Author Archive
Dumb-bell Lake
Monday, November 25th, 2013
Tramping in fine weather is what trampers dream off, but can take its toll by the end of the day with weary bodies pleased to reach the camp site.
Eleven club members lived that dream with a 10am start from Lake Ohau Lodge, up the skifield road then cross country to join the new cycle track at Sawyers Creek.
We had a short chat with some cyclists enjoying the new A to O track before continuing our way to Freehold Creek. The track up the true right was in great order after a lot of windfall had recently been cleared. An hour of steady uphill to the bush line brought on an appetite for lunch and a view of the route ahead to the hanging valley above.
There was plenty of running water enroute for the frequent stops to rehydrate, before the hanging valley was reached with its impressive views of different coloured tarns and surrounding peaks.
After some discussion on alternative routes out we decided to take the notch overlooking Sawyers Creek. Another break was taken on the saddle in fine calm conditions, then it was a rocky sidle to a snow patch crossing with some more sidle to Pinnacle where the Maitland Valley came into view.
Dumb-bell Lake finally appeared as we descended the tussock slope to the lake outlet where a tent city was erected. Pleased to be there after a hot days travel we soon settled in, pots bubbling and the smells of various dinners on the go. The perfect evening beside a sun drenched lake with great company. Before darkness the call to recharge the batteries came and human silence fell over the site. The sound of the outlet stream soon had me in dream world.
With the light of the new day we were all up refuelled and ready to go by 7.15am, some a little more so than others. It was a short walk up valley before crossing the stream, then up to the ridge line leading round to Mt Sutton 2007m. A cold wind on the exposed ridge kept us moving on to the summit which once again gave us splendid views all round.
We retraced our steps before circling around to the ski field, finding a safe point to descend to the ski basin with a view of Maitland Hut. There we had an early lunch break at the ski site. To complete the journey a 10 km walk down the ski field road ended with relief and sore feet for me. To end this wonderful weekend, refreshments were had at the Wrinkly Ram in Omarama, with a debrief and departure for home.
Thanks to, Jane, Bron, Phyllis, Murray, Bill, Neville, John C, Ross F, Tim and Jim; Maurice.
Club Night October 2013
Tuesday, October 15th, 2013
The monthly meeting started with a short special meeting to change some constitutional rules.
The local Mountain Safety Committee is considering going into recess.
A South Canterbury tramping group sent a letter of thanks for our work in keeping the Herbert Forest tracks in good condition.
Tickets for the 3D movie on the 23rd October of Sir Edmond Hillarys Journey to the Summit of Everest are available from Neville Corry.
A tramping skills weekend is being held early next year at Trotters Gorge. Contact Neville Corry.
The Club is purchasing a new GPS locator beacon, and it is to be taken on all Club trips.
Trip Reports:
Members rode a challenging mountain bike course in the Herbert Forest that has been set up by the local Mountain Bike Club.
Because of poor weather the Paradise trip turned into a trip to Elco hut with a walk up the river, and a 1000m climb behind the Temple picnic area on the way home.
More work by 9 members has been done on the Herbert Forest tracks, but the job is not finished yet.
The Wednesday Walkers have been on walks to Spring Creek on Pisga Downs, a round trip from the microwave behind Hampden to Pigeon Bush, Table Top via a well maintained Pack Track from the Herbert Forest, and from Andersons Lagoon to the Shag River mouth where plenty of shags and seals were to be seen.
Coming Club Trips are Mt. Kyburn, mountain biking on the Old Dunstan Road, and Bronwyn McCone’s farm walk. More details are on this website on the “what’s on” page.
We were then entertained with a quality selection of Club members tramping photos which ranged from a preview of coming tramps, to a beach and bush tramp in Western Australia where water was scarce, and then to an above 10000ft. odyssey of scaling New Zealand’s highest peaks.
Club Night September 2013
Tuesday, October 15th, 2013
As usual a good number attended our monthly meeting. Proposed changes to the constitution were read for an Extraordinary AGM on Oct 14th.
Trips reports were given: Big Ben –where the weather proved to be most unfavourable; Station Peak- on the calmest of days; and Trotters Gorge-a good family outing with splendid views.
The Wed Walker had 3 trips: Trig L via Trotters Gorge; Ben Lomond from the Otekaieke side with various options; and Herbert Forest trip when the weather didn’t favour other options. For the first time in 25years we cancelled a walk to support Barbara Simpson at Lindsay’s funeral.
Proposed trips are: 15th Sept a bike ride in Herbert Forest; 21-22nd trip up the Huxley to Paradise; Oct 6th –working bee in Herbert Forest.
Bronwyn McCone produced an excellent slide show and talk on her trip to NW China with 27other NZers to see the rhododendron sites often in National Parks and Nature Reserves. Travelling this area in 2 vehicles provided an experience in itself, from excellent motorways with frequent tunnels, toll gates, to the rough and then impossible. High bridges including the highest in the world , frequently crossed the valleys. Some signs proved amusing e.g. ‘don’t drive tiredly’. Bronwyn made the most of the allocated times to roam and explore the hillsides for various lengths of time each day, capturing the rhodo’s growing in the wild naturally, although giving the appearance of being nicely landscaped.
