Paparoa ranges
"The South island Alpine layer"
Tutor: Rebecca Dryland
Group: 7 Taipoutini Polytechnic Students
Date: The 16th of February to the 18th of February, 2015.
Weather Conditions: Sunny on the first day with clouds at alpine level. Second day cloud clearing holding sunny weather to the end of the trip.
Location:
From Barry town to Macaroni hill (day 1)
From Macaroni hill to Croesus hut (day 2)
From Croesus hut to Black ball creek (day 3)
Learning:Basic navigation, awareness in bush, plant identification and hiking prep, equipment and group management.
Personal experience:
It was good to get out of the poly tech and into our first real mission. It was great experience to carry all the gear and its weight up the first and largest incline of the trip, Mt Ryall. The view from there was amazing and well worth the climb. That night cloud layered over the mountain top and we spent a few hours the next morning trying to navigate to our next spot height Macaroni hill, we practiced fire lighting skills and some basic bush craft.
The next day was about making distance. We left the Macaroni hills and headed for our next camping site. After another long day we finally found ourselves camping at mossy flat spot just above Croesus hut. The morning we spent looking over the Grey river from the hut and watching the winds funnel down the mountains.
The next day everyone was grumpy and tired. We had a lot of distance to cover but that didn't stop us going for an hour bush bash down a spur. We all rejoiced when we finally got to the ending. Realizing just how difficult off track navigation and alround general moving can be. The tramp was hard but well worth it. A few days recovery some more training and I can't wait for the next up and coming four day hike.
Oxford Forest
"Over the range to the East side"
Tutor: Zac Shaw"Over the range to the East side"
Group: 7 Taipoutini Polytechnic students
Weather Conditions: Sunny on the start of the first day with light showers settling in later. High winds consistent through out the first night. The second day was a calm morning with sun turning to heavy rainfall over night. The third day was light showers cold southerly's and a stable night time condition. Fourth day was overcast with on and off showers.
Location:
From Birch hill lodge to spot height on Blow hard ridge (day 1)
From Blow hard ridge to Wharfedale hut (day 2)
From Wharfedale hut to Paytons lodge scout camp (day 3)
From Paytons lodge scout camp to Wharfedale tracks origin (day 4)
Learning:
Experience:
Day one: The hike offered many challenging moments. The first day was a simple push up the track to get to our agreed upon first camping site.
Day two: The next day though had a serious decline. We made multiple river crossings and had to double back on several occasions. After we had made it across the river and where we intended to go the night set in. We trucked along for another two hours before we had dinner. We still had a lot more distance to cover so we kept journeying into the night following a marked track. We finally ended up in a hut after a 14 hour day. We noted a school group camped out by the river back. We went to sleep in the hut with the soothing words of, "what do you think the chances are where gonna spend the night in the hut, with a group of high schoolers outside and a severe rain event scheduled for tonight. Sure enough three in the morning the rain comes plummeting down. We wake to a frenzy of Soaked school girls. We had no choice but to give up and warm beds and make for the rain. Luckily we noted that under the hut was an excellent dry area in which we threw down a tarp and escaped the rain for the night.
Day three: After the nights ordeal we still had a mammoth day ahead of ourselves. A giant slog up mount Oxford. We were all wrecked from the night before and the winds were savagely cold and strong. We finally made it to the top only to be battered by the wind. On a lower peak down there was a beautiful tarn. I convinced Zac that I needed to fill my drink bottle and headed down. When down there I realized that I was in a natural wind break. The tarn looked pristine and completely untouched. I couldn't help but lay down and look upon all the beautiful snow capped mountains. It wasn't a minute or two later I heard Zac whistle to come. Arriving back to my angry shivering group. Sometimes even amidst the misery it's important to smell the roses. After the Oxford summit we headed down with an intended 2 km bush bash to make our next camp site. We had one of those conversations that travelled round and round in circles trying to decide if it was to late in the day to enter in the unbeaten track. Zac stepped in and made a group decision identifying that no one really wants to go bush with low energy and dark less than an hour away. It was the first time that I've really seen how a group can all think one thing but feel obligated to defend the counter argument they don't believe. It takes a strng and confident voice in these oments to make certain the right call is made.
