Wellington Section Monthly Bulletin - No 825 March 2019 - NZ Alpine Club
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No 825 March 2019
Wellington Section Monthly Bulletin
www.facebook.com/nzacwellington Twitter @NZACWellington
Angus Kirk fighting the skin shredding off width Regurgitator (V3), Castle Hill
Photo Nino Pankusz More here
March 2019 All Section night talks are held at The Third Eye, Tuatara Brewery, level 2, 30 Arthur Street, from 6pm.
With prior arrangement, also a good place to collect or return hired climbing gear.
Due to the tragedy in Christchurch this month’s Chair’s report is a blank page expressing a April Section night
moments silence and reflection for the victims, their families and friends. From 6pm Tues 16th April, Derek Cheng will present some of his climbing in Yosemite.
Section nights beyond April
Tues 21st May, Peter Laurenson will give a ‘how to’ presentation about how to take your photography in the
hills to a higher level. Check it out before you prepare for this year’s photocomp.
Tues 18th Jun, Penny Webster will take us through her recent climb of Mt Everest.
Tues 23rd Jul, Nina Sawicki will present her recent trekking in Peru.
Tues 20th Aug, Peter Ambrose and Guy Dubuis will take us through their judging of the Wellington Section
2019 photo competition.
Tues 17th Sep, Jo Morgan will share some of her recent experiences climbing in our biggest mountains.
Tues 22nd Oct, Paul Hersey will take us through some of his alpine journeys describing a mix of climbing
and writing about climbing.
Letter to Vertigo from Brian Wilkins
Simon Williamson’s spirited defence of our alpine
places (Feb 2019 Vertigo) is worthy of a dedicated
Section Chairman. The reason I’m making a few
comments on Simon’s piece is that, in the course of
constructing his case alongside his criticism of our
lovefest with vitamins and supplements, he has, I
believe, wielded rather too broad a brush.
Any comments on what you like or don’t like - send an email to Above - Dawn above Tukino, on the approach to the SE
wellington@alpineclub.org.nz or tweet us @NZACWellington. Meta analysis can be useful but it can never supplant
Ridge of Te Heuheu, July 2018
targeted experimental research: in fact it can obscure
it. In the vitamin field thousands of such projects have Below - Later in the morning, on the SE Ridge
From the Editor been carried out. One found that neural defects in Photos Felix Williamson
Well done Brian for causing me to add a Letters column - the first letter to the babies are prevented if the mothers take folic acid.
editor since I’ve been looking after Vertigo. Simon is delighted that his This and the low level of Vitamin D in breast milk and
February words prompted a response. Keep it coming members the impeded ability of adults over 50 to absorb certain
- don’t let him get away scott Free! nutrients from their food, are just a small sample of
Thank you Stacey for providing another Trip report with some great research justifying supplementation. I don’t include the
photos.Someone please follow her lead and send in a trip report contentious omega-3, really a food, in this discussion.
- it’s trip reports that are valued most from Vertigo. So, just I used to earn my crust lecturing on this stuff.
type up a report of between half and three pages as a The Cochrane Committee, quoted by Simon, has had
Word Doc, email it to occasionalclimber@gmail.com its ups and downs but I can personally vouch for the
with up to six jpeg images (with captions) if you validity of the headline on its own website about
have them and I’ll format it for Vertigo. macular degeneration (Oct 11, 2017) “Taking vitamin
Simon Williamson supplements may slow down the progress of a
Chair: NZAC Wellington Peter common eye disease”.
> Chair’s Report > Section News > Notices > Coming Trips, Courses, Events > Trip Reports > Section Contacts > Our Club On A Page
Gear Hire NZAC instruction courses
Click for more details Ice Climbing Ski Touring (and the new guide here) High Alpine Skills
The Section has gear for hire: avalanche transceivers, ice axes, shovels, stakes, hammers,
helmets, crampons, probes, PLBs, ice hammers (entry level). Each item costs $5 per week with the New 6th Edition 2018 – Aspiring Guides Technical Mountaineering
exception of PLBs – PLBs are free but require a deposit of $50 refundable on return. An excellent learning resource and a handy reference for experienced alpinists. This manual can be
purchased online here. Log in first for your member discount.