A number of aspects disturbed her from major terracing increasingly being pushed up the mountainsides for added production whilst being covered in miles of plastic, to the knowledge that a large proportion of what was being grown was tobacco in copious amounts. to seeing cannabis growing freely. But joy was gained from finding gems of plants as well as rhodo’s, to paddy fields being planted out.
She found that the state of the rivers was not good. Children swam amongst the pollution and rubbish, while others would completely disappear being piped up hills for irrigation reappearing again later. Toileting was perhaps the worst aspect of the trip.
Nights were filled with delicious foods with up to 11 courses, watching the women dancing, and lots of walking as one felt safe. A great experience all up as this massive country mixes the increasing ‘modern’ with the ‘old and traditional’. Thanks Bronwyn.
Jane Green
Club Night August 2013
Thursday, August 15th, 2013
North Otago Tramping and Mountaineering Club Monthly Report
The Herbert Forest tracks were damaged by the June storms, so 10 members have cleared the trees, but more track and bridge work is needed yet.
Trip Reports;
Nine hardy trampers did a round trip at Sullivan’s Dam in blizzard conditions coming back through the Leith cloud forest. An ascent of Mt. St. Cuthberts in the Benmore Range was rewarded with great views of four lakes and Mt. Cook.
Wednesday Walkers did a round trip of Rakis Table, Belmont Hill and Victoria Hill at Tapui, which included a walk through an old railway tunnel. The old Waitaki Bridges at Kurow led to a walk over the hill to Hakataramea Valley and back down the gorge with a side trip to view the old slip road that is hoped will become part of the Alps to Ocean bike trail. They also did farm walks on Matsingers and Altavady farms and up Boundary Creek from Murrays Road past the old Oamaru water race aquaducts and tunnels.
Last Wednesday they climbed Conical Peak from the Dunback side.
Coming ClubTrips are Big Ben, Station Peak from the North, and Trotters Gorge to South Peak. More information about these trips is available on the NOTMC website.
Guest Speakers were Club members John and Margaret Chetwin who entertained us with their 2012 tour of the cities and vineyards of France. It was a trip with a difference from the Paris metropolis with its majestic buildings and art culture, out into the rolling countryside of the Burgundy vineyards. It included gourmet cooking lessons, and 500 year old wineries that have seen 18 generations pass through. They stayed in Sala, a town smaller than Oamaru where 180 resistance workers were killed and another 160 taken to concentration camps in the Second World War. They marvelled at houses built into cliffs, bronze to middle age cave dwellings, stunning stalactite caves, and 17000 year old cave paintings. These 2000 paintings of mainly animal images were unique with their good depiction of movement.
Bordeaux was the last city visited with numerous wine shops and grand old buildings connected with a modern transport system. Then it was back to Paris on a high speed train and home.
8 July Club Night
The July meeting was again well attended.
The Herbert Forest tracks have sustained some serious damage especially with fallen trees. This will be attended to as soon as possible.
Two changes to the constitution were notified.
Bad weather again inhibited Club trips with the only one being seven members visit to Mt. Summers in waist deep snow, interspersed with climbing over fallen trees after the recent storms. The night in a warm hut with good food and company made up for it though.
Wednesday Walkers day trips were a Ngapara farm walk, the inland Timaru Walkway from Saltwater Creek, Katiki Beach and Shag Point, and an Island Cliff farm walk.
Coming Club trips are to Sullivans Dam North Dunedin, Mt. Staint Cuthbert, and the Mitchells Hut Siberia area. Further information is available on the NOTMC website / What’s on.
The guest speaker was Belinda Mellish. Belinda spoke of and illustrated through photograghs her love of the outdoors and adventure. She spoke of her very early family trips to the mountains in places like the Kakanui Range, Arthurs Pass and the Hopkins area. From an early age she was also taking part in trips with this local club. She developed her skills in bushcraft and rock and ice climbing with the assistance of local club members and also the local Alpine Club.
With the aid of excellent photography, Belinda took us down a journey of some of the trips she had completed in New Zealand and overseas. With her skills and excellent companions she tramped and climbed to some exquisite locations. These locations included Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park, Fiordland and further afield in the Southern Alps. It wasn’t just climbing though as she also enjoyed rafting down the grade 3 Waiatoto River, and potholing down the 180m Howards Hole.
Overseas trips included rock climbing in Arapiles (Australia), Yosemite National Park (USA), and Thailand, and ice climbing in the Canadian Rockies. The frozen waterfalls she climbed were spectacular!
To finish the evening Belinda showed a range of images set to music, selected from over 20 years of outdoor adventures. Her passion and enthusiasm for the mountains shone through in her talk, and she left us enthused to get out there amongst the outdoors.