Innehållsförteckning för May 2018 från Wilderness

YOU THINK the backcountry is getting overcrowded now? Imagine a future where access to the mountains is more difficult due to rock fall caused by retreating glaciers, or once popular tracks are too damaged by storms to walk. Where will you go tramping? Where everyone else is going, most likely. We’ve all heard about how climate change will cause sea levels to rise and glaciers to melt. Both would be disastrous for outdoor recreation in New Zealand. Coastal walks would become more difficult, or even impossible. Case in point: this summer, the Abel Tasman Coast Track permanently lost a campsite and suffered serious damage to bridges and tracks during a king tide that also coincided with a cyclone. The total clean-up bill, including for access roads to Abel Tasman and…

A summary of stories published at wildernessmag.co.nz FREEDOM CAMPERS SAY NZ IS TOO EXPENSIVE With freedom camping coming under increasing scrutiny because of pollution and overcrowding, some tourists have argued that poorly maintained facilities at free camping spots and the high cost of living is to blame. One German tourist visiting New Zealand on a working holiday said: “The toilets are disgusting. They’re not taken care of, so we sometimes saw people walking into the bushes with toilet paper. “Rubbish bins are also a problem. We picked up someone else’s rubbish once and had to carry it in the car for a week because we couldn’t find a bin.” She sought out free campgrounds instead of the better-equipped paid ones because New Zealand was far more expensive than expected. THE…

A TRAMPING TRACK near Raglan has been closed after myrtle rust was discovered at the end of March, the second time the deadly fungus has been found on conservation land. DOC has closed the Mt Karioi summit tracks after rust was found on a vine rata plant. Senior communications advisor Gabrielle Tully said DOC was assessing the extent of the infection and couldn’t give a timeframe for how long the track would be closed. “If it’s a small section we may be able to remove the infected plants and reopen the track. But until we know the extent of the spread, we won’t know the next step.” Although myrtle rust is primarily wind spread, Tully said it could also be spread by people brushing against infected plants. The infection was…

DOC will unveil its new $11.4 million online booking system later this year. Ross Shearer from DOC’s booking services said the new booking system would first be trialed for Great Walks bookings, before eventually being available for all huts and campsites. “We are currently in the process of finalising the timeline, which will include when we open our Great Walks bookings to the public,” Shearer said. “We will provide an update on our website in May.” Shearer said the new system would allow trampers to setup, search, modify and cancel their bookings online.…

KIDS ARE VERY GOOD AT FINDING CICADAS – they like hanging outside and noticing these things. WHEREAS IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE NOISE TO MOST PEOPLE DURING THE HEIGHT of summer, they dominate the outdoors – but how many of us have investigated just what we are hearing in the cacophony of clicking and screeching cicadas? Ten-year-old Olly Hills looked into it and found that New Zealand has 42 cicadas, all unique to these isles, and each can be identified by its unique sound. Olly recently published the book, Cicadas of New Zealand, the first of its kind to detail the features, sound and habitat of each of the species in an easy-to-use field guide. Olly first became curious about cicadas when he was just three years old. “I was at…

NEARING THE SUMMIT of the low peak of Mt Alexander, or Little Alexander as some call the 1795m high point, the entire northern section of Westland, and in particular, the seldom-viewed western parts of Arthur’s Pass National Park, open up for viewing. The view just gets better and bigger as the unmarked route leads on to Mt Alexander itself – two kilometres away along a razorback ridge and 200m higher at 1958m. Below the summits is the wide, deep trench of the Taramakau River, some 1700m lower. It feels all of that, seemingly detached from the upper mountain world, the valleys cut around the flanks of these mighty bastions, great arms of grey and green forging their way to the sea. Though not a Main Divide peak, Mt Alexander has…

MOST HAVE heard of the Seven Summits challenge, where climbers scale the highest point on each of the world’s seven continents. But there’s also a seven summits challenge much closer to home. Given fair conditions, a circuit beginning and ending at Mitre Flats Hut which links seven points above 1500m, including 1571m Mitre, the highest point in Tararua Forest Park, can be completed in a long day. It was this circuit that a friend and I did in summer. In clear weather, the entire route linking the 1500m points is quite obvious to follow and, while a dramatic and undulating landscape, in summer it is mostly quite straightforward to negotiate. It took us 12 hours – longer than we had expected on account of a particularly difficult section linking Baldy…

