On the 2-3rd April i'm leading a trip up to Tongariro National Park to link up all the major summits in a weekend. I'l figure out logistics before we go but basically, somehow, we'l aim to get up all 3 active volcanoes: Ruapehu, Ngarahoe and Tongariro,in that order, traveling in as direct a route as possible (this means no tracks until the base of Tongariro, so ~80% of the walking). In the words of Jukka: Gut.

We'l leave Hunter Carpark at 5.00pm so be there a little earlier and be back sunday night, however, there's the chance of benightment on sunday or sidetracking due to tired drivers on sunday night so there's a small chance of losing some of your monday aswell.

Bring your own food, it will need to be non cookable as we are leaving cookers to save weight. Sandwiches work well for main meals, whatever you bring should beable to be eaten on the move (prepacked).

Cost will be $40 to cover the gas to get up there.

The trip will be in the 'spirit' of alpinism and is a good warm up for the coming winter (and a 24hr ski 3 summits!), we'l pack as light as is safe and only take minimal cooking gear for the single night out in light tents/ bivvy bags. I'l let you know about packing light before we go. We'l probably have to carry all our water as its a bit dodgy between the volcanic contamination and tourist *** in the streams, which is a drag... but we'l manage. Edit: Tama Lakes might be good to drink out of, which would save us half the water!

There will be long sections in the permanent ice and snow up there on Ruapehu so some prev. experience using an axe and crampons would be helpful, let me know if you can't self arrest! Im sure you will still manage, although it could mean sitting out on the steeper Ruapehu Summit.

Also essential are basic navigation skills and a cool head if the weather turns poos (this happens frequently in the mountains)

Check topomaps.co.nz for an idea of whats in store, it goes something like this: 1100m climb and 1700m descent first day (big day) and then 1000m climb, 600m descent, 300m ascent, 800m descent to carpark. And about 30km horizontal distance. (ive pulled these figures out of my head but they are good to within a few 100m) In short, this is a fit trip, with possibly 12hr+ days, heaps of vertical and rough volcanic ground. This ain't exactly the Tngariro xing but its something like it twice, off track, with a bit more vertical. 

In saying that... im not that fit at the moment, and we'l take it easy and change plans if we realise things won't work out, and anyone always has the option to bail without needing a reason when we go above the snowline :)

An alternative route is to camp somewhere on the northern slopes of Ruapehu if we can't get to Tama Lakes and then just do Ngarahoe the next day. Which would still be a sick trip. 

The club will provide cookers, tents, axes and crampons, you will need sturdy tramping boots, a >30l pack, suncream, lots of water bottles (6-9l) and the usual gear outlined on the website.

If the weather is bad we will all go tubing or maybe climbing at Mangaokewa! 

http://www.geokem.com/images/pix/tongarir.jpg

email me at tombelgrano@gmail.com or see me at next weeks meeting to sign up or if you would like to have a chat about whether this trip is for you based on prev. experience.

 Much love from your friendly President

Tom  

 P.S Some kind of burger is required for every summit! i will take deluxe cheeseburgers (they don't rot or freeze and are delicious and full of energy!) Eating these will be fun.

Sign me up! I am soooo in!!!! :)

I will bring my bivy bag and light cooker etc.

hahah my coast to coast training might actually come in usefull ie I'm pretty fit :)

 And Tom - congrats on being president - I didn't even know!!! you get a big swuggle for that!!!

Terra :)

Count me in too! I'm keen for a mission : ).

Be cool to see you again Terra.... or at least the back of you as you disappear into the distance (I won't be as fit as you) : ).

Gina

I have been doing some weight minimization schemeing and here are some of my ideas:

 * Don't plan on cooking anything for dinner or breakfast. This means no pots, cookers, fuel and saves water (cooking = evaporation). Eating sandwiches for dinner and cold cereal for breakfast wont kill anyone. (Also no one will want to eat with me as I am gluten, lactose, egg and tomatoe intolerant)

* Is there any shelters we can aim for to spend the night in? This would be no bivvy bags or tents. And if for some reason we are stuck out we can just sleep in pack liners. They are fine for one night. If there won't be any shelters near where we will be spending the night we could all just take a harden-the-f*ck-up pill and plan on sleeping in pack liners. If these pills are not readily available, I recoment fly's. So much lighter than tents or everyone bringing their own bivy bags.

Anyway, thats all I can think of for the moment.

wuggles,

Terra :)

Provided you have the wx for it then its quite feasible to not plan to sleep much at all - you aim to do it non-stop and just curl up for a kip if people are getting weary.  You do need a set of dry clothes for this, as lying out in the sweaty clothes won't do you much good. 

You also need to be comfortable at moving off track in the dark which requires  a bit of experience - and there are some places in TNP where I wouldn't keep moving once night falls due to bluffage etc, so you need a bit of judgment.

Terra is dead right, that sammies is the way forward.  For my 24hr - 27hr missions I aim to have 1 food item per hour.  Mainly muesli bars and choccy bars and lollies with a few gloop products thrown in.  I also aim to take sandwiches for the 'big meals'.  Its great to stop at about 6-8pm for a sammie and then have another sammie or 2 for breakfast between 6 and 7.  Lately I have used a plastic container of cooked, cold pasta instead of sammies.  This has been the schizz.  You do need that 1 food item per hour and more if it is cold.  The only way your body can produce energy is by eating, and when you are travelling light it is critical that you don't get cold, as its freakin hard tio warm up again.  Regular snacking is the way to stave off the cold.  We do it via the beep on the watch, every hour when it beeps we chug another bite of food. 

 One of the things on these sorts of missions is that you age backwards.  You start as a functioning 20-something* year old with adult tastes, then slowly deteriorate to child-hood where all you want to eat is lollies and chocolate, then you get down to infant level when you are off the solids.  I find at about 22hr+ I will just be on sugary gloops, which I mostly throw up down my top and then spend a few hours crying for mummy.

*some of us are quite advanced 20-somethings, like 20+12

Good advice Richie!! :)

I never thought of it before as backwards ageing - but that is such a fantastic analogy! I just looked at it as my body becoming too tiered to digest complex carbs, and then too tired for fat and thus ending up only able to absorb sugars...

Sadly I am going to have to pike on this mission as my research direction has changed meaning I am going to be on Maud Island longer and wont make it to Wellywood untill the 3rd or 4th. To make up for my abscence on this trip I will be in town untill around April 25th or so (give or take a week!) to study the brown skinks at Makara :)

 So I look forward to seeing you all!!!

 Huggles,

Terra :)