President’s Desk
For the brief moments the Maunga sheds its cloudy disguise this week along with a polar blast forecasted, there is hope for a good start and to the snow craft season(touch wood). So hopefully you have some family and friend points saved up to spend up large, on the mountain over winter, if you haven’t it’s not too late to get on top of the odd jobs around the house so that when the big dumps comes, you are ready to hit the snow. On the topic of snowcraft if you haven’t secured a spot, you likely missed out for this year and a good reason to put it in your calendar now to try again next year earlier rather than later as well as making the effort to join some summer tramps and/or rock trips to really get the most out of snowcraft.
Whanganui Bay on the western shores of lake Taupo is open for another winter season strictly between 21st July and 1st December. This is possible thanks to the efforts in relationship building between climbers and the private landowners. Those who have climbed there previously over the decades will know what a true taonga it is to climbers and the locals alike. If you intend to make a visit please read all the relevant info at; https://whanganuibay.acat.org.nz/ to ensure Taranaki Alpine Club members are not the reason for any hiccups of the privilege to climb there. I definitely plan on making multiple visits over the season, so feel free to ask me for a crag report.
For those doing snowcraft level two,. Some of our instructors have been giving up their precious time for some years now and while they love it, it is always good to be thinking of succession, so if you are doing snowcraft two this year(hopefully you have had a day or two reviewing last season’s progress or have plans to do so before the course date approaches fast) or completed it in previous years please get in touch with finn, myself or don to find out what the requirements are to assist and lead a course and if your not scared off come to our train the trainers day next Saturday 8th July on the Maunga.
I have had very little feedback regarding how we select club instructors to date, so I assume one of the following:
1) We are doing a slightly above mediocre job
2) People are still mulling over their response
3) You are too trusting and may need to take a little more care in who you go winter climbing with.
As part of snowcraft we have a feedback form all participants must complete so our instructors can improve their skills for further intakes of students to come. But we are also interested from club members who attend trips with fresh graduates.
We have had a suggestion made to the committee to provide scholarships for courses for those who could not afford it. We don’t sponsor memberships for various reasons one being this would detract from our life membership status for those who have put exceptional work into the club. We are also considering if their are other barriers to joining the club other than course costs with only one under 18 year old member not part of a family membership and the average age at a working bee being mature to say the least. I would encourage members to ask young members and people not on middle and top income brackets what barriers are there for them to join the alpine club and access trips and instruction and forward this onto the committee. Is it gear? Is it transport? Is it money or is it a perception that we are not aware of yet. We could take some learnings from other organisations like the NP Tramping Club and Project Maunga who have both made very impressive efforts and success in reaching a much younger audience in recent years. Why I mention it is that sort of publicity helps massively when we renew our various concessions with DOC and Iwi partners.
If you haven’t read it already and Te papakura o Taranaki is a special place to you, I suggest you read at the very least the summary of the Nga iwi o Taranaki and Crown Redress Document here: https://www.govt.nz/browse/history-culture-and-heritage/treaty-settlements/find-a-treaty-settlement/taranaki-maunga/
See you on the mountain over the next month or two.
Conrad Murray
President