WE DIDN’T HAVE TO go far in our search for an alternative to our usual Waitakere Ranges stomping ground: Tamahunga sits just outside of Matakana, about an hour’s drive north of Auckland. The route to the 436m summit initially runs along a gravel driveway through private farmland. With the rain coming down in a quiet drizzle, we followed the orange markers between the rolling hills, through a gate and up a grassy slope to a windbreak of pine. Not long after, the terrain leveled out in front of the forested cloak of Mt Tamahunga. We entered the regenerating bush just as a patch of blue appeared in the sombre clouds. The trail follows a fence line and burrows into a thick wall of nikau, after which the gradient starts to…

INTERESTING FOREGROUND subjects can be hard to come by when camping on open tops. Lighting up a tent after sunset will bring an otherwise dark landscape to life. Wait for the right moment Ambient light at sunset and the output of your torch have to be in balance for a glowy tent image. The sweet spot is usually 5-10 minutes after sunset with clear skies. BRING A TRIPOD AND A REMOTE After sunset, your shutter speeds will quickly extend to multiple seconds. Bring a tripod to stabilise your camera. Pressing the shutter will blur your image, so use a timer or a camera remote. Soften your torch Wrap your torch in a clear plastic bag, so the light is spread evenly throughout the tent. ADD PEOPLE AND MOTION Adding people…

Closure Gaiters close at the front and use either zippers or Velcro. Zippers are more secure and tidy whereas Velcro is simpler to remove. Fabric Most gaiters are made from a waterproof and breathable ripstop nylon or canvas. Alpine models will have reinforced patches at the ankle to protect against crampon strike. Adjustment The gaiter is tightened at the top by a buckle or drawcord. It should fit snugly and not fall down while moving. Lace hook A hook at the base of the gaiters can be attached to the boot’s laces to ensure it doesn’t ride up. Bootstrap A hard wearing leather or plastic bootstrap runs beneath the boot to help keep the gaiter in place. Hillsound Super Armadillo Gaiter $179.99 Puncture-resistant Superfabric lower, Flexia stretch-fabric upper, YKK zipper,…

Raincoat and over-trousers I carry wet weather gear, even on short walks, no matter what the forecast. They make a good windbreak, particularly for tops travel. My trousers are light but tough and have a short zip so they can be pulled on over boots. Maps and compass I carry a laminated or cover-sealed map in my front pack pocket plus a full topo map in a snaplock bag in my pack. The Silva Ranger compass is attached to my pack pocket and easily accessible. In Reach Always carry an emergency location device. I carry an InReach that allows me to send messages via satellites. A standard PLB is considered the best emergency option, though. Ensure you understand the disadvantages and advantages of choosing a satellite messenger. Sleeping bag My…

Why did you want to be the new CEO of the Te Araroa? I studied parks and recreation at Lincoln University, and I wanted to be a park ranger, but I got into sports management, and for the past 20 years I’ve been managing surf lifesaving, rugby and kayaking. But I was looking for a change, and I have spent a lot of time in the outdoors around Dunedin and Central Otago. This is a neat opportunity to get back to the things that I was first interested in when I headed to Lincoln. What are the most significant challenges for the future of the TA? Kauri dieback is going to be a major one. In my first week, I met with DOC, Northland Regional Council and landowners to discuss…

Hurry, or don’t Combining tramping and trail running doesn’t seem to make much sense (‘Competitive tramping’, March 2018). When setting out on a tramping trip, most of us will have some goals in mind. The more usual ones being to simply enjoy being outdoors, seeing unspoiled views, familiar or new, to view animal and plant life, to listen to the birds, to escape the hustle and bustle. To best achieve such goals, you shouldn’t be in a hurry. Isn’t it nice to stop to view and listen to the birds, study and photograph a tiny bit of moss or a delicate fungi, to pick up an interesting-looking rock, to sit in a quiet spot with beautiful surroundings? Trail runners pursue very different goals. They want to get or stay fit,…