Day four: The night before we made it to an old facility that seemed to be used as a camp site. There was a fire pit off cuts of timber and better yet a working toilet. We all chatted late into the night around a warm fire pit. So the last day started with the group feeling tired but ready to go. We were 2 km's away from the finish line when disaster struck. Katrina Nelson a fellow team member sprained her ankle jumping over a path blocking log. It was the worst of luck. We strapped her ankle though and found sticks as walking poles. It was a slow finish and a welcomed one.
This tramp truly was an amazing experience with Taipoutini Polytechnic. Mount Oxford is a beautiful place and one I hope to come back to.
Ella Range
"The final Tramp"
Tutor: Roo Riley
Date: The 16th of June to the 19th of June, 2015
Date: The 16th of June to the 19th of June, 2015
Group: 9 Taipoutini Polytechnic students
Weather conditions: Snow at 900 to 1000 meters. Sunny weather throughout the tramp.
Locations:
From Mataki lodge to Mole saddle (day 1)
From Mataki lodge to Mole saddle (day 1)
From Mole saddle to Tiraumea track (100 meters east of Tiraumea hut, day 2)
From Tiraumea track to Jameson ridge track (spot height 1149, day 3)
From Tiraumea track to Jameson ridge track (spot height 1149, day 3)
Learning: Through this hike I learnt leadership skills. Identifying moments where the group is looking for a leader to step up or someone to make the decision that everyone is thinking. My navigation improved especially when it came to looking at the map and micro navigating with the features I saw. I learned how walking ten meter changes the landscape to the point of being lost, to being certain of where you are.
Experience: Tramping in snow was suck a new experience. Growing up in the central north island my experience with snow was pretty limited. So four days walking, sleeping and navigating in it was truly a surreal experience.On day one we camped next to a frozen lake which we smashed open to get cooking water for the night. It was tough sleeping on the slow and I was thankful for my thermorest. It was amazing to see how you could sleep directly on top of snow and with the right gear still have a pretty decent nights sleep.
The next day was a bush bash down a couple of spurs to the vally floor. The off track terain was really nice and open and we made great time. We ended up sleeping in a shadowed vally which was maybe even colder than the mountain tops.
The Third day we made great time and were back at start point right on time. This tramp felt the easiest. I truly believe it was due to some smart decisions and the right attitude. Though we didn't have long days, we still covered a lot of distances making the most of every moment to capitalize on time.
This was one of the best hikes I've been on my preparation with gear and snacks and the systems I had in place made my experience far better. I applied a lot of past learnings and had a very successful hike because of it.
Time spent in the Bush
Mount Alexandra
Experience
This was probably was one of the most beautiful and diverse tracks I have ventured up. I set out on this with my brother we left mid day and went full paced. The start of the hike is a classic west coast track following along a river which is a tributary to lake Brunner. The next leg starts when you get to a hut just below alpine level. Then you're in for a serious increase in gradient. Pushing up a step spur with multiple amazing view points. Each looking down into the vally and to the last view point you were just on. It was here me and Kevin had our first lunch spot. A much needed lunch break as the difficulty was increasing and I was stuffed. We got as far as the top of the ridge leading up to Mount Alexandra. It was a spectacular view into the surrounding mountain ranges swallowed in a cloudy inversion layer. The ridge was scattered with giant rocky bollards as seen in the photo above. We spent sometime up here knowing we were much past our turn around time but no willing to leave this amazing place.
The climb down wasn't much faster than the decent up avoiding step faces and tripping on alpine shrubbery. Eventually we made it to the river in the fading dark. We new we still had a few serious river crossings to make. We up'd the anti and hurried to make the crossings in what ever light we had left. To be fair we just made the most significant crossing in near pitch black. we were able to but a meter in front of ourselves. Finally the darkness devoured us. The last half hour was spent searching for markers with LCD screen of a very cheap cell phone.
