quick thoughts on getting caught out in the NZ outdoors

[wayno]

this is my blog

https://nzmountains.wordpress.com/2015/ ... w-zealand/

[eggs]

Thanks Wayno
I share you sense of grief.
I am still staggered by the guys walking into the Walls with just a small duffel bag and sleeping bags hanging from their arms, and the folk heading into the WAs with pristine clothes, folding chairs and a large esky.

Still, it is quite remarkable how many close calls there are in almost everyone's lives.
Whether bushwalking or riding a bike or driving...
And I have had a fair share of them in all those situations, so I am thankful to God for being delivered.

Last edited by eggs on Sat 22 Aug, 2015 6:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[wayno]

go on the great walks in nz, people walking around with sleeping bags outside packs, no waterproof bags, added with cotton clothing from head to toe.. umbrellas the only protection from the rain...

[whitefang]

I was surprised that I didn't see many people looking under prepared when I did the tongariro circuit in January. Though, one of the rangers mentioned that the day before I was there a man was doing the crossing dressed in a suit.

[wayno]

you get all sorts

[GPSGuided]

Once upon a time, didn't famed explorers wear suits?

[LachlanB]

I was surprised that I didn't see many people looking under prepared when I did the tongariro circuit in January. Though, one of the rangers mentioned that the day before I was there a man was doing the crossing dressed in a suit.

You get all sorts of fun stories from the Great Walk wardens and ranges. A couple of years ago when I did the Routeburn, the Lake Mackenzie Hut warden spent 20 minutes telling everyone about a lady who did the walk with a port... Apparently she did actually make it the whole way too!

[icefest]

I was surprised that I didn't see many people looking under prepared when I did the tongariro circuit in January. Though, one of the rangers mentioned that the day before I was there a man was doing the crossing dressed in a suit.

You get all sorts of fun stories from the Great Walk wardens and ranges. A couple of years ago when I did the Routeburn, the Lake Mackenzie Hut warden spent 20 minutes telling everyone about a lady who did the walk with a port... Apparently she did actually make it the whole way too!

port?

[JohnStrider]

Good work as always, mate.

[Lindsay]

I was surprised that I didn't see many people looking under prepared when I did the tongariro circuit in January. Though, one of the rangers mentioned that the day before I was there a man was doing the crossing dressed in a suit.

You get all sorts of fun stories from the Great Walk wardens and ranges. A couple of years ago when I did the Routeburn, the Lake Mackenzie Hut warden spent 20 minutes telling everyone about a lady who did the walk with a port... Apparently she did actually make it the whole way too!

port?

Suitcase

[wayno]

been done on the kepler as well...
a ranger saw someone coming off the kepler with a small day bag and a couple of shopping bags full of gear in their hands, he asked him how his rip went wih the bags... the answer was , "not well"
or people ask where they can buy food or order a meal... problem is they now market the great walks heavily and the general public see the ads and the only walks they know have serviced accommodation, given the marketing of the walks they assume these are serviced or easy walks and dont bother to check, you're paying up to $50 for a night in a hut, people think its going to be a backpacker type hostel at the least...

[JohnStrider]

I'm doing the Tongariro Crossing in early January, and even I don't think I can read enough re: prep and what to expect. Had a read of that other link you included in your blog post, Wayno, and their advice seemed pretty sound. It's a challenging walk but one that can be easily achieved if the right equipment and supplies are brought.

Love the video in that link too. Watched that one a few times.

[wayno]

the weather can also make it completely impassable any time of year.

[LachlanB]

a ranger saw someone coming off the kepler with a small day bag and a couple of shopping bags full of gear in their hands

You can't be serious. Shopping bags!? Like those nasty plastic you get from the shops?

Sorry about the port, its a Queenslandism I've picked up from my parents. I meant the same as suitcase.

[GPSGuided]

Do you think the rangers are prone to exaggerate their stories?


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[Zone-5]

Sorry about the port, its a Queenslandism I've picked up from my parents. I meant the same as suitcase.

You had me in really going there for a while!
I was just imagining a lady with a "glass of tawny port" shuffling along, chatting away, having a great time...

