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Big Tops Hut & the CTC

Frank King, from the December 1996/January 1997 newsletter

Christchurch Tramping Club's connection with the Big Tops Hut in the Koropuku valley goes back a long way.

At one time there was only a tiny Big Tops Biv at the head of the Koropuku Stream. When that great tramping benefactor, the New Zealand Forest Service, decided a hut was needed it fell to Ray Forsyth to select a suitable site for it. The condition of Big Tops today is proof that Ray was good at his job. Ray is now a member of the club and spends his time in the hills for pleasure.

The new hut became a Mecca for the more adventurous CTC members. There was even a suggestion at one time that it be renamed "McSweeney Manor" in honour of the frequent visits by then keen young CTC tramper Jerry McSweeney.

Official trips didn't go there though. There was even a deliberate move to keep people out. A note in the hut book in 1973 advised people to "...keep it unknown by not talking too much about its position."

Over the next few years the hut book was dominated by the names of CTC notables: McSweeney, Jones, Visser, Lassche, Rainsbury, Sheppard, Lewis, Hay, Cox, Dephoff, Caldwell, Saggers.

It seems that they obeyed their instructions and kept quiet about the place. As the hardy CTC trampers of that era began to concentrate on other life interests, the appearance of club names in the hut book came to an end. The trampers who moved to the forefront of CTC activities had a blind spot for Big Tops, rather than a fond spot. For ten years not a single name associated with the club was written in the hut book.

Even visits by non CTC adventurers dwindled. There was one year when not a single name appeared in the hut book. The ribbonwood and harakeke grew taller, kiwis shrieked at night unheard and the deer rubbed their velvet off against the corner of the hut undisturbed.

Rumours circulated among trampers that the track had grown over and couldn't be found and a mythology developed that Big Tops was lost to the world. This was helped by reports that even DoC didn't know where it was.

A story did the rounds that DoC, eager to claim any revenue due from their great NZ Forest Service inheritance, sent in two parties of workers to put a sign in the hut advising of the fees that were now payable. Neither party could find the place and eventually a helicopter was used to do the job. The signs duly arrived by air and were affixed to the wall but I'm not sure what return DoC hoped for to cover their costs.

Whatever, this incident increased the rumour that Big Tops had been reclaimed by the wilderness and that a journey to it involved major difficulty.

So what was the truth?

Well, a lot of people in the CTC know it now. Since my first trip in there in 1993 thirty-five people have been to Big Tops with me, on five different trips. Seven have been more than once. This club once again has the expertise on the area.

Routefinding can be a real difficulty. The descent down the gully would intimidate some. The alternative bush route is fine but requires good bush navigation skills. Then when you get to within 50 metres of the hut, if you're not confident using your map, you could still spend a night out (like many others) and come out with a story that you'd rather not tell.

Prospective Member Form

Most of the information you will need to know about the club can be found on the About the CTC page of this website.

Once you have read that, assuming you still want to join the club, please fill in the form below.

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You can enter additional information in the "Notes" field below to:

  • Ask a specific question about the club.
  • Ask a specific question about a particular tramp, e.g., can you put me in touch with the leader?
  • Tell us a bit about yourself : e.g. your previous tramping , your reasons for wanting to join the club, trips you aspire to when you are a member.
  • Anything else ...

Notes:

Please note: unless otherwise stated, day trips depart at 8:00 am and weekend trips depart at 7:00 pm on Fridays from Shell Carlton Corner Service Station, 1 Papanui Road (next to Liquor Land and opposite Derby Street). If you aren't taking your car on the trip, park on one of the nearby side streets, otherwise it may be wheel clamped or towed. If you are taking your car please refuel at Shell Carlton, as they are kind enough to hold our trip lists. Every trip gives an indication of petrol costs per person. Please bring it in cash to help the leader divvy up at the end. Trip grades are explained here. 

To find out who is leading a particular trip, or if you have any other questions, comments or suggestions on trips, please contact day trip organiser Bernard Parawa (981 4931) or weekend trip organiser Jeff Hall (332 9251). If you have comments or suggestions for trips, please contact the appropriate trip organiser.

Please note: for trips marked early start potential participants should contact the trip leader first—this makes planning much easier.

