Author Archive
Monday, December 9th, 2024
Jenny chaired our meeting. D.O.C. are wanting feedback on National Park management as they are updating their policies.
Trip Reports
Paradise Gully In the Hopkins area. There was a lot of climbing and bush bashing at first then down into the valley. A lovely spot.Followed trap lines on the way back.A good weekend.
Scout Hill 11 people turned out for this walk in the Kakanui range. A windy day out but with good views.
Love our Huts – 5 people checked and up Monument hut and Elcho huts. This walk included a night spent sleeping under the stars.Mistletoe was in full bloom.
Wednesday walkers gave their report
Up and Coming trips
Nth Temple .Overnight trip with options.
Pearsons Hut Mountainbike to hut
Awakino Botanical Trip See alpine plants in their habitat.
Silver Peaks Walk a circuit.
Oahu Peak A climb of 1200m
Mt Alexandra and Mt.Nobbler 2 peaks in the Kakanui range
Evening Walks open to the public will be held on our February club night.Start at 6.30pm and walk around the cape tracks.
New automatic traps have been installed in the Herbert forest. There are now 15 altogether.A great effort.
Our speaker tonight was Dave Woods
He recently returned to the UK to connect with friends and family.He talked about the places where he grew up and his early experiences walking in the hills.The Lake District area and the Yorkshire dales were favourite places and where he climbed his first mountain ” Helvellyn”
Dave also explained to us how different height hills and mountains have been given different names.E,g Wainwrights,Munroes,Corbetts,Nuttalls, Marilyns etc.,all these are different heights and people are very keen to tick off all in the same catagory over the U K. The names mostly originated from guide books written by the namesakes who had climbed them.
Dave also visited Scotland and Skye where he ticked off 3 munroes.He followed his talk with a quiz and a quick lesson on gaelic pronouciation.
This interesting talk was followed by a Christmas supper
Monday, November 11th, 2024
NOTMC Meeting Report Nov.2024
Jenny chaired our meeting. A handbook has been produced by the club to be given to new members as a guide .
Trip Reports
Waianakarua river mouth to Kakanui river mouth. 5 people enjoyed .this coastal walk .They timed their walk according to the tide.Very successful.
Bike Trip
Weather not good for this ,only 2 people were keen. They enjoyed it Route kept under wraps for a fine day another time
Discovery of Cave at North Peak
This cave has been lost to the club for quite a few years,but found again after a lot of searching.Trees in the area had been felled so it was a good time to search.The cave was rediscovered on the south ridge of Nth Peak. A good result .
Mt Milne
4 people walked 4 hrs to the top of Mt Milne. There was still snow on the west side and it was foggy on top. A good day out.
Up and Coming Trips.
Paradise Gully in the Hopkins area.
Mt Sommers staying overnight in huts in Hakataere area.
Scout Hill in the Kakanui Ranges.
Love Our Huts
An expedition is planned to tidy up and check on some of the huts in the Ohau area.Hope to visit Cullers Hut ,Dazzler Biv,and Elcho huts.
Trip Planning then went ahead for the next 3 month period.
An idea to have night walks was put forward and supported by members.Looking to hold them in February.A discussion on locator beacons and emergency contacts was had also.
Meeting closed Followed by a cup of tea.
Monday, September 9th, 2024
With a few members new and old expressing interest in advance, there weather was optimistically forecasted to be ‘okay’ and the rain to hold off. As we arrived at the top of the Hakataramea Pass at 8:30, the wind was very much in evidence but we pushed through that and set off just before 9am up the spur leading from the cattle grid following the fenceline.
Wind carried on blasting us from the side as we made our way up, stopping occasionally behind the rocks for shelter. Around the 1300m mark there quite a few wilding pines – a job for another tramp in the future?
When we reached the first of the snow fields at approx 1600m, the wind dropped significantly and plans of retreating were put away. The snow was in very good condition, not much post-holing, and good grip with a combo of normal boots and walking poles.