A POLICY TO DOUBLE HUT fees for tourists this year may not go ahead, as DOC says no decisions have been made on the controversial move. During last year’s election campaign, National announced that it would double fees for international visitors on five Great Walks, and charge them 50 per cent more on other Great Walks and backcountry hut passes. The policy was to be implemented in October this year. The then Conservation Minister Maggie Barry said the Great Walks ran at a $1 million loss and international visitors should pay more. The policy was expected to generate $4 million a year in extra revenue. However, DOC recreation, tourism and heritage director Gavin Walker said it still hadn’t decided whether the policy would go ahead. “DOC is undertaking an internal…

THE LAKE 2 LAKE TRAIL A new track linking Lake Te Anau with Lake Manapouri is one step closer after construction started on one of the final sections of trail. So far 19km of the 28km trail has been completed and the new 4.7km section from Manapouri township to Supply Bay Road is expected to open in June. But, before the trail is completed, a 4km section through Fiordland National Park will need to be approved through the park management plan. The project is managed by the Fiordland Trails Trust and funded by donations. Info: trailstrust.co.nz THE CORONET LOOP The first stage of a new 50km track that circumnavigates Coronet Peak is set to open this month. The Coronet Loop mountain bike and walking track starts at Arrowtown, crosses the…

THE ROUTE BEGINS at the end of the Wilberforce Canal Road and follows the riverbed vehicle track to Fanghill Stream. Kiwi Stream enters the Wilberforce River directly opposite Fanghill, on the western side of the valley, and requires a ford of the river to reach, which should not be a problem in normal flow. The Kiwi is a long and narrow valley, like many of the tributaries of the Wilberforce. Though it doesn’t have any real gorges, waterfalls or difficult bluffs to pass, travel is slow, but steady, and numerous shingle flats make for easier travel. We pushed on, barely pausing, climbing higher under the flanks of the Rolleston Range from which the stream drains. The upper valley is mostly tussock terraces and deeply eroded watercourses descend from the high…

FEATURING AN ICEFALL tumbling 2000m down a rock face and feeding a multitude of waterfalls, the Earnslaw Burn is one of the most spectacular valleys in the country. Best of all, it’s relatively untouched – only one other party was camping in the valley when we visited between Christmas and New Year. Terminating at the southern face of Mt Earnslaw, the second highest peak in Mt Aspiring National Park, the Earnslaw Burn Track provides an accessible path to this incredible site. The trail climbs through sparse beech forest before emerging at a steep meadow clearing. It then heads back into the forest, continuing up the valley high above the Earnslaw Burn. The track suffered heavy windfall following a snow storm in 2016 and while the trail has mostly been cleared,…

GET YOUR PHOTO PUBLISHED HERE TO RECEIVE A TUB OF STORM LEATHER CREAM TO WATERPROOF, CONDITION AND SHINE YOUR TRAMPING BOOTS. Learn more about Storm at ampro.co.nz . Last Weekend submission criteria can be found at wildernessmag.co.nz…

A REVIEW of the policy for how national parks are managed has been put on hold. In August last year, the Conservation Authority, which governs the management of national parks, decided to review the General Policy for National Parks. The policy is used to guide the national park management plans and hadn’t been reviewed since 2005. The authority said it was being reviewed due to the multiple challenges of record tourism growth, greater iwi involvement in park management and climate change. However, it is understood new Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage wasn’t a fan of the review and it has been canned, for now. Authority chair Warren Parker said it had decided to put the review on hold “to focus on providing support and advice on the conservation priorities of the…

JUST DO IT. IT’S GREAT FUN AND REALLY GOOD AS A FAMILY. IT CHALLENGES EVERYBODY, MAKES YOU TALK AND GO THROUGH DIFFICULT THINGS FOR SEASONED trampers, the Te Araroa Trail can be the challenge of a lifetime. But what would it be like doing it with no tramping experience and with a family of five? “It was absolutely and utterly amazing,” Pia Wittwer says. With her oldest child about to leave the nest, Wittwer says she was looking for a big family adventure. She decided on spending two months walking south from Nelson on the TA. The challenge started nearly a year out. The family had never been on a tramping trip and Wittwer says the logistics of planning a thru-hike was immense. “It took a lot of research,…

