Newsletter, April 2008
Welcome to new members: Ruth Henry, Lynn Charters
UPCOMING CLUBNIGHT: 9 June 2008 (Put it in your diary!) NB changed from first Monday because of Queen’s Birthday holiday.
Garden of Eden.
Pat Holland will talk on his nine day trip with five others into the Adams Wilderness area of the Southern Alps in January. They traversed the Lambert Glacier and Gardens of Allah and Eden snow fields and then came out via the Perth and Whataroa Rivers.
Past President/FMC board member Tony Haddon will give us a brief talk on “Future Prospects for FMC”
Nelson Intermediate School, Tipahi Street, 7.30 pm, gold coin admission. Pat Holland Ph 5391340
Club Night 7 April 2008 Club Night Uta Purcell ‘Jeep Trekking’ in Pakistan.
This was a show alright. Right down to the costume parade by Uta and her demonstration of the attire worn by the locals and her own “blending in” and culturally sensitive clothing. People and places create a fascination for those with an interest in other cultures and for Uta, Pakistan provided an opportunity for her to collect ample material to support her enthusiasm and to display this accordingly. A DVD presentation, maps, photographs, books and clothing allowed us to share some of Uta’s feelings about her trip to this diverse and divided country.
We also trialed a “ SALE” table where club members with items which they no longer had a use for, could offer these for sale. This trial will continue for the June meeting.
NOTICES
Committee 2008/2009 AGM 4 August 2008
Want to keep the Nelson Tramping Club an active and vibrant organisation with an interesting and appealing programme? Well, of course you do, as evidenced by your being a club member.
Our AGM is only a little over three months away and now is when you need to contact Secretary Pat Holland
Ph 5391340 , for further information on how you can contribute to the Club, by offering to put your name
forward for election. The following clauses in our Constitution refer:
15 The entire management of the Club and of its property shall be deputed to a Committee of not less than eight and not more than ten members consisting of President, Vice-President, Correspondence Secretary, Minutes Secretary, Treasurer, Programme Co-ordinator and ordinary members.
Nomination and Election of Committee
17 Written nominations for committee members, duly signed by a proposer, a seconder and the nominee must be received by the committee at least thirty days prior to the Annual General Meeting. Nominations shall be notified to all members at least seven days prior to the Annual General Meeting together with the notice of the meeting. The election shall be by general ballot of members cast at the meeting.
From:Action Forest Management re Fireball Road Area Hira Forest
The harvesting activities for the Fireball, Lookout, Golf Course and Groom Creek Road and adjacent forests have been replanned and rescheduled; therefore these areas are open for public access. There will be a Notice of Forest Re-Opening advertising in the Nelson Mail.
Banff Mountain Film Festival.
7.30 pm Saturday May 24th 2008 Annesbrook Community Centre, Saxton Road, Stoke. NB. There will NO DOOR SALES on the evening.
There is a fine selection of films for this year’s showing, which has something for all the outdoor pursuits. Organised by NZ Alpine Club. Tickets available for $15 from:
In Nelson from: R&R Sports, Rutherford St. In Richmond from: Richmond Sports Power, Queen St.
In Motueka from: Motueka Sportsworld. In Blenheim from: Blenheim Sportsworld
Like taking photographs of mountains? This is “The Trip” for you!
Everest Treks are planning a trip to Mt Everest Basecamp in October next year, with a focus on photography. If you are interested then contact: Daron Graham at Hanafins in Trafalgar Street.
Ph. 5468471 email: daron@hanafins.co.nz Daron can provide you with an interesting DVD and presentation pack on the company and the trips it takes.
Waikato Tramping Club
Are you planning to tramp, climb or ski at Mt Ruapehu or Tongariro National Park this year or in the future? The Waikato Tramping Club owns and operates a lodge on the slopes of the Whakapapa Skifield which is available to members of FMC affiliated clubs. The rates are very affordable with a discounted rate for FMC club members. To view the lodge go to www.wtc.org.nz . You will find plenty of information about the lodge.
DoC Meeting 26 March 2008
A good number of NTC members attended and actively participated in the combined tramping clubs and DoC meeting which was organised for DoC to outline their current and planned activities and to receive comment from interested parties. A copy of the meeting summary put together by DoC, including their responses to queries and issues raised can be obtained by contacting footnotes@ihug.co.nz by email or calling either Secretary Pat Holland or Editor Hec Arbuthnott.
Hints on Safety
(From NZ Mountain Safety Council “Going Bush” and “Survival” pamphlets)
WHAT TO DO IF THINGS GO WRONG
STOP, STAY CALM AND PLAN
You may be lost, have an injury, be stranded due to a flooded river, or not have reached a hut by dark. But are you really in a survival situation?
Assess your circumstances. You may find you are able to retrace your footsteps if lost, or arrange adequate shelter if stranded.
Consider how you can cope with the resources you’ve got and evaluate your options.
If you find yourself without any of the following:
1. water 2. shelter 3. warmth 4. the will to survive 5. food
...you are facing a potential survival situation.
You will need to consider the welfare of your group...
KEEP WARM
• Find or make a shelter. Seek protection from the wind and rain. Select a safe site; one that won’t flood and that isn’t exposed to rock falls. You may find shelter under fallen trees or natural overhangs. • Put on additional dry clothing. • Make a fire.• Use a sleeping mat or vegetation to insulate yourself from the damp, cold ground.• Cover yourself with dry vegetation, such as fern fronds or tussock, for additional insulation.