To hire gear please fill in the form here. You can find out more from Genevieve.
NZAA Forecasting Jobs Available
Some advance notice, especially over the Chrismas period, is appreciated as gear is in higher A unique opportunity to join the MSC team in 2019 as an avalanche forecaster in two key regions.
demand and often needs to be retrieved from the gear store. To collect or return your gear liaise Arthur’s Pass and Craigieburn Range.
with Genevieve.
NZAC - old film footage Syme Hut and climbing on Mt Egmont (1930)
Accommodation on Mt Ruapehu This old silent movie “Mt Egmont, opening the new Syme Hut” may be of interest to members and
has just been sent through to us by Nga Taonga. View it here.
Our snowcraft courses for the past few years have been run out of the Manawatu Tramping and
Skiing Club lodge on Whakapapa. We’re always made to feel welcome and the lodge is well Southern Hemisphere Alpine Conference (SHAC)
situated a short walk from the top of the Bruce Road. Membership to the club is extremely Find out more here.
reasonable - $35 per year or $50 for a family membership. Members stay at the lodge for $36 a
night including food. If you’re looking for somewhere to base yourself for your winter pursuits or
rock-climbing over the summer months go to www.mtsc.org.nz/joining.php to find out more about
joining the club.
Outdoorsy NZ
Michelle Morpeth started Outdoorsy NZ to champion mums and
kids outside. Many parents - especially mums - find that their out-
doorsy life gets put a bit on the back burner once the chaos of kids
arrives, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Michelle also offers an
adventure design service for time-strapped families - she does all
the research and presents you with your choice of a personalised
e-guidebook for your escape, or a fully booked itinerary. You can
find Michelle at hello@outdoorsy.co.nz, Instagram, Facebook and
www.outdoorsy.co.nz
Heading to Mt Cupola, Nelson Lakes > Chair’s Report > Section News > Notices > Coming Trips, Courses, Events > Trip Reports > Section Contacts > Our Club On A Page
Mountain + art. Matterhorn, Swiss alps, 2015
Photo Guy Dubuis
All our planned South Island trips come with the added bonus that rental vehicle costs for Wellington
Section members are covered by the Section.
If you’re uncertain about the skill level required with any of the trips, would like to register your
interest or to find out more, email us at wellington@alpineclub.org.nz.
Also, please contact us if you’re keen to run a trip yourself – the Committee can help with
advertising and logistics.
When What and where
Thursday 6th and 13th June Banff Mountain Film Festival 2019
This year’s screenings will be at the Embassy Theatre. More details and a
link to online ticket sales will become available soon.
Snowcraft 2019
26th-28th July Beginner course - Whakapapa
2nd-4th August Beginner course - Whakapapa
16th-18th August Intermediate/Advanced course - Whakapapa
23rd-25th August Intermediate/Advanced course - Whakapapa
6th-8th September Post-course trip - Tukino
To find out more contact Nish - catchnishie@gmail.com
Click to book your spot.
13 - 27 April 2019 Wellington Section Trip to Arapiles
Please email your expression of interest to Jenny Cossey
Fly to Melbourne individually and leave by car in a group from Melbourne on Saturday 13th April.
Returning by car to Melbourne on Saturday 27th April. Please note these are the two weeks of
the NZ school holidays which includes Good Friday (19th April), Easter Monday (22nd April) and
ANZAC Day (25th April). Please book your own air tickets early to suit you. The Wellington section
will give a subsidy towards car hire for the trip for Wellington Section members who register with
the trip organiser Jenny Cossey.
