Work/study/life getting you down?

Wanna become part of a team achieving something amazing?

Got an itch to bag a Tararua hut or two?

Only going to do one tramp this year?

THIS IS IT

When: 24-26 September 2010

Where: Everywhere in the Tararuas

What: The club will try and get someone to every hut in the Tararuas that weekend

It was done in 2000 (the same weekend Wellington won the NPC title), narrowly missed in 2001, never tried since.  Lets make it so.

Start thinking about what huts you want to bag, whether you want to go for 1 day, 2 days or more days, and then you will be formed into groups, and given your part to play in this history making venture.

More details to follow.

A short hut bagging quiz to get you in the mood.  Remember 25/26 September.  Its only 3 weekends away.  Exciting.

 Quiz bought to you by that kid from 6th Sense.  He'll bring you the answers once he stops seeing dead people.

1) what hut might you find Cedric the Ghost at?  POWELL

2) what hut's toilet was recovered from the Waingawa river and reinstalled? ARETE FORKS

3) what Tararua hut blew away in 1980? ANGLE KNOB HUT (I KIND OF GUESSED AT THE DATE THOUGH!)

4) what was Waiotaru hut built for? TRACTOR SHED FOR ODLINS LOGGERS

5) what hut lived near the top of Schormanns track? PUTARA HUT

6) what valley is the Joe Gibbs memorial hut in? TAUHERENIKAU

7) who was Kime? DUDE WHO DIED ON SOUTHERN CROSSING

8) where was Vossler hut? NEAR KIME

9) what is the oldest hut in the Tararuas? FIELD

10) How many huts are in the Hutt? JUST 1 THESE DAYS, USED TO BE 2

Alright, we've got off to a good start with a number of confirmed entries, but not enough to complete the job and a long way short of the epic numbers we had in 2001.  But it is still 3 weekends away!  Lock it in now.

 To whet the appetite here are some tasty Tararua combos, that are great value for any budget.

Southern Explorer:  Be dropped off at Akatarawa Saddle -> walk along Odlins road to Renata for Friday night.  Drop down to Waiotaru and walk up Snowy river.  From Snowy hut head bash up a good spur with strong deer trails to Elder hut for the night.  Sunday: Up to Aston and back across the Southern Crossing.

The rugged North: Park at the top Mangahao Dam -> climb to West Peak -> stay the night at Dundas hut.  On Sunday -> proceed North along the tops and collect Burn hut on the way out.

The easy valleys:  Start at Mitre Flats or Holdsworth to taste and head out to Kaitoke with one short side trip to Sayers.

Northern Crossing plus: Friday to Mitre Flats, Saturday up to Mid King biv and along to Tarn Ridge, then head on and stay the night at Arete biv.  Sunday down to Te Matawai and out via Waiopehu ridge or South Ohau with a side trip to North Ohau.

These are just tasters, so think about what you'd like to bag and sign up now.

Hi all

Good numbers but we still need more!  I am being flooded with enquiries so here are some Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Is this trip really this soon?

A: Yes, but not this weekend, it's next weekend 25/26 September.  So you have time to discharge all your other duties this weekend and be raring to go on the next.

Q: Will this be the greatest trip of 2010? 

A: Quite possibly, yes. 

Q: I am new to tramping, can I still have an awesome weekend while contributing to this mighty team effort?

A: Yes.  There will be groups of all fitness and enthusiasm running.

Q: I am as hard as Darrans rock and faster than a kea who has seen a rental car parked on the side of the road.  I sh1t on North Island tramping.  Will there be anything I enjoy?

A: Yes.  You will be bagging half the huts.

Q: I have a peculiar request..... No, not that, a request to visit a peculiar hut.  Will I be able to visit it?

A: Yes, but you have to tell me in advance so that I know what you want to do.

Q: I won't have to do a mad solo trip risking life and limb to get some stupid hut will I?

A: Only if you want to.

Q: Can we do it?

A: Yes we can. 

Q: How do I sign up?

A: Come along to the meeting tonight, or else sign up here

Hi all

 This Tuesday as a lead-up to the hut bagging weekend there is a special guest at the club night.  Jonathan Kennett, ex-VUWTC and well known adventurer (and author of the super-classic MTB'sing guidebook) will be coming to talk.  His talk will focus on some of the hidden gems of the Tararuas - from the remote little huts to the deep green gorges.

Jonathan has just released a guide book to adventures in the Tararuas and will be selling these for a discounted price.  It's a great read full of useful trip ideas and some great photos so come along and pick up a copy ($20).

