Blog

We were going to walk the Waikaremoana Track this February but had concerns that the track might not reopen so we cancelled and booked the Routeburn instead for the 10th to 12th Feb.  As the date approached, the West Coast was hit by a major storm front with another storm forecast just when we were about to head off. Fortunately, as we were heading off to Queenstown, the 2nd storm was being pushed further north and it looked like we would get some fine days. When we arrived in Queenstown on …

One of my favourite summer routes to climb Taranaki is East Ridge starting from the Stratford Plateau. I like this route becauseIt's quiet - not many people climb this side.Half the climb is on old lava flows, steep but great climbing with no loose scoria to climb through.You come out on the top of Sharks Tooth which provides great views to the east and of the summit and crater.The only downside is that the steep rock lava flows make it a hard descent so the normal way down when climbing east ri …

I hadn't done a sunrise climb for a few years so decided it was about time to experience the dawn from the summit if Taranaki Maugna again. I prefer to climb under a full moon when I'm doing a sunrise climb. For about a week after the full moon the moonlight is strong enough to climb by the moonlight without needing a torch.  Saturday morning was 5 days after the full moon and a perfectly clear night so I set off from home around 1:40am and arrived at the North Egmont visitors center around …

When I was a teenager tramping with my father, one of our favourite routes on the Pouakais was the track from the stony river at the end of Puniho rd that follows the ridge line above the stony river on to the southern end of the main Pouakai massive.  You can then make it a circuit by descending via the Ahukawakawa track to Holly hut and returning to Puniho rd on the Bells falls track. It s a long day tramp - 9 to 10 hrs but a very rewarding tramp with great views and crossing through diff …

While climbing Taranaki Maunga from Carrington ridge a year ago I spotted a new track line on the Pouakais leading from Henry peak down over the minor peaks to the north of Ahukawakawa and then up one of the ridge lines to join the Holly hut track. I had often looked at this route in the past thinking that would be a great place for a track and now it looked like DOC had cut a new track presumably for conservation management.Around March last year I climbed Henry peak via the Kaiawai track and a …