Wow!!…almost beaten by the weather gods but not quite!! Our move up and Saturday training was hampered by horizontal rain so a last-minute decision was made to train in the YMCA and go through the basics and introductions! This was kept simple and focused on a great way to learn “abseiling” but also highlighted there were other options available and you might see your mates doing things slightly different!! But for beginners, lets learn a good way to start us off!! Knots were tied, abseils carried out, discussions had and finally ropes coiled ready for a fast and furious Sunday […]

Sharks tooth trip report A massive shout out to Don Patterson for guiding us up to the summit of sharks tooth. What a scramble of endless rock looking out over the ski field below. Very deceiving in estimated time and then suddenly you were popping out at the top! Lunch was taken at the summit, surprisingly low wind made that a very pleasant occasion. My favourite was the decent of the chimney into the crater for the summer exit back to the lodge.Some amazing photographs were taken by the group to remember this achievement. Now, Who’s keen to do a […]

I recently attended the OTNZ Bush Navigation Skills course and have to admit (shamefully) my map reading skills certainly would not have saved me if I was to get lost on a solo mission off the beaten track on the maunga but thanks to this course I can say I probably have a 50% chance of finding my way out. Magnetic North, True North , Grid North! Very important first bit of information to learn. I had never used a compass before so that was a new experience for me, you can’t always rely on the GPS or other people. […]