Innehållsförteckning för May 2021 från Wilderness

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…

NOT SURPRISINGLY, New Zealand’s mountains and coastlines are full of features with names like crag, bluff, precipice, buttress, spire or pinnacle. Search ‘pinnacle’ on online maps and locations pop up for most regions of the country, from Northland to Southland and also including the Chatham Islands. Marlborough has no fewer than five peaks with ‘Pinnacle’ in the name, ranging in height from 1233m to 2720m. Others are remote and obscure, like The Pinnacle (1365m) in the Paparoa Range, or Dizzy Pinnacle (1838m), a glaciated peak above the West Coast’s Okuru Valley, or Retreat Pinnacles, on the edge of Otago’s Olivine Ice Plateau. The five featured here are more accessible to those trampers with some scrambling skills and all are worth visiting. 1. Pinnacles Hut and The Pinnacles, Coromandel Forest…

The Cobb Valley is a well-known jewel in the tramping crown of Golden Bay. While the popular main valley can draw flocks of trampers in summer, a lesser-known sidetrack from the Cobb Dam leads to a cluster of tranquil alpine lakes perfect for camping. By Heather Jenke AFTER THE LONG, torturous drive up the Cobb Valley, the first 1.5km of the track to Sylvester Hut, provides a gentle warm-up, meandering above the shoreline of Cobb Reservoir. The trail crosses Galena Creek, the only waterway on the route, and then turns north for the long relentless haul to Sylvester Hut. Originally constructed around 1950, the bulldozed road provided access to the dam at Lake Sylvester which was supposed to ensure a constant supply of water to the Cobb hydro scheme. Little…

I’m guilty of writing about plus-sized tramping gear while being a very much non-plus-sized size 12. Sometimes a size 10, sometimes a size 14. I went through a phase in my 30s where I was ‘overweight’ by BMI standards when I woke up in the morning but, due to that day’s weight gain, I was considered clinically ‘obese’ by the time I went to bed that night. Fat is a feminist issue, and weight can be political. But slowly, marketers are cottoning on to the idea that big people tramp, too, and that not everyone who’s climbing hills is a size 8, white, straight, cisgender person with blonde hair and a bangin’ Instagram feed. Social media would have you think differently; follow enough Insta accounts about hiking and you’d not…

Fit your pack PROPERLY Tramping packs are designed to carry a lot of weight. But, as with any good tool, packs should be used properly. Try these steps to ensure the correct fit. 1. Loosen all adjustable straps. 2. Put the fully loaded pack on and if you have a friend, ask them to hold it in the right place against your body. 3. Tighten the hipbelt first and make sure the pack is actually sitting on your hips so that its weight is supported by your hips. 4. Adjust the shoulder straps to move the pack closer to your upper body. 5. Refine the position of the pack making smaller adjustments with the remaining straps. When fitted properly, most of the weight of the pack should be sitting on…

Stretch Jackets are cut to ensure warm air remains close to the body, which means the fabric will offer some stretch to ensure hems and cuffs don’t rise when arms are outstretched. Articulated shoulders allow greater freedom of movement. BAFFLES Down jackets use baffles to keep the fill from moving around. Some synthetic garments also use baffles, amongst other techniques, to hold the insulation in place. Seamless (welded or seam sealed) construction reduces heat loss through the stitching. INSULATION There are two types of insulation: synthetic or down. Synthetic insulation is more durable and will keep the user warm even when it’s wet. It is cheaper, bulkier and heavier than down, but modern synthetic fills are coming close to equaling down in weight and compressibility. Down still offers superior warmth…

BACKCOUNTRY HUT passes can now be used to book huts online after DOC upgraded its booking system, but there’s a catch: the passes cannot be used at all bookable huts. Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC) has been pushing for hut passes to be included in DOC’s online booking system for years and has criticised the expansion of bookable huts for devaluing hut passes. Backcountry Hut Passes enable users to stay an unlimited number of nights at DOC huts and are valid for six months and 12 months for $92 and $122 respectively. The department updated its online booking system last year, adding selected campsites to the booking system, and some bookable huts can now be paid for using a hut pass. Users need to register their hut pass on their DOC…