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER AND RATION YOUR FOOD
While it is not desirable to go without food, you can survive for days without it, so long as you stay warm, rest and drink plenty of water.
CONSERVE YOUR ENERGY
BE DETERMINED TO SURVIVE – It is not unusual to feel fearful but you must tell yourself that you will survive.
Useful Websites
Boot Care http://www.merrellboot.com/Technology/Footwear/fw_matcare_00.aspx
Get the Most from Your Pack http://www.lowealpine.com/Technology/Pack.asp
Mountain Safety Council OUTDOOR FIRST AID Course:
A comprehensive course specifically designed for trampers, hunters, leaders of outdoor groups, etc to address outdoor situations in addition to accident or medical emergencies - you may have weather problems, a worsening situation where others in the party could also become patients, and there is no ambulance to arrive shortly after a phone call.
Emphasis is on scenarios where you will have a turn at treating live 'patients'. In the final scenario each group of participants can expect to deal with multiple casualties, decide on priorities, and transport a patient. Previous participants have found the scenarios a good way of learning. The course is held at a pleasant well-appointed lodge about 30 minutes out of Nelson amid trees and alongside a river. It starts at 9.00 am Saturday and finishes at 5.00 pm Sunday.
Includes: Outdoor First Aid manual, course workbook, morning/afternoon refreshments , Saturday night bunk space if you want it , s hare of lodge hire, etc
Excludes: Transport , Meals, NZQA log on fee, etc.
Do you fit the profile? Would your attendance at this Course be of use to you, NTC and the community?
If you think the answer is yes then please contact Club Secretary Pat Holland for more information. Up to five participants will each be partially subsidised by NTC, subject to meeting the criteria set by the committee.
The full cost of the course is $150 per participant and the dates are: 20-21 September 2008.
Contributions from Club Members
" Nelson & Marlborough Foothills and Coastal Regions - a Walking and Tramping Guide " by Pat Barrett. A Shoal Bay book published by Longacre Press, 2007, 192pp. RRP $29.95
This is a very well produced guide with excellent text and high quality photo illustrations. The paperback is sturdily bound and of a size to fit readily into a pack. It covers our larger backyard but has useful information for locals as well as visitors. The emphasis is mainly on day walks. The gems are in some of the lesser known short trips that Pat has described. The multi-day tramps of the better known tracks in the region are covered in a brief, broad brush fashion. Each trip is prefaced by a grade, estimated time, map reference and access information. The route descriptions are necessarily concise but provide not only vivid physical descriptions but often also some historical information. Rather than an index, there is a trip planner section listing the trips by sub-region and grade. There are over seventy trips divided amongst seven sub-regions. The Richmond Forest Park is an area where I feel the short trips are underdone, but we have to keep some secrets! The only other short-coming was the mini-maps provided for some trips – the snippets from LI 260 series are often reduced well above 1:50,000 and are not really legible. Overall this is a very worthwhile guide that provides excellent value for money. I recommend it to the Club and members for the planning of easier day trips and to visitors as giving an excellent overview of the delights of the region. Book Review by Patrick Holland
Private Trip Reports
8 April 2008 Sugarloaf The Tuesdaysies.
Party: Grahame Harris, Christine Hoy, David Blunt, Margaret Page, Mark Graesser, Jim Maxwell, Sue Davies, Val Latimer, Mark and Noeleen Tullet.
The Club trip being frustrated by weather on Sunday, we decided to retrace this long disused old route from Graham Valley up to Flora, pre-dating the road. However, we set out only to follow the track from the Flora carpark along the ridge to Sugarloaf, beyond the gully where the old track came up. The track was easily discerned through pleasant open beech forest at first, having recently been re-established as a trap line by Friends of the Flora. Beyond their traps it narrowed to a grassy ridge and was easily followed for some distance to the start of a very steep drop down to the saddle before the final peak. Two party members, conscious of the 300 metre climb back up this on the return, opted to stop here. To this point it would constitute a good easy day walk. At this point the views were wonderful in all directions, except for Mt Arthur obscured in cloud. The other ten opted to pick their way carefully down the very steep spur to the saddle. It appeared there could also be a section of awkward steep scramble up the other side to the Sugarloaf Peak. Unfortunately this group got mislaid on the crossing of the saddle, which had an s-bend in the middle, and after the lost time decided to return. Another day – a moderate but nimble party should be able to forge their way across and up to the peak.
Editor’s Comment.
The role of President will be fulfilled by Mark Stevens (Ph. 545 7564 email: mark63@xtra.co.nz ) from now until the AGM. Thank you Mark for stepping up once more.
Trip Organisers add considerable value to the club, as without someone taking on the responsibility of co-ordinating participants and transport, there would be no trips for you to go on. When you do go on a trip you could offer to do the trip report, so spreading the workload.
Without a committee there would be no Club. Get involved! We need volunteers to offer their services as committee members.
Contributions and comments to the Editor, Hec Arbuthnott by email footnotes@ihug.co.nz fax to 5481710, mail to 10 Wiltshire Place, Stoke or hand in to Basecamp at 295 Trafalgar Street. NELSON.
Enjoy these cooler months, savour the frosts, rain, snow and sunshine, and above all, plan for the conditions .
REMINDER: Club members receive a 10% discount from Basecamp and Rollo’s.
