Tracks, routes, and huts

Nothing like running out of time/ slow progress and having to sleep on the track, probably happened to most of us at one time or another. One time coming back over the Binser saddle I ...

The Ngauruhoe summit camp didn't happen... the weather was atrocious the one weekend I had buddies to go with. The following weekend's forecast was great, so I ended up by myself on top of Ruapehu ...

Thanks for the information. We enjoyed the river travel up to Daphne. Got up to Howletts but the horrendous winds prevented us from going across Sawtooth Ridge. Had a nice time in Howletts though, with ...

OK, so have just done the trip over the Zampa tops this past weekend. Patches of snow but for the most part avoidable - mostly located on eastern slopes just off the ridgeline. We used our ...

When following the Mill Road (gravel road) you will get to an area where there is a small old hut/building/shed on the left, a gravel road going straight ahead through a gate and a gravel ...

note mcelroy gorge in teh upper cox, dont drop into the river too soon , the gorge is inpassable. you'll have to stayy above the river till you're past the gorge.... I did this on ...

Carrying full tramping gear; about 10 days for a very fit person, reasonably fit adult 14 days, taking it easy 3 weeks. The scenario posted was thrown up to show an option that fitted your start ...

Don`t plan on staying in it-it`s now an historic hut,so DOC removed the bunks.Nice spot though & you can drive there at times.

Thanks Waynowski! I used that map to see what tracks I wanted to do, and I tried to figure out the possibilities, but I was unsure whether it was possible or not since I do not ...

Thanks madpom for the advice, it does seem like this is the best way. Have found very little information regarding that entire area.

Hi bmackz. Maybe I'm too late, but to clarify for anyone else who reads this thread -- You were right! I messed up the advice about the saddle. The saddle I was thinking of is further ...

When I looked into this you needed a 'valid reason' to visit the area. 'Because I want to look at it' was not sufficient. May have slackened up since then, but that was the status in ...

theres no boat to the greenstone caples any more, there is a bus from queenstown and glenorchy

Hi Raji, In Sep 2012 we walked along the Caples Track to join the Routeburn. We got to the Lake Macenzie hut. We got up to the western face (on route to Harris Saddle) and turned ...

Waiuta to Kirwans isn't a loop tramp unless you do road walking. 4-5 days Waiuta to Kirwans would allow plenty of time for a few side trips/poking around looking at historic sites. If you got dropped ...

"Plant number 2 in the book? Bush-lawyer. Apparently it's possible to eat the berries" ... so you get the berries and the vine gets your flesh???

I used to use a japara bivi bag & sheet of polythene but once into my fifties bought a bivi tent primarily to keep the insects at bay. It is not much heavier than the other ...

I once went to Routeburn Falls hut to do ski touring and we shared the hut with a very pleasant family, including 3 little kids, the youngest in nappies. However recently, I've spent a bit ...

Yeah, I've hitched a couple of times around the Upper Makarora and Fantail Falls and its been easy, but the lack of traffic around Ohau has put me off going in that way. Next time ...

:-) My last comment needs to be taken in context with my earlier comment!

Yes, I have heard of the rescue too. Make you think how lucky we are to have helicopters these days!

My email address is duwilkins - at - doc.govt.nz

You can get by ok with an ice axe and no crampons on Whitehorn Pass Dec/Jan.

Slightly old news but I see Leaning Lodge no longer leans! It has been rebuilt by the Otago TMC. http://www.otmc.co.nz/archives/images/2013/2013-02_leaninglodge/index.html

true, amundsen took the traditional inuit sleds and clothes and altered the design to ditch unnecessary weight.