Waimakariri River Mouth
Spring has arrived and with it some strong winds. I didn’t feel like driving too far to get blown off a mountain, so I thought that staying low and close to home was a reasonable…
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Mt Cockayne to Mt Cheesman, Craigieburns
It was kind of a last-minute trip, at least by CTC standards, where trip leaders sometimes post trips a year in advance. With about three days to sign up, I managed to gather seven folks,…
Pudding Hill Stream Route
The track starts at Awa Awa Rata Reserve. From there, we followed a well-marked and well-established track to a steep side of the Mount Hutt Range. The bush up there is quite lovely. Soon, we…
Jollie Brook Circuit in a day (again) + side trip to Cold Stream Hut
It’s been 3 years since I did Jollie Brook. Back then, we technically took two days as we slept near the car. I’ve been wondering for a while if it’s doable as a day trip…
Kinnebrooks Hut trip
This summer, I’d like to do more hut bagging, so when a trip to this intriguingly sounding hut popped up on the CTC website, I was all in. And I was not the only one…
Bob’s Bivouac
Third time’s lucky. After two unsuccessful attempts (the first time, the weather turned me back; the second time, an exhausted member of my party), I finally reached the biv. I left my car at the…
Mt Olympus attempt in the winter
I’ve been wanting to set foot on top of Mt. Olympus for a while, and this sounded like a good opportunity. A group of CTC folks left Christchurch at 8 am and arrived at the…
Supermoon at Foggy Peak
I first scheduled this trip in June. Four full moons later, all the necessary variables (such as snow, clear skies, and no gale wind) finally aligned, and the trip was finally on. What’s more, it…
Castle Hill Peak winter ascent
Funny enough, I’ve just realised now, as I’m writing this, that I led a trip up to Castle Hill Peak in January. Oh well, one can’t visit there too frequently; the convenience is just too…
Mt Ida by Lake Coleridge
Mount Ida is a 1695m high mountain nestled between the Harper River, Lake Ida, and Lake Catherine. Fourteen CTC trampers gathered at Z Russley and set off through Hororata to a small carpark by Lake…