Saturday December 2

  • Three Deans
  • Grade easy. Map M34. Approximate cost $15. List closes November 30. In behind Amberley in the foothills. A nice day walk with some scenery.

Weekend 2–3 December

  • Lake Tennyson Base Camp
  • Grade easy/all/MTB. Map M31. Approximate cost $40. List closes November 23. Join Bernard for a great place for a base camp under the Beech trees beside the lake. Princess bath is just one option for tramping, there are options for all grades as well as scope for fishing, and mountain biking.

Weekend 2–3 December

  • Navigation
  • Grade training. Map L34. Approximate cost $25. List closes November 23. Learn how to read a map, line up a compass, fix your position, tame the terrain and find your way from here to there whether up in the clouds or down in the bush. Map L34, notebook, pencil, rubber and a compass with a transparent base required. Magnifying glass useful for reading map detail. Classroom/Port Hills session on Saturday and "In the Bush" training near Mt Oxford on Sunday. Check with Richard if you need advice on purchasing any items. Saturday venue to be announced.

Saturday December 9 or Sunday December 10

  • Vertical Rope Skills
  • Grade training. Approximate cost $10. List closes December 7. Come along and extend your skills vertically. Learn abseiling, prusiking, lowering, safety methods, multi-stage abseils, single rope abseils, multi-stage lowering and more. Some day you may need to do this on a tramp. Beginners can learn the basics and for people wanting to upgrade their skills, I will be teaching some advanced techniques, to increase safety and enable you to deal with some awkward situations. Give your preference for Sat or Sun. The day will be chosen on the number of preferences for each day and the weather.

Weekend 9–10 December

  • Griffin Creek–Rocky Creek
  • Grade moderate. Map K33. Approximate cost $40. List closed November 30. An interesting West Coast trip with a mixture of bush, riverbed, track and also the opportunity of open tops travel. (up to Mt Griffin and the Serpentine mine) The tracks have been recut in the last couple of years and there is a good hut at Griffin Creek.

Sunday December 10

  • Little Mt Peel
  • Grade easy to moderate. Map J37. Approximate cost $25. List closes December 7. Peel Forest area. From the Blandswood Road end climb steadily via Deer Spur overlooking the Rangitata. 8km, approx 850m height gain, marked tracks, some steep. A well-formed track leads to an attractive bush- edged tarn at 900m. A good spot for lunch. Then it's on to the summit with spectacular views.

Saturday December 16

  • Peak Hill
  • Grade easy to moderate. Map K35. Approximate cost $20. List closes December 14. Southwestern shore of Lake Coleridge; 5-6 hrs return. Outstanding viewpoint. 1240m. 600m height gain, 4/5km tramping on part track and part easy tussock hillside terrain.

Sunday December 17

  • Mt Catherine
  • Grade moderate-hard. Map J35. Approximate cost $20. List closes December 14. Clent Hills, Ashburton River Catchment. Weather permitting leave ChCh 5pm Saturday night and camp beside Lake Heron. Views of the rugged Arrowsmiths. 2085m.

Sunday December 17

  • Mt Somers Canyoning
  • Grade easy/wet. Map K36. Approximate cost $25. List closes December 14. Wet t-shirts anyone? Fantastic summer fun in a beautiful landscape. Let the river be your guide.

Saturday December 23

  • Mt Williams
  • Grade moderate. Map K33. Approximate cost $25. List closes December 21. APNP Awesome peak - stands above Edwards/Mingha confluence.

Between Xmas 2006 and January 14 2007

  • Hopkins–Temple–Ahuriri–Snowy Gorge Creek–Maitland–Hopkins
  • Grade moderate. Maps G38 and H38. Approximate cost $TBA. List closes December 14. This circuit starts and ends at the top of Lake Ohau, tramping to the west and north. Lovely country over snowy passes and beautiful valleys. Pace medium. Ice-axe and crampons required for the Temple—Ahuriri crossing. Actual walking 4 to 5 days. Departure date yet to be confirmed. Expressions of interest invited.

Wednesday December 27 to Tuesday 2 January

  • Poulter River / Thompson River–Arthur's Pass NP area
  • Grade moderate. Maps K33, L33. Approximate cost $TBA. List closes December 14. A Xmas trip in the Eastern area of Arthur's Pass National Park that is an interesting area, that the club has not run a lot of recent trips into. Should be a great trip contact. Experience is needed in traveling off track, as this does involve some travel off the standard marked trails.