... I was thinking, perhaps my nip flask should get an outing next time!

[wayno]

i know several rangers, they arent lying. some people dont do their homework and come in with expectations of tracks from places where tracks have far better facilities and assume they will get that here. they dont have a clue about the big mountain climbs that face them, they cant judge scale. the amount of people caught out around tongariro because they set off for a walk late in the day and they are near the top of a mountain when the sun goes down with the clothes on their back and nothing else, can happen in winter.
nz's a small island nation, how hard can it be?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6951322 ... ght-rescue

[jobell]

I remember crossing the top of a pass on the Routeburn, in howling wind, snow, not great visibility, and passing an Asian couple coming the other way wearing those little clear disposable ponchos over jeans and jumpers. The woman didn't look good. There was a shelter hut only about ten minutes on, I figured they could sort themselves out there. I was in full thermals, polarfleece layer, full goretex, gloves, beanie....And only just comfortable. Plenty of information was available prior to walking about what was needed, in more than one language. Lots of people in the huts drying their jeans near the fire too.

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[wayno]

probably Chinese,
also get a lot of Japanese and Koreans but they tend to know what they are doing , more likely to have the right gear, any Japanese person into hiking will have the best gear available...

[Kainas]

I was surprised that I didn't see many people looking under prepared when I did the tongariro circuit in January. Though, one of the rangers mentioned that the day before I was there a man was doing the crossing dressed in a suit.

You get all sorts of fun stories from the Great Walk wardens and ranges. A couple of years ago when I did the Routeburn, the Lake Mackenzie Hut warden spent 20 minutes telling everyone about a lady who did the walk with a port... Apparently she did actually make it the whole way too!

I remember that story!! He told us too. My vote for the most entertaining hut warden ever!

[Kainas]

I remember being in Martins Bay Hut at the end of the Hollyford track. At least a 35km walk to the trackhead via the Hollyford track, shorter if you take the Big Bay Route... which as far as I understand is much more poorly marked, requires a map and compass etc.

A guy turned up to the hut. First he loaded the fireplace up with damp wood - "to dry it" - while we were outside watching the sunset... We arrived back to a smoke filled hut, with some of the logs starting to form embers - that was worrisome enough.

The next day the guy took off toward the Big Bay hut intending to follow that track out. He had no map or compass. He arrived back that night (we had spent two days at the hut) with no food and a 35km walk ahead of him. He began begging for food from the rest of the group.

Rude and stupid.

[Lizzy]

I did the Able Tasman years ago and a Scottish girl left her uncomfortable backpack being and carried everything in 2 plastic shopping bags.... Another guys food supplies consisted of a big bag of apples

[wayno]

guy on the milford had a one kilo glass jar of jam... on the last night he had still hardly used any of it....

[LachlanB]

I remember that story!! He told us too. My vote for the most entertaining hut warden ever!

Nice to hear that he recycles the stories! I thought he was hilarious, although most of the group I was with just wanted him to shut up... Some people have no sense of humour. ):
Kinda amazing to hear all of the odd things people take on the walks.

[wayno]

all the wardens in the larger huts have to give talks and they have to have some funny content and as it involves the health and safety aspects of being in the hut its compulsory attendance. given the wardens have to repeat the same story over and over, they do a really good job in showing enthusiasm.. robbie the warden on the kepler should be a standup comedian...

[LachlanB]

Robbie... I don't remember him? Is he the warden at Iris Burn Hut? I can remember that the warden at Iris Burn had lots of stories, more than the wardens at Moturau and Luxmore Huts.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

It's all well and good to say we need to improve signage and get people to accept terms and conditions when they book the walks, and gear checks before starting etc. etc.

They are all positive things which will help reduce the loss of life.

But the reality is you can't engineer out every idiot. A million signs and rules and checks and requirements won't catch every error.

I'm not saying we shouldn't try. I'm just saying some people are just remarkably successful at being stupid.

At Forrest Gump says... Stupid is, as stupid does.

It's terribly sad when people die unnecessarily.