View from Gokyo Ri before sunset, Khumbu, Nepal, Dec 2017
Photo Will Laurenson
> Chair’s Report > Section News > Notices > Coming Trips, Courses, Events > Trip Reports > Section Contacts > Our Club On A Page
After months of talking about how great a Wellington Section trip to Castle Hill would be
we finally managed to wrangle some seriously strong boulderers to make up a group of 14
climbers. New faces joined old faces and we all battled the heat and the blistering sun to get
some good sends and show off our A+ spotting skills.
Castle Hill: By Stacey Wong
Willy loves Willy,
but Willy doesn’t love Angus
Koen Rutton trying hard on Show Stopper (V3) Photo Nino Pankusz
Wim Coosemans throwing for the pocket on Show Stopper (V3) Photo Stacey Wong
NZAC crew with their millions of boulder pads walking into Castle Hill Photo Wim Coosemans > Chair’s Report > Section News > Notices > Coming Trips, Courses, Events > Trip Reports > Section Contacts > Our Club On A Page
Matt Bondi topping out Visions (V4) at Quantum Fields Nino Pankusz getting a V5 tick on the last day...with an injured finger.
Photo Nino Pankusz Thank goodness for Castle Hill slopers!
Photo Matt Bondi
Angus Kirk sticking the dyno move on The Joker (V9)
Photo Stacey Wong Conditions were far from
ideal, with oppressive
temperatures during the
day making Castle Hill’s
famous slopers feel
impossible. Undeterred, it
just meant we were
climbing late into the
evenings when everything
cooled down a bit. We
occupied our mornings with
riddles that some solved
in minutes but left others
stumped for much longer.
Despite being one of the
first to hear the riddle from
Rosie, Angus could just not
figure out what Willy liked
and disliked. Willy loves
skiing, but he doesn’t like
snow. Willy loves Willy,
Sam McCahon all smiles
but he doesn’t like Angus.
as he tops out
Photo Nino Pankusz Which proved fine because
by the end of the weekend
Angus didn’t like Willy very
much either.
Speaking of which...Willy loves the weekend,
but he doesn’t like Saturday.
Bonus riddle: You are at the top of an 80m
multipitch. You have anchors at 80m and at
40m and no bolts in between. You have a 60m
Eric Duggan storming up the rope and a knife. How do you get down?
standing start to The Final Cut, a high-ball V5,
to join in on the Bondi/Duggan family send train > Chair’s Report > Section News > Notices > Coming Trips, Courses, Events > Trip Reports > Section Contacts > Our Club On A Page
Not quite like Doctor Who would do it
Exploring tops in Lewis Pass National Reserve
Words and pictures Peter Laurenson
It seemed like the weather had been sunny and scorching Because the north ridge of Mount Technical is graded a 3,
for weeks. Drought conditions were being endured at various we carried a rope, harnesses and some rock anchors. We
points around the country and the fire hazard was set at high. also had a tent and other related paraphernalia, so the weight
of our packs had the sweat streaming out of us in the bright
Shaun Barnett had some unfinished business on an 1,870m
sunshine as we made our way along the tops, passing
crag known as Mount Technical on the Lewis Tops in the
numerous inviting looking tarns. The north ridge of Mount
Lewis Pass National Reserve. He’d climbed it before via the
Technical was soon in view, looking suitably craggy.
west ridge, but wanted to have a crack at the more technical
north ridge. My boots had never trodden anything in the Lewis If we’d been able to begin walking that morning we would
Pass area, so anything was worthy of a look as far as I was have had enough time to tackle the north ridge on the same
concerned. Although the weather forecast indicated a change day, but by the time we reached a saddle beneath the
coming, we hoped the clear weather would last a bit longer. Apprentice, an easy-to-reach 1,678m highpoint a little to the
northwest of Mount Technical, there wasn’t enough daylight
After flying to Christchurch from Wellington, we picked up a
left. A little below us, nestled in a broad cirque, lay another
rental car and drove up SH7 to a car park at 863m. From near
tarn that looked like the perfect spot to camp. But before we
the car park the Lewis Tops Track climbs rapidly up to nearly Above - At our tarn camp (1,550m), with the Apprentice behind
headed down there to set up, we dropped our packs and
1,600m – quick access to the tops, always good in my view.
scrambled up the Apprentice. The top commanded superb
Below - A view south and west from the summit of the Apprentice. Lucretia is directly
360 degree views. Shaun rattled off many facts about the
ahead and the Grand Duchess (1,703m) slightly to the right. Our camp tarn is far left
peaks, ridges and valleys surrounding us.