Long Weekend 1–5 January

  • Wilberforce River–Mungo Saddle–Arthur's Pass SE area
  • Grade moderate. Maps J34, K34. Approximate cost $60. List closes ASAP. For those of you who saw Penny's great slides of Mungo Pass area here is the chance to see it first hand with Bernard. Heading up the Wilberforce River and into the unknown - contact the leader for details. Experience is needed in traveling off track, as this does involve some travel off the standard marked trails.

Weekend 6–7 January

  • Lake Stream–Lewis Pass / Rahu Saddle area
  • Grade moderate-to-hard. Map: L31. Approximate cost $40. List closes ASAP before Christmas. The first weekend trip of the New Year, it's over Lewis Pass to Rahu Saddle. Lake Stream Biv is in a beautiful location with the option of a tops circuit with good views down into Springs Junction if the Northwester stays away. Contact the leader as this does involve some travel without tracks.

Sunday 7 January

  • Mystery Moderate Trip
  • Grade moderate. Map: ??. Approximate cost $TBA. List closes 4 January. Que sera sera!

Saturday 13 January

  • Hallelujah Flat
  • Grade easy. Map: L33. Approximate cost $25. List closes 11 January. APNP - along the track from Andrews Shelter in the Mt White area. Lovely tramp through forest to open scenic river flats. 8km there and 8km back, 300m height gain, mostly straightforward forest track. If it is a hot day there is a good swimming hole to cool off in when you get back.

Weekend 13–14 January

  • Casey Binser
  • Grade easy-to-moderate. Map: L33. Approximate cost $40. List closes 4 January. A really good standard Arthurs Pass trip, suitable for beginner overnight trampers who however must be capable of carrying a pack for 6/7 hours each day. This is very pleasant country and Hallelujah flat which is passed on day 1 is a delightful place for lunch. The Casey Hut is big and comfortable for Saturday night and Sunday sees a pleasant wander down the river flats before a climb up thru the bush to the Binser Saddle and finally down to the road for (almost) a complete round trip.

Sunday 14 January

  • Blimit
  • Grade moderate-to-hard. Map K33. Approximate cost $25. List closes 11 January. Arthur's Pass - Twin peak circuit. Popular high points above Punchbowl Falls.

Saturday 20 January

  • Mt Bruce
  • Grade easy-to-moderate. Map K34. Approximate cost $25. List closes 18 January. A fine viewpoint on the Black Range. The walk overlooks the Bealey/Waimak and Harper River catchment. Well tracked

Weekend 20–21 January

  • Mt Adams–West Coast
  • Grade hard. Map: I34. Approximate cost $60. List closes 11 January. Repeat of the Mt Adams trip that was cancelled in November if the weather gods are happy.

Weekend 20–21 January (or 27–28 January)

  • North Opuha conservation area
  • Grade all. Map: J37. Approximate cost $60. List closes 11 January. The new conservation area has a 7km Access track which is ideal for mountain bikes, so although the walk in is pleasant, the bike in will get you to the hut faster for more exploring time. The area is served by an historic 4 bunker musterer's hut in good condition with plenty of attractive camping around it. There is a lovely ridge circuit to tramp, and MTB tracks all over the place. This can be as challenging or as relaxing a weekend as you want to make it. Walking the MTB access track is an option for more relaxed trampers and is set in impressive country.

Extended trip 20–27 January

  • West Coast Traverse Taipo to Whitcombe via the Kokatahi
  • Grade moderate. Maps K33, J33. Approximate cost $60. List closes 11 January. The plan is to do a traverse on the West side of the divide utilizing the newly maintained huts and tracks in the Hokitika catchment. The trip starts off in the cruisey Taipo climbs up to Dunns creek hut over Newton Saddle and into the Arahura. The next stage leads over into the Styx, climbs up to Lathrop Saddle and over the Browning range then down into the head of the Crawford river. The Crawford is followed to the junction with the Kokathai, then the Kokathai followed up to its head and on up to Zit Saddle. Depending on weather and time there are several options from there. From Zit Saddle the Adventure ridge can be followed into the Toaroha valley to visit the hot pools and an exit to the road via the Toaroha track, or the short route exiting from Zit saddle to Boo Boo hut via the Pinnical ridge, or a harder option which after dropping to the Toaroha involes climbing up to the Diedrich range and down Gerhardt Spur to the Whitcombe river, or lots of others some even exiting to Canterbury. With 10 huts and 5 bivs along the route bad weather shouldn't upset us too much and with the tracks in the upper Kokathai being recently recut this is a good time to visit this rugged interesting country.