 There will also be a sign-up for the trip on the weekend - although feel free to sign up here too.

We've got just under 30 people so far, so it'll be a really fun weekend.  We still need more though!  If you can only do a day trip or part of the weekend eg Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun, don't worry there will be groups going at those times.

If you can take off early on the Friday and get started, all the better too!

I've started putting people in groups and outlining some trips, so if you want to discuss where you might go come along on Tuesday and we can chat after the meeting.  I'll email all the leaders after that and they'll be in touch with food and transport etc by the middle of the week.

There is a big-*** storm hammering the country this weekend, so it must be good for next weekend eh ;-)

see you all on Tuesday - and in the hills on the 25/26 September!!

Hi all

 Finally, the weekend is in sight.

The weather is coming right.  There's no good sport on TV.  Exams are still a while away.

Conditions are perfect!

 Come along to the club tonight, hear Jonathan Kennet's talk about the hidden Tararuas, buy his Tararua guidebook for a nice discount and then lets have a look at some maps and make-it-so.

 We still need more people, so don't be shy.  Come along tonight or sign-up online (see earlier message in thread).

Hope to see you all tonight

 chur

Check out metvuw for a more promising forecast...

http://metvuw.com/forecast/forecast.php?type=rain&region=nzni&noofdays=4

Everything is comeing together- time to rock and roll! Remember to keep Richie updated on any plan modifications.

 Happy tramping!

Spearheading the offensive is el Presidente.  Like a King from the Middle Ages, Adam will ride into battle ahead of his troops on Friday night and deliver us the treasurers of Elder hut.  Gemma, Rob and Natalie will come along and clean up Kapakapanui, Renata and Waiotauru as well.

On their east flank, Alpha team: Alyn, Katie and Matthew will collect Cone and Tutuwai and Alpha.  On their West flank, a redemption story.  In 2001, young Ben Clendon aborted his mission to get to Carkeek and the whole operation failed.  This time he will seek amends with Field, Penn Creek, Maungahuka, Neil Forks and Kime.

Also at Otaki will be Hazel and Manoel.  This dynamic duo will head into Waitewaewae, then up to Andersons and along to Aokaparangi.  From there they will descend into the Waiohine and make their way to Holdsworth via Mid Waiohine and Powell.  They will pick up Richards car and drive home.  Richard will have left it there and headed for redemption too.  In 2001 he was with Ben in the "A-team" that aborted so badly.  Now with Joe Prebble he must secure Atiwhakatu, Jumbo, Dorset Ridge, Carkeek, Dracophyllum and Nichols.  Can these two roll back the years and secure the middle?

Also in the area, Shawn, Kelvin, Jess and Mia will make their way to Totara Flats and across to Sayers.

To their North, Harry, Dave, Guy and Regan form an elite team that will secure Mid King biv, then traverse the tricky tops towards Tarn Ridge, over the un-alliterative Waiohine Pinnacles and down to Arete Forks and out via Cow Creek, where they might run into Francis and Beth who will come in over Blue Range to Cow Creek and then down to Mitre Flats. 

Across the ranges, Craig, Anita, Nicky and Rachel will ascend the Waiopehu Ridge, collect Waiopehu and then the Te Matawai hut before retuning down the South Ohau, where they might run into Gerad and Linda who are making their way up the North Ohau, over to the Mangahao Flats and back to South Ohau via Girdlestone Saddle.  Also in the Mangahao will be 2 Mikes, Mel and Eleanor who will get Burn hut and sniff around in the North, where if they cran their necks they might see Kieran and Jess on the ridge above them doing the lovely loop from Roaring Stag to Cattle Ridge, Arete Biv, Dundas and Herepai.

Isolated pockets of resistance exist at Eastern Hutt and North Mangahao biv.  These huts are peripheral to the overall network, but resistance will still have to be mopped up.  These are "black ops" and it is no surprise to hear of shadowy figures arriving "in country" as we speak.

If anyone has anything that might be useful for me to report at the Huts Committee meeting tonight, please let me know. So far I have:

-          Lots of slips on the track from mitre flats to cow creek

-          Cattle ridge possibly needs the nails in the walls checked so it doesn’t blow away

Cheers, -Jess

- window at Nichols was left unlatched and so blew out (DoC informed already)

- multiple treefall on Atiwhakatu track

- new(ish) Otaki bridge is really cool.  Thanks Wayne et al