Pasta Bolognese $18.99 Slow-cooked British beef in a rich tomato sauce, combined with oregano, star anise and orzo, a rice-shaped pasta. It packs…