THE WESTERN Ruahine Range offers some exceptional tramping country, including the Pourangaki River, which drains some of the park’s highest mountains. One of the area’s most accessible huts is Kelly Knight, reached on a good track. You see the eight-bunk hut well before you reach it; a white-walled haven perched on a pleasant terrace above the Pourangaki River. The hut is named after a local hunter and is popular with deerstalkers, especially during the autumn when the stags roar. The route starts on a track through private farmland and leads to the Ruahine Forest Park boundary, where a benched trail to the hut begins through the bush. Other routes include a high-level traverse past Purity Hut, over Wooden Peg, and down a steep track into the Pourangaki Valley. From Kelly…

ushi greets me S with a quizzical raise of her eyebrows and a lick. Floyd is more circumspect, but he’ll be friendlier later when there might be a sleeping bag to sneak inside. Not being a dog person, I was surprised how these pooches had stolen their way into my affections after just two trips. And I had to admit that tramping with dogs had an enjoyable edge over canine-free trips. Joe lets the dogs run as he eases his low-slung Subaru up the Leatham Valley, following a 4WD track. Making one of the fords negotiable requires some boulder engineering, then Darryn and I walk ahead, biffing any rocks off the vehicle track that might catch a sump. Perhaps we’d have been better off parking, given the driving speed is…

I GRIPPED the metal chain anchored to the rock, and my fingers soon turned white. I was hot, but couldn’t let go to wipe the sweat from my brow. Finding my next foothold, I pulled myself onto a narrow shelf inside the chimney. Glancing down, I could see George looking a bit nervous. “You can do it,” I encouraged him. We were climbing to the summit of Monument, a distinctive feature on Lake Manapouri in Fiordland. Although only 290m high, it was a short but challenging climb, with steep sections through beech forest followed by a few minutes’ walk along the ridge before the real fun begins near the top. We climbed through the vertical rock chimney, but couldn’t relax just yet. There was still some steep, crumbly rock to…

Zips Either water-resistant or protected by a storm flap. Zip sliders on water-resistant zippers tuck into a ‘garage’ to prevent rain entering through the top of the zip. CUFFS Cuffs that can be tightened will prevent water running up your sleeve when you raise your arms. Pull cuffs over baselayers to prevent water wicking upward. Ventilation All rainwear claims to be ‘breathable’ – able to transfer perspiration through the fabric – but it won’t be able to keep up with the amount of sweat produced. Pitzips and side vents help dump heat. Mesh-lined pockets help with ventilation and breathability, but can make stored items wet from perspiration. Pockets Handwarmer pockets are ideally positioned so they can be accessed while wearing a pack or harness (called pack-friendly). They should be large…

Therm-A-Rest Space Cowboy 45 $299.99 / 550g (regular) / 11℃ (comfort rating) Features Small and light enough to take almost anywhere, the synthetic filled Space Cowboy packs away like a down sleeping bag and weighs less than half a kilo – lighter than most down bags. It uses a warm-when-wet insulation, zoned to put the loft on top of the bag where it doesn’t get compressed by your body – this works on the assumption the user will be lying on a mattress. Warmth is retained further with a ‘Thermacapture’ lining that reflects radiant heat back onto the body. The bag’s mummy shape reduces dead air space and the drawcord hood cinches tight around the head. Removable mattress connectors allow the bag to be attached to a sleeping mat to…

● Stop. Don’t panic or let your mind wander to worst case scenarios. Being lost is nearly always only temporary. You got yourself here; you can get yourself out. Assess your level of danger. Will being lost here put you at serious risk, or will it merely inconvenience your day’s travel? Lower your heart rate and get your cerebral cortex (the rational thinking part of your brain) working. ● Work backwards in your mind to determine the last spot where you knew exactly where you were. Don’t make assumptions or overlook simple mistakes you might have made. Can you return to that track? Check the time and try to work out how much ground you have covered since you last knew where you were. ● Take stock of your water,…