DESPITE BORDERS being closed to international visitors, South Island search and rescue crews have been kept busy with Kiwis getting into trouble in the hills. But there’s been a promising rise in people carrying personal locator beacons. WanakaSAR bush rescue team coordinator John Burke said it had been busy with greater numbers than expected of Te Araroa Trail walkers needing help. “The season has felt busier as there are fewer people out on the trail and we expected a quieter season,” Burke said. “It feels like there’ve been more people doing the Te Araroa Trail and a broader range of people giving it a go.” He said WanakaSAR also had to deal with a number of “ruptured tear duct incidents”, where hikers activated their beacons for minor incidents. WanakaSAR spokesperson…

IT IS the one piece of gear that you hope will never be used. Trampers often moan about the cost. However, when walking Te Araroa, a personal locator beacon (PLB) becomes a safety net. It provides peace of mind to your family and friends while giving you the confidence to head into the hills with a spring in your step. I was in the South Island heading to Hope Kiwi Lodge feeling somewhat euphoric. In recent days I had crossed the spectacular Waiau Pass, with views extending to forever. Leaving Nelson Lakes National Park with Lake Constance sparkling far below, I had farewelled the dense beech forests, avalanche paths and tumbling mountain rivers of the last few days. Now, Canterbury beckoned. It was the first time I truly had a…

Blue Lake Hut, Nelson Lakes National Park A WORTHWHILE OVERNIGHT side trip when tramping the Travers-Sabine Circuit in Nelson Lakes National Park is to Blue Lake. Known to Māori as Rotomairewhenua, meaning the land of peaceful waters, it is thought to be the clearest natural body of fresh water in the world. For a comfortable stay, the 16-bunk serviced Blue Lake Hut is just a few minutes walk from the stunning bright blue/green coloured lake which is surrounded by dramatic mountains. If doing the four-plus day circuit, the Blue Lake track heads up the Sabine River West Branch from West Sabine Hut. Not far from the hut, the river is crossed on a sturdy bridge. The well-marked track is mostly rocky with a few muddy sections. It crosses a number…

THE DEPARTMENT OF Conservation is calling on iwi across the country to help the agency better manage visitors and run New Zealand’s nature, culture and heritage sites. The call is set out in a new visitor and heritage strategy, He Rautaki Taonga Tuku Iho, Manuhiri Tūārangi Hoki, launched by conservation minister Kiritapu Allan in February. It reflects a change in direction for the department since its last visitor strategy was published in 1996. DOC strategy and insights manager Tim Bamford says the previous plan set out DOC’s role in safely managing popular walks like the Milford Track and giving visitors improved access to DOC sites, services and information. Today’s strategy aims to do that too, says Bamford, while also solving problems like over-tourism at specific locations such as the Tongariro…

ESTIMATING HOW long it will take to reach a destination is a vital part of trip planning. It helps you decide what time you should leave and whether your group is fit enough to do the trip. During the trip, you can gauge how well the group is going and you may decide to turn back or change your plan if it is taking too long. Estimating times is also a useful navigation aid. If you expect to come to a landmark in 10 minutes, you may consider what has gone wrong if you haven’t reached it in 15 minutes. It is commonly noted by trampers that DOC signs and published estimated times are inconsistent, sometimes longer or shorter than expected. This is due to differences in the way the…

Cost/weight: $599 / 640g (m), 561g (w) Features: Marmot claims this jacket is the most sustainable it’s ever made. Using Marmot’s proprietary three-layer MemBrain Eco fabric, which has been upcycled and has a PFC-free durable water repellent that is said to never wear out, it certainly looks sustainable. The permanent DWR is achieved by applying the water-repelling treatment at the molecular level, bonding to the fabric so that it won’t wash out. Other features include underarm pit zips, articulated elbows, drawcord adjustable hood and hem, water-resistant zippers on external pockets and the front zip, all seams are taped. 5/5 Fit: The size medium fitted well across my shoulders and the jacket hung to below my waist, offering good full-body protection. The sleeves came to just past the…

