BAAA - Newletter of the Victoria University
of Wellington Tramping Club
Volume 18, Issue 1, May 1999
Trip Reports
Freshers '99
By David Heatley
| After signing up for the Freshers tramp I got a call from
Anke who had been assigned my group leader. We quickly established
that I was an experienced tramper and moved onto the what do you look like
so we could find each other at the car park. Anke went first,
“I’m short and dark”. I responded, “I’m tall, slim and dark”. Anke in her
excitable fashion splurted out “well that could be anyone there”.
I added quickly, that I also would look around ten years older than everyone
else. Last thing she mentioned was something about bringing a play
toy - I really wasn’t too sure what she meant by this.
I arrived at the car park, 5:30 Friday ready with my Torre and Everest
pit, expecting to be rushed off to the Tararuas with a bunch of keen fit
people (my past experience of the club was much like that). I was
pleasantly surprised to be confronted with a relaxed and happy bunch of
people that were getting to know each other and sharing out club gear in
a rather organised fashion. The bus came a little later and we travelled
out to the Hutt with the rain getting steadily worse as we travelled north.
I was a little taken back by this as the day had been so sunny (I had been
sweating in my white business shirt all day) - but then this was Freshers
and we were going into the Tararuas after all. |
 |
New Years outside Kime Hut
|
A phone call from the bus warned the local fish ‘n chip shop that we
were passing through, and after stopping for dinner the bus dropped us
off at the Waiohine Gorge road-end without too much drama. After
a short walk in the light drizzle along the road to the camping ground,
tent flys were quickly erected, and the camp was settled. Some time
was spent playing rather intellectual games involving people’s names and
taking various things on trips to Mars.
Morning was spent having breakfast and catching up on some Frisbee practice
(I hadn’t spun one of them for a while), and I finally worked out what
Anke meant by “bring a play toy”. Our group was last to leave, starting
along the track, our destination Totara Flats. |
| Anke was very excited about going across the swing bridge
- I must admit that it was very impressive (the swing bridge that is).
We had to wait a while to cross, with the “ one person at a time” limit,
causing about an hour’s delay. This was a good chance to catch up
with the people from my group, and the other groups around us. Once
crossed we went for a quick look for another swing bridge - Anke’s idea
– and ended up down at the river. Nice view, but no swing bridge.
Then came a rather leisurely and scenic walk up the valley, in the light
rain.
A little sideling, making travel a little interesting but otherwise very
nice. After several breaks and a few hours tramping we came up to
the start of Totara Flats. I’d never been there before but it’s a rather
nice part of the Tararua’s. After tramping along in the bush you
drop down and break out into a gentle rolling flat valley, with long grass
and a nice hut about halfway up, all shouldered with a river to the right.
All very nice! As you enter the valley you can see the hut at the
end of it. There’s nothing worse than tramping through dense bush
waiting for that elusive hut to appear. I always get a good feeling
when I can see the hut that I’m travelling to in the distance - something
to aim for. As I was walking through this valley I got this real
sense of calmness with a touch of fresh aliveness. The rain had stopped
and we were strung out across the valley creating a moving line of contrasting
colour, which spanned the valley against the bright green and yellow grass.
We arrived at the hut not too much later and had a chance for a big
break being almost at the end of walking for the first day. A group
of us went to visit Sayers Hut another hut across the river about ten minutes
away. A rather rundown, small but tidy hut nestled just in from the
river. The frisbee was soon to appear and was thrown around till
it started raining again.
After a quick walk a little further up the river to the camp we quickly
erected tent flys, creating a nice temporary community for the night.
Several flys were linked together, creating an undercover tunnel that spanned
several groups. Other tent flys were positioned on semi flat ground around
the camping area close by. Some people went swimming in the river
and later a fire was lit with people migrating to it as they finished their
dinner. Jokes and alcohol were the main entertainment till a smart
person suggested we move places. Moving places led to conversation
breaking out for the first time that night.
The morning greeted us with more rain. Camp was soon dismantled and
we were on our way out travelling north still. Again a swing bridge
confronted us only minutes into the days tramp and slowly one by one we
crossed. The walking was gentle from then on with a little sideling
and a steep climb up the spur - connecting us to the main Holdsworth track.
Once up the spur we travelled down the highway that is the Holdsworth track
and out to the Holdsworth road-end. The rain fell heavily at times
to ensure that we all got well soaked. One of the highlights of the
walk down for me was seeing a Tui close up on the side of the track. |
| People drifted into the road-end as the afternoon progressed and as
they arrived they were presented with a hot barbecue. People talked,
the Frisbee was spun and the bus arrived again on time. We travelled
back in the rain and arrived back in Wellington to more rain (what a surprise).