Quite a lot of snow at the top (point 1901 on map) and was great to be up in that different environment. Down and up the saddle to the highest point “Black Rocks”. After a quick stop for lunch we aimed down the ridge to the east, to intersect with the farm track. Some bum sliding on theh snow to speed the descent where possible! at approx 1150m left the track to take a shortcut back to cars – down by 2:30pm. Everyone enjoyed the trip and made better by the persistent rain almost the whole way back to Oamaru whilst we avoided all the bad weather until then.
Friday, May 10th, 2024
Trip Report, Top Dingle Hut, 27 – 28 April, 2024
This trip was the third time we had attempted to cross the Ahuriri River to reach Snowy Gorge Hut. Once again we decided the river was too deep and fast for any safe crossing, after checking the river at the first Access Road and further up Birchwood Rd opposite the confluence of Snowy Gorge Creek and the Ahuriri.
But the forecast was good and the mountains looked inviting with a fresh coating of early snow, so the three trampers continued further up Birchwood Rd intending to climb over to the Dingle Burn Valley to stay the night at the Top Dingle Hut. (It’s always wise to have an alternative trip planned if trying to cross the Ahuriri!)
Robbie drove us right up to the Dingle Burn Track carpark, and the three of us headed off up the track at 11.30am. We reached the saddle by 1pm, having lunched lower down to shelter from the freezing wind blowing off the snowy peaks. Then we headed down the steep ridge to the Dingle Valley below, reaching Top Dingle Hut soon after 2.30pm.
Top Dingle Hut is well worth a visit: a small 1963 hut with 6 bunks, fireplace, stainless steel bench and bespoke table and stools. Surrounded by beech trees, catching the afternoon sun, looking out over the Dingle Burn to mighty peaks above, it is a place to linger. After settling in with hot drinks and afternoon tea, we spent the sunny late afternoon collecting firewood from the forest, then settling in for a game of Five Crowns by the blazing fire.
Leaving at 8am the next morning to climb back up the hill, we reached the saddle by 10am, so we had time to walk for an hour north along the ridge to a small tarn. The day was perfect, windless and sunny, and the views up the Ahuriri valley over to Mt Barth, Mt Huxley, and Mt Maitland were magnificent. Another hour back to the saddle and a quick descent in an hour to the carpark made for a comfortable five hour walk in all.
Many thanks to Robbie for leading the alternative trip and to Karen for joining us on another stunning Ahuriri adventure. Snowy Gorge still awaits us!
Jenny Kitchin.
Friday, May 10th, 2024
This
meeting was chaired by Julian.
Trip Reports
McKenzie basin Trip was cancelled
Instead of the Dingleburn trip the club walked in the Ahuriri valley Freehold creek.
Mt Obi 10 people on this trip including 3 from Dunedin From the Pig Route they walked up Pig route creek on to a 4wd track. 7 people made it to the top.Nice weather.
Up and coming trips
21st April Herbert Forest Open Day Planning well underway.Advertising is happening and jobs assigned.Hoping for good weather.
Snowy Gorge Hut Cross the Ahuriri river and on to hut.If the river is high an alternate tramp to Top Timaru hut could be on.
Staircase Ridge A good workout in the Waianankarua area.
Our guest speaker was Nick Shearer who talked about his trip to Italy and other countries with his wife and their friend.In August 2023 they headed to the Dolomites and Nick and his friend climbed the Via Ferrata(Iron Way) This is in the Northern Dolomites and in the mountains are ladders,cables,and even tunnels that were used during the war to help Italians evade the Austrians.The Dolomites are limestone with lots of verticle cliffs and being clipped on to the iron structures makes it possible to scale these.The three of them also did a trek starting from Cortina near the Austrian border.The accomodation was excellent and there were chair lifts up thousands of feet .
Nick and his wife also visited Ireland and climbed Crough Patrick the highest peak. They also spent time in Wales ,France,Slovenia and England.Nick had some lovely photos with amazing views. Their 2mth trip sounded great catching up with friends and lots of new experiences.
Meeting closed at 8.40pm followed by a cup of tea.
