Avalanche Peak summer trip
When there’s a chance for Anna and me to head into the hills together like in the good old days, well, we’ve got to take it. Since having a kid – and with Anna’s parents…
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Zampa tarn via Trovatore (Lewis Pass)
This time, it was just me and Carmela. We’ve been tramping together for a while, but it had never been just the two of us. We picked a tramp to Zampa Tops as the forecast…
Lyttelton Market via old Bridle Path
It’s been a while since I led a club trip on the Port Hills. It was organised quite last minute, but still, six of us showed up at the Gondola carpark. I was there a…
Woolshed Hill tarn (Arthur’s Pass)
Elliot has been asking to go tramping for a while, so let’s get some tramping out of his system by taking him to Woolshed Hill tarn. He only just turned 4 years, but he seemed…
Upper Nina Biv + camping at Nina Valley
Me, my partner, and our 4-year-old kid, Elliot, went on a wee adventure to Nina Valley. It’s not just home to the popular Nina Hut but also has many hidden hideaways with secluded spots for…
Avoca Homestead to Broken River Hut
Avoca Homestead is a quaint old hut tucked next to Broken River in the foothills of the majestic Torlesse Range. A couple of families and Anna, Elliot and I embarked on a journey to take…
Mt Bruce in Arthur’s Pass
Mt Bruce is a moderate day trip in Arthur’s Pass, perfect for those looking to progress beyond marked tracks into more adventurous – yet still relatively safe and straightforward – terrain. The “traditional” route to…
Rapid Creek hut to Explorer hut via Miserable Ridge and out via Murray Saddle
Daniel planned a pretty good base-camp track-cutting adventure to Rapid Creek. After initial excitement and many sign-outs, four of us left Christchurch on a chilly autumn morning and headed to the West Coast, aiming for…
Raglan Range: from Lost Stream Bivvy to Mid Silverstream hut
Day 1 After the weather put a pin in our West Coast adventure, we had a few passionate discussions before settling on Plan E (or Z? I’m not sure anymore): the Raglan Range / Leatham…
Mt Philistine – the easy way
In 2022, I climbed Mt Philistine for the first time. We took the route that goes directly through Warnocks Bluff, a well-trodden and even vaguely marked path heading straight up through the bluffs. This section…