Highlights for me were hanging out with a great bunch of warm, welcoming
people, meeting new friends and seeing the Tui. I think that everyone
enjoyed themselves, from the beginners right through to the experienced
tramper. A good introduction to the people of the ’99 VUWTC, and
the Tararua’s. All in all a good, social and memorable tramp with
some great people tramping through some great country. |
 |
Early morning at Jumbo enroute to
Tarn Ridge
|
Bushcraft 101 - an introduction to saving your
butt in the NZ bush
By Matt Ravlich
‘Hi Chris what time do you want too leave for bushcraft’ I asked Chris
on Friday night, ‘well Matt I was thinking 6:30am’. There was a brief
silence as I picked myself up off the floor and replied in my best manly
voice ‘sounds good’ (translated as ‘Chris you bastard, somewhere, somehow
I’ll get you back’). After some hasty negotiation Chris agreed to
pick me up from home at the stupidly early time of 6:30 am.
We arrived at the road end without incident and walked (translated as
quickly ran) in with Julian who had come up for a day trip. When
we arrived at the camp site everyone was still in bed, and most were pleasantly
asleep. I gave Chris my ‘why the hell did you make me get up so early
when I didn’t have to’ look and went about the task of waking everyone
up as rudely as possible. After people had dragged themselves out
of pit and had their breakfast we were ready to begin instructing.
I searched and searched and searched for a deep and rapid enough section
of the river too give a decent lesson on river crossing (translated as
went to the same place as last year). I walked with the first group
up to the river crossing site and started instructing (step one in successful
instruction, find out who in the group has the most chocolate). This
continued with all the groups until I had finished instruction for the
day.
The night was spent around anything but an enviro-fire (term coined
by ‘do as I say and not as I do’ Nils Elgar when teaching people fire lighting,).
I heard reports that the ozone hole had doubled in size during that night
and that world temperatures climbed two degrees. There was the usual
entertainment of ‘who is chatting to who’, and of course, my favourite
‘if you can’t have good gossip then make it up’.
I was a little sleepy the next morning and when asked if I wanted to
go with the others on some god-forsaken trip up to the Waiotauru Forks
I happily declined, reminding them that I was only staying to make sure
that nothing was stolen from our campsite. When they returned we
packed up and left for Wellington and a well deserved sleep for me.
Rock Climbing Blurb
By Dave Hodson
The first official club climbing trip went to Baring Head for a day of
fun on rocks and sand. Lots of people, both old hands and new faces,
doing lots of climbing. The walk out to the rock managed to confuse
a few people but no one drowned or got lost - we think. Everyone
had a quick guided tour - then some were treated to an enthusiastic display
of how spotting works (take it how you want...). Climbing, including
an enthusiastic display of no fear from Cielle, varying levels of commitment
from others and very open behaviour from Wellington climbing's very own
sex god. Some people left early, some left late, some got sunburnt
and some had to get rides with random people to get home. All up
it seemed a good day (I enjoyed it, the head rocks!) and the decision not
to bother taking ropes and all the associated bullshit appeared to pay
off. The party afterwards appeared interesting, although I didn't
see much of it - even from my lofty viewing station - before heading to
the cemetery with a few others for an intended spot of bouldering.
Lots of private trips have been running all over the place. The
Head, Titahi Bay (mainly Dave Morgan), Froggat, Wharepapa, Mangatepopo
and Whanganui Bay have all been enjoyed by those lucky and committed enough
to organise getting away. Heaps of good routes have been done in
all sorts of style - dogging well and truly exists, but so does the onsight
bug.
Unfortunately interest in the Advanced Rockcraft course, initially high,
waned as the day approached and weather forecasts were broadcast.
In the end every pupil bailed so some of the instructors decided to maybe
go climbing anyway - who knows ? We probably won't be organising
another "official" instruction course this year. There are a couple
of climbing trips coming up in the calendar, if you want to come talk to
Derek or I. As they are not instruction courses per se, you might
have to know a little bit to come along - but we should be able to arrange
something. If you are interested, there may also be a bouldering
party with cap-cakes for all at Baring head coming up - dates, time and
details still to be confirmed but should be debauched.
Rec. Centre
People are climbing there every day and most of the routes have been
remarked, about 130 graded climbs. Some of Derek's old hard routes
are finally starting to get some attention from other climbers, and one
or two have even seen second ascents. Thursday nights the long room
is booked for climbers and it's almost becoming a part of the Wellington
scene - come along as it's probably the best way to improve quickly.
For those who feel pretty good already, come and get on the newest project
(27/8+) - white sticker with a P and no real holds - the furthest anyone
has got so far is two moves (the easier ones) into it.
Yeah. If you want to go climbing, then go climbing!! If you don't
- well it takes all sorts. If you are one of the former I'll see
you at the wall, on the rock and around - if you are one of the latter
maybe at a meeting or even tramping (the picnic variety).