Learnings: Always bring a head torch even on day hikes. You never know when the views and will to keep on going may just keep you up a mountain longer than you expect.
Coal Creek Falls
T h e W a i t a h a
The Waitaha was a special trip during out Certificate in the outdoors. The Waitaha is an amazing river system which catchments lay deep in the southern alps sourcing from Ivory lake. The upper section of the Waitaha is km's of serious grade 5 before it drops into the gorge which we hiked too. This gorge is Morgan's gorge. Offering some of the most challenging white water in all of New Zealand. It has been paddled by only a few legendary white water kayakers.
The Paparoa's
Uber Tramp
The climb down wasn't much faster than the decent up avoiding step faces and tripping on alpine shrubbery. Eventually we made it to the river in the fading dark. We new we still had a few serious river crossings to make. We up'd the anti and hurried to make the crossings in what ever light we had left. To be fair we just made the most significant crossing in near pitch black. we were able to but a meter in front of ourselves. Finally the darkness devoured us. The last half hour was spent searching for markers with LCD screen of a very cheap cell phone.
Learnings: Always bring a head torch even on day hikes. You never know when the views and will to keep on going may just keep you up a mountain longer than you expect.
Woods Creek Hokitika George Coal Creek Falls
Coal Creek Falls
T h e W a i t a h a
The Waitaha was a special trip during out Certificate in the outdoors. The Waitaha is an amazing river system which catchments lay deep in the southern alps sourcing from Ivory lake. The upper section of the Waitaha is km's of serious grade 5 before it drops into the gorge which we hiked too. This gorge is Morgan's gorge. Offering some of the most challenging white water in all of New Zealand. It has been paddled by only a few legendary white water kayakers.
Sadly the Waitaha is danger. There is currently a damming project drawn up for the Waitaha. New Zealand law doesn't do much to protect our water ways. Coming to the Waitaha was more about understanding what amazing water ways there are in our country and that we are losing them. It's sad to know how many rivers we have already given up and how many more we will lose.
The Waitaha trip was a special one. Just the entry to the gorge alone is amazing and I can see what draws the white water kayakers too this venue
The Paparoa's
Tutor: Zac Shaw
Date:
Date:
Group: 8 Taipoutini Polytechnic students
Uber Tramp
Tutor: Asha
Date: The 18th to the 22nd of July 2016
Date: The 18th to the 22nd of July 2016
Group: 6 Taipoutini Polytechnic students
Weather conditions: Winter conditions with snow at 900 to meters. Sunny weather on the first day with thick waist high snow on the first day. The second day was high winds and severe rain throughout the whole day. Third day was over cast weather with light winds, soft rain layer on snow easy travel through alpine. Day four was clear skies with sunny weather difficult alpine travel with thick rain crust that wouldn't support body weight. Day five sunny conditions warm winds.
Locations:
From Spear grass flats to Spot alpine on the Mt Hatless range (day 1)
From Spear grass flats to Spot alpine on the Mt Hatless range (day 1)
From The Nina river track to the to Nina hut (day 2)
From Nina hut to Lake man bivouac (day 3)
From Lake man bivouac to Hope half way hut (day 4)
From Hope half way hut to windy point (day 5)
Day 1
Learning: On day one I learn't about how one member of the group can effect the speed of travel for everyone. When one person is identified as struggling these management techniques need to be in place. 1. Keep them close to the front as the decision the front man of the group and the choices which he make on what branch to grab or what tree needs to be walked around needs to be copied but the slower member of the group. 2. don't feel shy in asking to see what the slower member of the group has packed. Dropping weight from their pack can have a huge influence. 3. don't identify the slowest person as a weakness, when talking about the speed of the individual always mention it in a group setting. Such as the group is moving slow I think we need to do something around how we are spreading the weight. Before we left for the trip we went over a good refresher of alpine knowledge and weather forecast work that needs to be done before heading into the hills.
