Backcountry

Crawling to Jumbo

Tararua Tops  Crawling to Jumbo

With a forecast for horizontal snowfall, Peter Laurenson and Shaun Barnett step into a powdery paradise to capture proof that the Tararua Range has mountains too. Despite moments of crawling on hands and knees through thigh-deep snow, Peter uses his years of skilled camerawork to illustrate the magic (and reality) of winter tramping.

Being Prepared Through Outdoor First Aid

Training Grant  Being Prepared Through Outdoor First Aid

"Everyone with an interest in any outdoor activity should go on this course – it really is tailored to outdoor emergency situations and how often do we actually practice first aid in the backcountry?" Ten members from the Palmerston North Tramping and Mountaineering Club cash in on the FMC Training Grant and enroll in an outdoor first aid course to gain competency in responding to backcountry accidents.

The Elusive Ivory Lake Hut

Love our Huts Story  The Elusive Ivory Lake Hut

After nearly five years of striving to reach Ivory Lake Hut from multiple directions, she proves elusive for a tramping party of four. During one final push from the north, she grants entry and they experience a hard-won backcountry trip after three failed attempts and never giving up. Failure has its own rewards and for these keen trampers, their arrival is well worth the wait.

Operation Great Barrier

Youth Award Grant  Operation Great Barrier

"Our journey to Great Barrier Island wasn't just about completing a hike and getting through the long days of walking – it was about pushing our limits, working as a team, and making memories that will stay with us forever." For their DOE Gold Qualifying Journey, six students from Orewa College navigate the steep descents of the old Kauri Tramline Track and scale hundreds of stairs to reach the summit of Mount Hobson.

SAR: Is it Free? Should it Be?

Search & Rescue  SAR: Is it Free? Should it Be?

Have you ever wondered how search and rescue works when there is an emergency, as well as who exactly pays for their efforts? LandSAR Dunedin volunteer, Matteo Scoz, breaks down the two coordination authorities for search and rescue, how they are funded and the prevailing philosophy that guides these incredible organisations and their teams.

Doing the S-K Another Way

An Alternative Approach  Doing the S-K Another Way

The S-K is an epic 80 kilometre north-to-south Tararua journey, traditionally completed in 48 hours or less. For Mark Wilcox and his wife, Sarah, the S-K route looks appealing but without the restrictive timeframe. So together, they decide to achieve a tops S-K their way – totaling 41 hours of tramping over seven days without injury and whilst still remaining friends.

Crossing the Bridge

A Dog's Tale  Crossing the Bridge

What happens when a party of three suddenly becomes a party of four? A tramping weekend takes an unexpected turn for Chris and a group of trampers when a mysterious dog appears on the trail. Upon realising they’ve found someone’s missing dog, Chris bravely faces his childhood fear of dogs and the team figures out how to safely return the canine home.

Learn by Doing

March 2024  Learn by Doing

Does the success society has at making life safer merely encourage us to take bigger risks? Uncle Jacko ponders how this question pertains to the backcountry, as well as explores bothy bags, hammocks and the Ngāi Tahu Cultural Mapping Project. He signs off with a friendly message to the blokes reading this column: people learn by doing, not watching.

Tops Feast

Tararua Ranges  Tops Feast

Beautifully captured by photographer Peter Laurenson, an extended version of the Tararua Ranges' northern crossing brings a tops feast for Peter and his mate, Simon, and just the right amount of challenge for these two keen trampers.

Matterhorn of the South

Mt Aspiring Tititea  Matterhorn of the South

With recommendations from Alastair McDowell after his record-breaking climb of Mt Aspiring Tititea, Andy Carruthers and crew plan their own summit of this incredible maunga. Four days in Mt Aspiring National Park not only offer the team breathtaking views and a birthday bubbles celebration at the summit, but also key takeaways into how they could minimise 'the scary moments' and maximise safety and comfort the next time around.

Just the Beginning

Youth Award Grant  Just the Beginning

With an icy winter trek along the Kepler Track, five students from Otamatea High School are up for a challenge on their final DOE Gold Adventurous Journey. Embracing freezing temperatures, a cold plunge and learning techniques to escape when lost in a cave, one student declares: "This will definitely NOT be my last outdoor adventure!”

Navigation and River Crossing

Training Grant  Navigation and River Crossing

Do you feel confident with crossing a river? With New Zealand's abundance of rivers, every backcountry tramper must know how to safely cross a waterway if the situation requires. With expert teaching from Outdoor Training NZ (OTNZ), the Rotorua Tramping Club fine-tunes their navigational skills and goes deep into hands-on learning with group and solo pack-floating, entrapment and how to escape from a strainer.

The Bond of Tramping

Youth Award Grant  The Bond of Tramping

A tight-knit group of seven students and three dedicated teachers began tramping together four years ago. With support from the FMC Youth Award Grant, Briar Higgie and Kaelyn Swanson strengthen bonds with their tramping mates, not allowing sleepless nights from hut snoring or sandflies to dampen their epic tramp along the stunning Heaphy Track.

Wild Women on the Tops

Traversing the Tararuas  Wild Women on the Tops

FMC Expedition Scholarship winners, Isla and Louise, traverse the Tararuas in a celebration of women in the backcountry. Through both film and print, they explore the limiting perceptions of wāhine outdoors, the gender disparity in gear construction and the realities of backcountry menstruation, all whilst embracing the joys of being female and their inner playfulness as wild women on the tops.

Backcountry Touring Access Guidelines

Safety  Backcountry Touring Access Guidelines

In an attempt to alleviate friction between members of the backcountry touring community and ski area operators, FMC created a set of backcountry touring access guidelines. With the support of NZAC and after consultation from 23 ski areas in Aotearoa, these collaborative guidelines articulate the following: how to behave when accessing backcountry terrain using ski field infrastructure, an intention to promote understanding of the real hazards present on ski areas and a fostering of courtesy and respect between tourers (including climbers and trampers) and ski area operators.

The Indestructible Loopies

November 2023  The Indestructible Loopies

Are loopies, by definition, indestructible and how do we create a model to better understand risk in the outdoors? Uncle Jacko poses the argument that while there are exceptions to the rule, ill-equipped trampers often seem to survive and explains the idea behind the Heine–McFarlane–McNeill risksetting model that he helped to design.

All Weather Tramp on the Heaphy

Youth Award Grant  All Weather Tramp on the Heaphy

Thunder and lightning, sunshine, rain and even hail accompanies Bella and Egor's Duke of Edinburgh Gold Qualifier, pushing Egor to persevere through his fear of thunderstorms and even declare: "I have loved my Adventurous Journey, as it has opened up many wonderful New Zealand backcountry places that we have explored." As recipients of the FMC Youth Award Grant, Bella Allen and Egor Shefer reflect on their trip of a lifetime along the Heaphy Track.

What’s in a Word? Exploring Untracked Leatherwood in the Tararua Forest Park

Fact or Fable  What’s in a Word? Exploring Untracked Leatherwood in the Tararua Forest Park

Four hours to cover one kilometre . . . ? For Megan and a hardy group from the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club (WTMC), an escape route provided by the '1996 Tararua Footprints Guide' offered refuge away from strong winds. However, an equally challenging battle ensued between tramper, scrub and river as the group navigated untracked leatherwood in the Tararua Forest Park.

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