Sunday 21 January

  • Mt Harper
  • Grade moderate. Map: J36. Approximate cost $25. List closes 18 January. Above Lake Emma. The Rangitata River flows around Mt Harper and Mesopotamia Station is nearby under the Sinclair and Ben McLeod Ranges 6-7 hours (loop route). Views of Asburton River gorge and lakes area.

Weekend 27–28 January

  • Buckland Peaks
  • Grade moderate. Map: K29. Approximate cost $25. List closes 18 January. A good track to a newish high level hut. Take advantage of the long summer days to get to this interesting tramp in an area not often visited by the CTC. It's a long drive but well worth it. There are great tops to explore above the hut.

Sunday 28 January

  • Around Mt Somers
  • Grade moderate-to-hard. Map: K36. Approximate cost $25. List closes 25 January. This involves a tramp of 28km, and a cumulative height gain of 2000m. With short infrequent rests this takes 9 hours, so be prepared for a 10 hour tramp. Starting and ending at the Sharplin Falls carpark, this is a varied and interesting tramp passing through forest, under waterfalls, and over open tussock land. You will see interesting bivvies, a brand new hut, and with fantastc views and traverse the south face of Mt Somers on a new track still unknown to many.

Sunday 28 January

  • Ashley Gorge
  • Grade easy. Map: L34. Approximate cost $15. List closes 25 January. One of the top picnic spots in Canterbury and a fine place to explore. Beautiful gorge area.

Weekend 3–6 February

  • St James Walkway
  • Grade easy-to-moderate. Map: M31, M32. Approximate cost $50. List closes 25 January. You will need to take a days holiday on the Monday (5th) but take advantage of Waitangi day and make a long summer weekend to walk the entire length of this walkway. The St James is one of the best of Canterbury's walkways and is suitable for anybody who can carry a 4 day pack for 6 hours a day. With good tracks, big huts and great scenery this is well worth the effort. Numbers limited so be in early.

Weekend 3–6 February

  • Copland Pass–Mt Cook NP area
  • Grade hard. Map: H36. Approximate cost $60. List closes 25 January. Take the Monday off for a long 4 day weekend for this great crossover trip. Option of either cross there and back or attempt a round trip. Still to work out the logistics but give me a ring if you are interested. Definitely need some snow craft skills as will require competence with ice axe and crampons for the snow slope at the Pass.

Weekend 3–6 February

  • Lake Angelus
  • Grade moderate. Maps: M30, N30, N29. Approximate cost $60. List closes 25 January. Classic tramping trip, if you haven't done it yet now is your chance. Leaving on Saturday we will walk Robert Ridge, visit Lake Angelus hut and stay there or maybe camp at Hinapouri Tarn. Climb Angelus Peak, drop down through Sunset saddle to Hopeless Hut. Finally walk out along the Travers valley. Will need to take Monday off work.

Weekend 3–9 February

  • Poulter River / Thompson River–Arthur's Pass NP area
  • Grade moderate. Maps: K33, L33. Approximate cost $TBA. List closes 25 January. A repeat of the above Xmas trip into the Eastern area of Arthur's Pass National Park depending on how this trip goes. Should be a great trip. Experience is needed in traveling off track, as this does involve some travel off the standard marked trails.

Sunday 4 February

  • Mt Potts
  • Grade moderate-to-hard. Map: J35. Approximate cost $25. List closes 1 February. Upper Rangitata. Mt Potts is near the confluence of the Clyde and Havelock Rivers. Above the Erewhon Park Skifield.

Sunday 4 February

  • Nikau Palm Gully
  • Grade easy. Map: N37. Approximate cost $20. List closes 1 February. Out past Akaroa towards the heads. A great place to explore this summer.