Experience: Day one was a hard day. Fresh packs fully loaded and four hundred meters of steep incline lay before us. It wasn't long before we were bluffed out retracing our steps and moving very slow. I hadn't been on a real off track tramp for at least half a year and my micro navigation was rusty. Eventually we sidled two hundred meters across and easier assent up more defined aspect of the incline. Soon though we were struggling with the groups pace and making extremely slow travel. We rested up opened packs and gear was redivided. Travel was still slow but we were making progress. It was late that night when we finally hit alpine. The moon was full and snow thick, the view. Priceless. We trudged away through the snow to the top of a ridge and set up camp for the night Weather was due in the morning and our intended route has some difficult mountain travel with no light, not good enough gear and bad weather on the way. As a team we made the hard choice to call it there for a night and decided on the return trip down the spur back to the vans for a different attempt at the mountains tomorrow.
Day 2
Learning: Day two we spent some time on identifying features and working out where we were on the map by timings. We also spent time lighting fires and learning all about flaura and fauna. We learn't where to find good fire lighting materials and what was natural flammable.
Experience: Day two was a tough decline we new the bush but the rain started and it did not stop. Cold southerly winds attacked us and as a team we weren't fully on form. We stopped and had lunch at the vans listening to range against the machine. It was awesome and the moral booster we needed. Soon after we drove to the Nina river track and started our second day. We walked and practiced micro navigation and identifying features. The day was a long walk but eventually soaked and cold we arrived at the hut. Before entering we practiced lighting fire in the rain. It was cold freezing but we all worked hard and learned some great foraging skills. The hut had a small family in there and had the fire blazing. We were all thankful to be out of the rain and wind. We dried our clothes as best we could and settled in for the night.
Day 3
Learning: Day three was awesome to remind myself what it is like to be up in the alpine. We talked about snow pact and when and where you need to check the pack. We mentioned layers in side the snow and good tips on how to walk on the snow. The rest of the day we practiced such skills as shooting the slope, triangulation and more timings. We got a good feel of what was achievable in a day and how much you can push yourself.
Experience: Day three was our chance to return to alpine. The team was in the swing of things and we were moving at a faster pace. We pushed up to saddle and the terrain was awesome. Getting to the snow was a highlight. In the crossing was a bivouac and we stopped and had lunch in there. The second leg of the day was a tough walk down a long valley into the next catchment. We walked this track for hours and practiced navigation along the whole way. Eventually we made it out to an old broken down hut called the Hopeless hut. The name was fitting. We talked as a group and made the big decision to choose the longer route with another saddle crossing, which meant back up to alpine a lot more tramping to be done today and a longer walk out. The rational was, this is uber tramp. We had dinner at the hopeless hut then pushed along the track to the spur that would take us to our next saddle. It was 12.50 am when our boots finally crunched the snow at the base of our two man bivouac. It was a huge day and we intended on having a just as big one the next. Most of us crammed into the bivouac and grabbed what sleep we could.
Day 4
Learning: Day four we again had more time in the alpine. We built upon and more in depth knowledge of the snow how to move around on it and what is and isn't safe. Day four was largely about using the accumulated skills of the trip and finding specific areas on the map that were set out for us. We worked on navigation at night using bearings, boxing techniques and ways to stay on a bearing without drifting left or right.
