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…
Articles by Michal
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…
Lower Arahura Hut – Newton Range Biv – Styx River
The task was simple yet not easy: walk in to Lower Arahura Hut on 31st December, leave our backpacks there, cut a steep track from the hut to Newton Range until we ran out of…
Lewis Tops – ideal spot for camping
My son Elliot (3 years old) has been advancing in his tramping journey at lightning speed. I never imagined he’d become such a fit, outdoorsy kid at such a young age. That said, we do…
Pell Stream Hut track cutting mission 2024
I’ve been trying to organise a CTC group for a track-cutting mission to Pell Stream Hut for a while now. The weather finally lined up with a free weekend, so off I went with a…
Mt Williams via Williams Saddle (Arthur’s Pass National Park)
Mt Williams (1718 m) is an impressive-looking mountain perched on the southern lip of a range that boasts stunning peaks like Mt Oates (2041 m) and Mt Franklin (2145 m). Its eastern and southern ridges…