The landscape stretched further out in every direction than
I’d imagined. Regrettably though, clouds were gathering
in the south west and the wind was building.
> Chair’s Report > Section News > Notices > Coming Trips, Courses, Events > Trip Reports > Section Contacts > Our Club On A Page
The Biv is literally a two metre cube, with the top relenting into a small roof pitch (at two metres I
might even be being generous). One side has a door, another a window. The back wall has two
bunks, with the top bunk designed for contortionists. Though tiny, once we got settled inside, the
interior did seem a bit larger than you’d expect it to be from the outside – a bit like Doctor Who’s
Tardis in fact.
Although the weather hadn’t been conducive to any serious climbing, clearings in the clag during
the afternoon encouraged us out to explore the terrain around the Biv. More tarns cropped up as we
wandered over the folds in the landscape. And a steep scramble leading up to a 1,674m highpoint to
the west couldn’t be ignored. Once on top, again we were rewarded with beautiful views. The cloud
base smothered the last 50 or so metres of distant Mount Technical, but everything lower than about
1,800 metres was in view.
Back down in the snug shelter of the Tardis we enjoyed many brews, several forms of chocolate and
then another good sized dinner as we waited to see what the weather would bring. If it improved we
hoped to sidle around ledge systems to have a crack at the 1,700m Grand Duchess. In the craggy
but open terrain there are many options open in every direction, at least if conditions permit.
It wasn’t to be. Next morning the weather had only worsened, so our thoughts started to dwell on the
potential for swollen rivers preventing our escape. Our best option, other than retracing our steps
Heading south west, beyond Lucretia (1,643m) along the craggy ridge towards Brass Monkey Biv
over uninviting tops, was to descend into Duchess Stream, follow deer trails mostly on the true right
to begin with, then cross the stream and sidle upwards to avoid a steep narrow gorged section. It
Down at the tarn we set up camp behind some sheltering boulders, enjoying smoked chicken, was wet, slippery, arduous going.
pasta and veges a la Barnett. There was to be no sunset though as the clouds really piled in.
Sometime after dark the rattling of rain on our tent fly didn’t sound encouraging. The weather system At times the deer trails were quite apparent, but frequent, sodden, in-your-face tree branches made
had arrived even faster than forecast and, next morning we agreed that there was little point trying it difficult to see our feet. Eventually, after four or so hours of up and down we dropped a couple of
to climb treacherous, slippery rocks into viewless soaking clag. At least Brass Monkey Biv offered hundred metres to the end of Duchess Stream and joined the Nina Valley Track. An old section of
small scale shelter a few hours walking, over 1,643m Lucretia. the track led us astray on the true left, chewing up another 45 minutes, so it was a pleasure to finally
dump our dripping packs at Nina Hut.
In very limited visibility it took us longer than expected to find our way across rugged, sometimes
narrow and exposed ridge tops to the Biv. At one point a packless wrecky was needed to navigate
seemingly bottomless bluffs, but after three or so hours we descended below the cloud base and
saw beneath us a tiny yellowish orange box sitting beside a tarn. Brass Monkey Biv – its location
was as evocative as its name. Left - It’s not called Brass Monkey Biv for nothing Centre - Inside the Tardis Below - An exterior view
> Chair’s Report > Section News > Notices > Coming Trips, Courses, Events > Trip Reports > Section Contacts > Our Club On A Page
Down below 700 metres at the hut though, a new and evil challenge very quickly emerged – sand-
flies – hordes of voracious little monsters that made trying to follow deer trails while drenched seem
like a luxury.