Experience: Day four, here we go. Pushing to the snow was our mornings objective. The sun was yet to rise but the dawn was still and calm. Through the trees early seven in the morning we pushed and were standing on some of the most beautiful alpine scenery New Zealand has to offer. With the moon setting in the distance and the sun rising and shining its rays upon the mountains surrounding us. It was beautiful. We spent a long time up here sliding in the snow taking in the views. Soon we back in the bush though for the steepest section of decent our trip would have to offer. We were nervous as the track had been taken off the topo map and crossed out from the hut book. Dropping into the decent though was more than we bargained for. The track was amazing darting its was through the trees with good root holds and trees to manage your self down. The ground was firm and our pace quick. It wasn't long before we were at the bottom of what we feared to be our hardest leg. I ran an awesome off track navigational leadership role as we descended the final legs of the spur to flat grounds. The animal signs in the woods were everywhere, roaring sites, broken trees, eaten fauna and foot prints everywhere. As we walked out we even spotted a hunter eyeing up some pigs in the river line. The valley flour was awesome. The land flattened out and all that was to be seen was snow capped mountains in the distance. We made such good time that day that we spent the rest of the leg to the next hut finding features and working on micro off track navigation. We did this right until night fall beating our way through swamps and finding detailed points off our topo maps. It wasn't until late into the night we reached our hut for the night. I stayed in a tent with Ryan for the night. Not before having some hot dinner and lighting a fire. We soaked up every moment of that night knowing that day five and the end of our tramp was on its way.
Day 5
Learning: Day five's learning was a lot about how the reward is worth the effort. It concluded what is manageable for a trip and how you can preform nearly the best on the last day of the trip.
Experience: The last day, the last push, homeward bound. We couldn't believe our luck. Friday had the forecast for the next big storm to hit but we woke up to clear skies. The teams moral was perfect. t didn't matter how tired we were what we had achieved was amazing and we were all pumped. The track was in perfect condition and made good time. The views along the way were stunning but the conversations were nearly better. The last hundred meters had a fun swing bridge over a pretty section of water. We wrapped up with a debrief on all that we went through. Me and Ryan summarized our trip up with an in prob poem. It was a truly great experience and my love of the bush was once again reinforced by the power and size of the humbling outdoors.
From Nina hut to Lake man bivouac (day 3)
From Lake man bivouac to Hope half way hut (day 4)
From Hope half way hut to windy point (day 5)
Day 1
Learning: On day one I learn't about how one member of the group can effect the speed of travel for everyone. When one person is identified as struggling these management techniques need to be in place. 1. Keep them close to the front as the decision the front man of the group and the choices which he make on what branch to grab or what tree needs to be walked around needs to be copied but the slower member of the group. 2. don't feel shy in asking to see what the slower member of the group has packed. Dropping weight from their pack can have a huge influence. 3. don't identify the slowest person as a weakness, when talking about the speed of the individual always mention it in a group setting. Such as the group is moving slow I think we need to do something around how we are spreading the weight. Before we left for the trip we went over a good refresher of alpine knowledge and weather forecast work that needs to be done before heading into the hills.
Experience: Day one was a hard day. Fresh packs fully loaded and four hundred meters of steep incline lay before us. It wasn't long before we were bluffed out retracing our steps and moving very slow. I hadn't been on a real off track tramp for at least half a year and my micro navigation was rusty. Eventually we sidled two hundred meters across and easier assent up more defined aspect of the incline. Soon though we were struggling with the groups pace and making extremely slow travel. We rested up opened packs and gear was redivided. Travel was still slow but we were making progress. It was late that night when we finally hit alpine. The moon was full and snow thick, the view. Priceless. We trudged away through the snow to the top of a ridge and set up camp for the night Weather was due in the morning and our intended route has some difficult mountain travel with no light, not good enough gear and bad weather on the way. As a team we made the hard choice to call it there for a night and decided on the return trip down the spur back to the vans for a different attempt at the mountains tomorrow.
Day 2
Learning: Day two we spent some time on identifying features and working out where we were on the map by timings. We also spent time lighting fires and learning all about flaura and fauna. We learn't where to find good fire lighting materials and what was natural flammable.
Experience: Day two was a tough decline we new the bush but the rain started and it did not stop. Cold southerly winds attacked us and as a team we weren't fully on form. We stopped and had lunch at the vans listening to range against the machine. It was awesome and the moral booster we needed. Soon after we drove to the Nina river track and started our second day. We walked and practiced micro navigation and identifying features. The day was a long walk but eventually soaked and cold we arrived at the hut. Before entering we practiced lighting fire in the rain. It was cold freezing but we all worked hard and learned some great foraging skills. The hut had a small family in there and had the fire blazing. We were all thankful to be out of the rain and wind. We dried our clothes as best we could and settled in for the night.
