October 2015 Te Arora Thru hike

Welcome Baked Alaskan to our community. Most of us here are local trampers and hunters and only some have specific experience doing the TAT - although some do. I intend to do it myself in a few years. But what is here is a wealth of experience in the NZ bush and mountains. It's not a hugely busy forum so you may have to be patient over several days to get a range of answers. Overall the TAT is safe to do solo. It was designed to avoid dangerous terrain. However having said that - there are some sections where you can get into trouble. At a minimum any solo traveler really needs to carry a PLB and understand how our local LandSAR system works. (Here is an excellent article in todays media backgrounding several recent searches: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/68482763/the-unsung-heroes-behind-successful-wellington-and-wairarapa-search-and-rescue-missions) The other thing to consider is that the weather here is a great deal more changeable than is normal in a continental area. Plus your feet will be wet more often than not :-) Also there is a strong kiwi tramping (our unique word for hiking) tradition - lots of clubs and local communities who are strongly connected to these valleys and mountains. As a n experienced and fellow lover of the outdoors you will always be made welcome if you want to seek us out. The basics of walking in the wilderness are the same the world over, but each place comes with it's own flavour. The core material on the front page of this site is a good place to start. Cheers

Hi Dennis There's a network of trails and huts throughout the South Island. Te Araroa trail is a dot-to-dot lnking of different tracks to travel the length of the island. October is "in season", so you'ld be unlikely to be on your own at any of the TA huts. Quite possibly, you'll see the same 4 or 5 people day after day, for some time, also doing the TA ?. Certainly plenty of others passing thru on different trips. The peril of being on your own is if something should happen and you can't communicate or be easily found in good time. Too many people have simply vanished. Go to The Te Araroa website. You can download sectional maps. Fill in the hut books so that searchers can have some idea of where you may be. Have a contact person that is aware of where & when you should be somewhere, so that they can raise the alarm if you're not. There's any number of online blogs from people who have done it. It's all very do-able. It's the what if's. Improving your odds if things don't go to plan. What if you get a snow shower on a mountain pass in summer ?. What if you drop your pack, wander for a photo & don't come back ?. You'll probably be flooded with forum responders who will happily converse about trail specifics.

The more feedback you get the more informed you'll be, so good on you for making contact. On Tramper you will receive sound, sensible and valuable advice. I would also suggest joining/liking two Facebook pages as these are the places where former/current/future TA trampers hang out - dialogue and information are free-flowing... TA Public Group (join) https://www.facebook.com/groups/26638669574/ TA Information Page (like) https://www.facebook.com/TeAraroaNewZealandsTrail?fref=ts If you're not on FB, consider joining for this reason (if privacy is an issue, join under the family pet's name). The TA Public Group page includes solo-trampers who could provide some very useful advice. Good luck!

you're from alaska and you're experienced, that will put you in a league above where the majority of TA walkers are, you'll have the experience to make the right decisions and risk assess and risk manage correctly and equip yourself properly...

Get in touch with me just before you start if you like. I'll be almost finished, hiking out of season. (Not preferable, but unfortunately the only time I can go). But as (I suspect) the only person hiking the length of the trail at that time of the year, I'll have probably the most up-to-date info for anyone like yourself starting out at the start of the season.

Gimme a shout when you go past the Auckland area (eg hunua ranges etc), Id be interested in meeting up and having a chat about the trail. Im looking at doing it next year or the year after perhaps.

Hello once again, and Thank you for your comments. My travel plans have changed since my first posting, and I am considering focusing on completing the South Island section of the TAT. Would any members be able to provide any thoughts on the earliest time of year a Southbound Southland tramp would be doable. At this time I would be in a position to start in early/mid October. Looking at the route shown in Chapple's book, the trail appears to stay low in the river drainage's. Because of this, would snow levels not be a real factor in dictating travel this time of year, other than river fords ? I would be grateful for any thoughts/suggestions on this matter that any member may wish to post. Thank you again, Dennis Dooley.

'southbound southland'. Do you really mean just Southland? or the whole South Island? Snow-wise: Assuming you mean the entire south island, the first unavoidable high point is the Waiau Pass (you have optional high routes in the Richmond Ranges, but they can be avoided). Waiau would be 2-3 weeks into your trip so you'd be into November by then. You can get snow there anytime, but there's a good change it would be clear. If you really do mean Southland, then the route is on flat/rolling country through most of Southland and, as you say, sticks to the valleys - so you should be fine snow-wise. Rain-wise: However, bear in mind that September-New year in the South Island generally means an alternating sequence of norwesters/souwesters - often on a 3-day repeating cycle (or so it feels). And depending on which coast you're on at the time that either means constant rain (west) or alternating rain/dry (east). Rivers would be my main worry during that timeframe. Sure others will have other opinions ... so watch this space

@madpom Actually Waiau Pass is easier with a bit of snow about. I did it years ago in mid August. The section over Lake Constance was pretty icy and demanded crampons. The plod up the scree to the Pass was way easier with a nice hard snow crust. Going down into the Waiau was equally ok - by then it had thawed a bit. The steep little rock scramble gully was completely chocka with nice crunchy snow and we didn't even have to slow down. Snow isn't really an issue as long as you have an ice axe and crampons ... and it's not so fresh or huge that avalanches are a big risk. It's the rivers that cause all the issues.