Once behind a closed door in dry clothes, including long trousers, long sleeve shirt, glacier hat and
lashings of insect repellent, things perked up noticeably. The first other people we’d spent any time
with on the entire trip turned up at the hut soon after us – two English brothers. Alistair was a rural
vet based at Rotherham in Canterbury, Chris a bridge designer from Chicago, so interesting
conversations were had.
Next morning we just had an easy walk, still in overcast conditions, on a well trodden trail beside
the Nina River which, after a couple of hours, reached a swing bridge crossing the Lewis River.
Having met Alistair and Chris was very handy as they had a vehicle parked at Palmer Lodge beside
SH7. We arrived at the highway ahead of them, but hitching the 10kms back up to our own vehicle
had proved a no go. If only I’d figured out how to call the Tardis, just like Doctor Who does when he
needs a lift somewhere, then we could have arrived via yellowish orange two metre cube. As it was,
Alistair’s Toyota Surf sufficed.
Post script: Just when it seemed that the ‘leader of the free world’ Donald Trump had completely
eroded all forms of moral fibre, my faith in humanity got a boost on my return to Wellington.
Upon unpacking my gear I discovered that I was a goose, having left my fabulously NZAC-logo-
emblazoned fleecy hanging from a rafter at Nina Hut. But then an email from Ashlee at NZAC
Central Office informed me that a good sort from the Nelson Tramping Club had let her know that
he’d carried a blue fleecy out with him from Nina Hut. He’d checked the hut book and had a hunch
it belonged to Shaun or me. I gave him a call. He refused payment for postage and a few days later
it arrived, nicely folded. Thank you David Renwick – your moral fibre is up to free world leadership
standards, unlike someone else’s.
Above - One of several tarns above Brass Monkey Biv
For more captioned images and route map ... www.occasionalclimber.co.nz
Below - The boldness of Robins. We encountered many below the bushline
A view east from the 1,674m high point, back to Brass Monkey Biv (lower right) and
the route we took that morning, back to Mt Technical - top right, shrouded in cloud
> Chair’s Report > Section News > Notices > Coming Trips, Courses, Events > Trip Reports > Section Contacts > Our Club On A Page
Powered by volunteers
We’re always thankful for volunteers and members stepping forward to help the section run
smoothly. A lot goes on to keep our club going, virtually all powered by volunteers. On the back
page is our “Club on a page” summary. It gives an at a glance description of all the things we do,
how and why. Feel free to print a copy and pass it on to anyone who might be interested in
becoming a member or volunteer. And if you’d like to learn more about how you could get
involved, please email us at wellington@alpineclub.org.nz.
Role Name Contact
Chair person Simon Williamson 021 054 7684
Treasurer Carolyn Ellis 021 574 287
Secretary Stacey Wong staceycolleena@gmail.com
Gear custodian Genevieve Luketina gluketina@hotmail.com
Trip co-ordinator Eric Duggan 021 350 161
Section nights, Vertigo Peter Laurenson 021 446 725
Social media Marie Kelly marieitz4u@gmail.com
Club liaison Keith Munro keithm@mtgelab.co.nz
General Committee, Photo comp Guy Dubuis guy.dubuis@gmail.com
General Committee Alexis Belton belton.alexis@gmail.com
General Committee Rosie Percival calicoanne@gmail.com
General Committee Naomi Seow naomiseow@gmail.com
General Committee Derek Cheng derekcheng.nz@gmail.com
General Committee Scott Harper scott.harper@hotmail.co.nz
Patron John Nankervis
Rock drill overseer Jeremy Tries 027 555 5893
www.facebook.com/nzacwellington
Twitter @NZACWellington
For quick access to our Section’s page on the
NZAC website, click or scan this QR code
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