Weekend 10–11 February

  • Minga Deception (or visa versa)
  • Grade easy-to-moderate. Map: K33. Approximate cost $40. List closes 1 February. The classic Arthurs pass weekend trip. A week after the coast to coast the track should be free of runners. Come on this great trip and see one of the best parts of the national park. Good hut (Goat pass) to stay in on Saturday night.

Weekend 17–18 February

  • Canyon Creek - Ahuriri River
  • Grade moderate-to-hard. Map: G38. Approximate cost $60. List closes 8 February. Access to the park is via Birchwood Road which leaves SH8 about 17 km west of Omarama township. Birchwood Road runs for 21 km up to the park boundary, after which it is 4WD only for a further 10km to the road end but my Corolla seemed to manage it OK. All sorts of options in the valley or on the tops.

Weekend 17–18 February

  • Dunfiunary - Lake Pukaki
  • Grade hard. Map: H37. Approximate cost $60. List closes 8 February. Mt Dunfiunary can be easily accessed from the Mt Cook road and provides some great views of the peaks of the surrounding area not to mention a few mobs of Himalayan Tahr. Always an interesting area.

 

The Christchurch Tramping Club

The Christchurch Tramping Club (CTC) has around 250 members of all ages and runs tramping trips every weekend.

Our trips range from easy (minimal experience required) to hard (high level of fitness and experience required).

We also organise some instruction courses, have some equipment for hire, and hold informal weekly meetings and other social events.

The full printable version of the current newsletter is available to logged-in members from the newsletter archive. This page is just a summary of material from the newsletter that doesn't appear elsewhere on the web site (e.g. on the trip calendar and social programme pages).

General notices

At the AGM on 19 April 2007 the following were appointed to the Committee for 2007/8:

President: Richard Wills
Senior Vice President: Andrew Turton
Junior Vice President: Warwick Dowling
Secretary: Lisa Glading
Treasurer: Malcolm Carr
Editor: Alastair Brown
Club Captain: Jim Western
Weekend Trip Organiser: Andrew Turton
Day Trip Organiser: Jenny Harlow
Hut Convenor: Dave Watson
Social Convenor: Alan Ross
Club Patron: Rex Vink
Other committee members: Peter Mortlock, John Taylor, Steve Bruerton, Mike Ny, Susan Pearson, Jeff Hall


Greta Vink was appointed Honorary Auditor
Hut Committee: Rex Vink, Steve Bruerton, Don Carnielo, Andrew Wrapson, Ken Brown, Steve Berry, Dayle Drummond, David Ellison-Smith (Hut Convenor Dave Watson).
The position of Gear Custodian was not filled at the AGM. Ken Brown has agreed to continue to hold the club gear until a Gear Custodian is co-opted.
We wish to thank everyone who served on last year’s Committee and especially those who are taking a well deserved break from Committee work this year – Sue Napier, Bernhard Parawa, Craig Beere, Bruce Miller, Ken Brown.

Internet Banking: You should have received your subs renewal form for 2007/2008 membership year with last month's newsletter/FMC bulletin. If you did not receive this please contact Susan Pearson. We have now made it possible for you to pay your subs by Internet banking. In order for the treasurer to match up payments with members, it is important when making your payment to fill in the payment boxes called "Particulars", "Code", and "Reference". The renewal form will show you what to use for these, but in general, the Particulars should be your first name initial followed by your surname, (eg spearson) the Code is "subs" (for everyone) and the Reference is your membership id on the club database (which you probably don't know). If you lose your renewal form and need to find out your membership id, ask Susan or Malcolm what it is.

Website photos: We intend changing the three photos displayed on the front page of the website regularly. So if you'd like to have one of your trip photos appear there, please send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Photos should be landscape format, must have CTC club members clearly visible in them (either doing some great tramping or being sociable in an interesting place) and must be eye-catching in thumbnail size as well as looking good full size.

External events of interest

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is coming to Christchurch again in 2007 for one night only: Saturday 26 May, 7:30pm at The Aurora Centre, Burnside High School. This years selection of the best outdoor adventure films includes mountaineering, kayaking, skiing, rockclimbing, Mountain biking and more. $18 from The Roxx, Bivouac Outdoor and R&R Sport. Be in quick as it is sure to sell out.

