Youth Award Grant From Northland to Southland
A crew of high school students from the northern North Island head south to complete their Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award Gold Adventurous Journey with the help of a FMC grant.
Trip Reports
Trans-Alpine Rock, Ice and Packrafts…
Emily Forne and friends attempt a combination of mountaineering and packrafting: six days by foot and raft from head of Lake Tekapo out to the Rakaia River.
Part 1 A sweltering Southern Alps Traverse
In late November 2017 Dulkara Martig set off from Arthur’s Pass with three other kiwi women, with the goal of walking to Mount Cook Village.
North Shore Tramping Club 50th Anniversary
Wow, what an amazing day for the clubs' 50th Anniversary BBQ!!! We couldn't have asked for better weather!!
Packrafting 101 Can you self-rescue?
Its a fundamental skill, which every packrafter needs to master very early in their paddling career.
Happy in Hihitahi Zekes Hut
Zekes Hut isn't well known, but a trip into the Hihitahi is worth it for the views from the summit peak alone.
On the tools Beginner ski mountaineering on Ruapehu
Take two ice axes, a rope, some rack and a ski touring setup, and you have the ingredients for a frivolous day out on the magical maunga.
DIY Europe The Craigieburn Haute Route
Take one group of North Island ski tourers, add the Craigieburn Range, and stir briskly.
Kowhai The Dancing Tree
Stepping onto the small ‘Adventure Craft’ takes me across the Waiau River – that small impediment that keeps people from exploring this section of the park as often as they otherwise might.
Volcano of ice Conquering Sweary Pants Gully (not its real name)
My ski club mates call it Sweary Pants Gully. There's a good reason for that.
Will it go? Steep and loose on Ruapehu’s Ringatoto
A big day out on the east side of Ruapehu, with plenty of moments of 'will it go?' and 'holy smokes, it does'.
FMC Exec trip to Kime Hut
Right before an FMC Exec meeting on Matiu / Somes Island at the end of June 2018, some of our staff and Exec got together for a two-day tramp to Kime Hut in the Tararuas.
Tour with respect Make room
Sometimes the back country terrain behind the ski field can get a few groups at once. Local Craigieburn Ski Guide Anna Keeling offers some thoughts and advice on how to avoid putting each other at risk as you enjoy your foray from the safety of the ski field.
On the divide Skiing Mt Cross
Here we were, about to ski off a named summit on the main divide; where else in NZ can you do that without a helicopter, in a day trip?
Unfinished business: South Island Mega Trip
When a six month visit to New Zealand is just not enough....
Canyoning The history and mystery of Holts Creek
For 110 years an ancient tunnel lay hidden in the Otira wilderness... Nola, James and Grant did their homework, put in the time for preparation and were rewarded with the first descent of an excellent canyon.
The Marion Plateau What could possibly go wrong?
“Cyclone Fehi devastates West Coast” and “Dart Track Closed” don’t sound good two days before the planned alpine trip to the Marion Plateau, plus the combination with a super blue blood moon seemed to promise an inauspicious start.
Safety first The importance of training
Anne Taylor from the Southland Tramping Club explains why you should get some proper training before heading out on your own packrafting adventures.
Risk vs Reward Coping with failure on Malte Brun
Failure is inevitable in the mountains, yet the only time we truly fail is when we do not grow from such experiences. Failure teaches us resilience in the face of future hardship.
Lessons learned: when rivers rise…
Good judgement usually comes from experience, and experience usually comes from bad judgement...
Aquanauting: Taking a boat for a walk
Penzy Dinsdale offers us a few thoughts about Aquanauting in the Otago Uni Tramping Club (OUTC)
On a dream
Alpine tops, grade 2 rapids, southern ocean and two perfectly calm crossings of Hauroko, the "Lake of the sounding wind". Jamie McAuly had a dream trip by all accounts...
The excitement of the unknown Exploring the Paringa
A remote West Coast river, packrafting, rain, a lack of information about paddling descents; for Chris Abel, it was hard to think of more exciting ingredients for an adventure.
Manapouri to Foveaux Strait The quintessential Fiordland journey
On Christmas Eve we set off from the West Arm of Lake Manapouri with around a weeks’ worth of food, packrafting and tramping gear, a bunch of TOPO maps and loose plans to make it to Foveaux Strait. We had a small box of food delivered to Lake Roe Hut on the Dusky Track to pick on the way. For two weeks we linked together rivers, Fiords, lakes, some trails and a few different mountain ranges to make it to the Southern Ocean.