Day 3
Learning: Day three was awesome to remind myself what it is like to be up in the alpine. We talked about snow pact and when and where you need to check the pack. We mentioned layers in side the snow and good tips on how to walk on the snow. The rest of the day we practiced such skills as shooting the slope, triangulation and more timings. We got a good feel of what was achievable in a day and how much you can push yourself.
Experience: Day three was our chance to return to alpine. The team was in the swing of things and we were moving at a faster pace. We pushed up to saddle and the terrain was awesome. Getting to the snow was a highlight. In the crossing was a bivouac and we stopped and had lunch in there. The second leg of the day was a tough walk down a long valley into the next catchment. We walked this track for hours and practiced navigation along the whole way. Eventually we made it out to an old broken down hut called the Hopeless hut. The name was fitting. We talked as a group and made the big decision to choose the longer route with another saddle crossing, which meant back up to alpine a lot more tramping to be done today and a longer walk out. The rational was, this is uber tramp. We had dinner at the hopeless hut then pushed along the track to the spur that would take us to our next saddle. It was 12.50 am when our boots finally crunched the snow at the base of our two man bivouac. It was a huge day and we intended on having a just as big one the next. Most of us crammed into the bivouac and grabbed what sleep we could.
Day 4
Learning: Day four we again had more time in the alpine. We built upon and more in depth knowledge of the snow how to move around on it and what is and isn't safe. Day four was largely about using the accumulated skills of the trip and finding specific areas on the map that were set out for us. We worked on navigation at night using bearings, boxing techniques and ways to stay on a bearing without drifting left or right.
Experience: Day four, here we go. Pushing to the snow was our mornings objective. The sun was yet to rise but the dawn was still and calm. Through the trees early seven in the morning we pushed and were standing on some of the most beautiful alpine scenery New Zealand has to offer. With the moon setting in the distance and the sun rising and shining its rays upon the mountains surrounding us. It was beautiful. We spent a long time up here sliding in the snow taking in the views. Soon we back in the bush though for the steepest section of decent our trip would have to offer. We were nervous as the track had been taken off the topo map and crossed out from the hut book. Dropping into the decent though was more than we bargained for. The track was amazing darting its was through the trees with good root holds and trees to manage your self down. The ground was firm and our pace quick. It wasn't long before we were at the bottom of what we feared to be our hardest leg. I ran an awesome off track navigational leadership role as we descended the final legs of the spur to flat grounds. The animal signs in the woods were everywhere, roaring sites, broken trees, eaten fauna and foot prints everywhere. As we walked out we even spotted a hunter eyeing up some pigs in the river line. The valley flour was awesome. The land flattened out and all that was to be seen was snow capped mountains in the distance. We made such good time that day that we spent the rest of the leg to the next hut finding features and working on micro off track navigation. We did this right until night fall beating our way through swamps and finding detailed points off our topo maps. It wasn't until late into the night we reached our hut for the night. I stayed in a tent with Ryan for the night. Not before having some hot dinner and lighting a fire. We soaked up every moment of that night knowing that day five and the end of our tramp was on its way.
Day 5
Learning: Day five's learning was a lot about how the reward is worth the effort. It concluded what is manageable for a trip and how you can preform nearly the best on the last day of the trip.
Experience: The last day, the last push, homeward bound. We couldn't believe our luck. Friday had the forecast for the next big storm to hit but we woke up to clear skies. The teams moral was perfect. t didn't matter how tired we were what we had achieved was amazing and we were all pumped. The track was in perfect condition and made good time. The views along the way were stunning but the conversations were nearly better. The last hundred meters had a fun swing bridge over a pretty section of water. We wrapped up with a debrief on all that we went through. Me and Ryan summarized our trip up with an in prob poem. It was a truly great experience and my love of the bush was once again reinforced by the power and size of the humbling outdoors.
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