Reading Peter Laurenson’s article ‘Tararua tops feast’ (March 2021), one sentence triggered a reaction in me: ‘The nearby loo has an even better view.’ Fantastic views from loos have vanished as DOC seems to have decreed to its contractors that ‘all loo doors must now face away from the view and if possible also face the hut’. This does not help the tramper perspiring, and/or expiring, in a fibreglass coffin (FC) on a sunny day and who has to prop the door open to survive the smell and heat. In my favourite tramping area – the Travers Valley in Nelson Lakes National Park – there has been a mass extinction of loo views. Here’s an unofficial list: 1. Bushline Hut: I used to tell everyone going there, ‘Check out the…

A NEW $3.4M HUT on the Milford Track is set to open in mid-April, replacing the 30-year-old Mintaro Hut which is closing due to earthquake risk. The 40-bunk hut is the second hut trampers encounter on the track, just before McKinnon Pass. DOC’s Southern South Island operations director Aaron Fleming said the new hut is about 2km from the existing hut and walkers would begin using it in the final weeks of this year’s Great Walk season with an official opening planned for next season. Fleming said the old hut was being replaced as it was in a potential rockfall zone and there was an estimated 15 to 20 per cent chance of an earthquake triggering a major rockfall in the area in the next 15 years. The new hut…

THE TARARUA RANGE is well known (and often cursed) for its gruelling ridge travel: tough climbs, deep dips and hard going. Want something more undulating, perhaps with a scattering of tarns, and some pleasantly easy tussock tops? Somewhere that, for a couple of easy kilometres, you might even be able to stroll hands-in-pockets? Table Ridge offers these, although, to be fair, getting to and from the ridge does involve the usual amount of traditional Tararua slog. A satisfying 3-4 day round-trip to Table Ridge begins on the Barra Track. This leads through forest to Mitre Flats, then further up the Waingawa Valley to reach Cow Creek Hut. Take the track towards Arete Forks, but only as far as the first ridge crest. An informal route climbs this bush ridge to…

These pancakes make the perfect start to your tramping day and all the prep is done the night before, making them a good option for those early starts. Make the pancake mix at home and then simply add water the evening before you want to eat them. They cook perfectly on a nonstick pan without butter. Profile Prep time 5min Cook time 12min Makes 3 Serves 1 Cost $3.50 Ingredients ½ cup rolled oats 1 tbsp chia seeds ½ cup white spelt flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 tbsp milk powder (coconut or dairy) 2 tbsp sugar 2 tsp egg replacer ½ tsp cinnamon Pinch salt 1 ½ cups water OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: peanut butter slug, maple syrup, foraged berries, slivered almonds Method Add all dry ingredients to a medium-sized ziplock…

Danilo Hegg works part-time as the executive officer for Federated Mountain Clubs. He enjoys tough, mostly off track, multiday tramps as well as easier walks where he can photograph New Zealand’s smallest animals. “The contents of my pack vary wildly depending on the trip I’m on,” he says. “During summer, however, I like to spend time studying the invertebrate fauna of our alpine regions and I am equipped accordingly.” HEADLAMP Regardless of whether I’m searching for nocturnal invertebrates or having an alpine start to climb a mountain, a good headlamp is essential. I find the Ledlenser MH8 ideal for the purpose because of its strong beam and it is USB rechargeable. TENT There’s nowhere I sleep as good as I do in a tent. A tent is home. I converted…

What’s the first step in a comprehensive boot fitting? The first thing you want to do is measure the customer’s foot – that gives you the information for where to start the fitting. But you also need to know how your range of boots fit in terms of shape and volume, and then find the most suitable boots in the right category for the customer. You can’t just measure someone’s foot and say that’s your number – there’s so much more to the fitting process. “ If a shop assistant just asks ‘what size are you’ without measuring your foot, that’s your cue to run. ” Is it important to measure both feet? Definitely. You will often find there is one foot longer or wider than the other, sometimes up…