Locator Beacons: The current 121.5 MHz locator beacons (the type the club owns and probably the type you own if you have one) will be obsolete from February 2009, when monitoring will cease. The powers-that-be recommend that you are fully upgraded to the new 406MHz beacons well before then. See www.beacons.org.nz for more detail.

Poo Pots: DOC is now commercialising their "Poo Pots in the Park" scheme at Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. The one-litre pots are $5, accompanied by five biodegradeable cornstarch liners and a tube of hand sanitiser, and recyclable outside the Visitor Centre at the Aoraki/Mt Cook village. The liners can be deposited with the poo in hut toilets or outside the Visitor Centre. The CTC support and encourage the use of the Poo Pots in the Aoraki/Mt Cook region, both for human health and for Maori cultural reasons. To obtain the poo pots, visit the Visitor Centre at the Aoraki/Mt Cook village during its opening hours - we suggest you contact DOC directly to confirm the opening hours before leaving Christchurch.

Book Review: "Coast to Coast: Who was First?"

Reflecting on 300 years of discovery and self-discovery, leading to the Coast to Coast multisport adventure race.

By Grant Hunter (published by Fifth Camp, Christchurch, New Zealand).

As the subtitle makes clear, this book is more about the background and history of coast-to-coasting, and mountain-race-type adventures around Arthur’s Pass in general, than the present Coast to Coast race itself. It starts with the history of the coast to coast route from Maori onwards, then the exploits of the surveyors and explorers like Dobson. Mountaineers like John Pascoe come into it too. The history of mountain running at Arthur’s Pass in the 1970s tells how the CTC and other Christchurch clubs started the idea of mountain running races in Arthur’s Pass in 1970 (the first mountain race, up Mt Bealey, was won by Eric Saggers of the CTC jointly with Stan Scott from the National Park Board, with John Visser, also CTC, next in). The Mt Bealey race was eventually transformed into the Avalanche Peak Challenge by Chris Cox and Dave Watson. The final chapter covers the present Coast to Coast race. The book is well-sprinkled with illustrations including photos and reproductions of drawings, maps, posters etc.

This is a good book for anyone interested in the history of exploration, recreation and racing through Arthur’s Pass.

The book should be available through some bookshops, but the easiest way to purchase (special price $21 including postage) is to contact Grant at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (03) 351 6369 (post to Fifth Camp, P O Box 34046, Christchurch).

(reviewed by Jenny Harlow)

The closing date for the next newsletter is Sunday May 27th. Please email articles to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Alastair Brown, or post them to The Newsletter Editor, Christchurch Tramping Club, PO Box 527, Christchurch.

The full printable version of the current newsletter is available to logged-in members from the newsletter archive. This page is just a summary of material from the newsletter that doesn't appear elsewhere on the web site (e.g. on the trip calendar and social programme pages).

This month's newsletter includes a trip report for the Lake Ohau Jaunt, and an order form for anniversary T-shirts and calendars. The latter are available through the website's 75th anniversary page.

Membership

Membership enquiries can be sent This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more details, see the page on joining the club

Club 75th Anniversary

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Christchurch Tramping Club
75th Anniversary
Weekend after Easter 2007
(14/15 April 2007)

Make your booking using this form or contact Rex or Greta Vink: phone (03) 352 5329, write to PO Box 527 Christchurch, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Don't miss out on our great anniversary T-shirts and calendars.

External events of interest

Locator Beacons: The current 121.5 MHz locator beacons (the type the club owns and probably the type you own if you have one) will be obsolete from February 2009, when monitoring will cease. The powers-that-be recommend that you are fully upgraded to the new 406MHz beacons well before then. See www.beacons.org.nz for more detail.

45 Years of Antics: The Otago University Tramping Club has recently published 45 Years of Antics, a book containing some of the best stories and trip reports of the Club over the last 45 years. Two hundred pages of hilarious fun and crazy adventures selected from editions of Antics going back to 1960, when it was first published. Illustrated with magnificent photographs provided by past and present club members, and sprinkled with original cartoons. See the OUTC's website for more detail. Members of FMC affiliated club's can order the book for $29.95 + p&p. Cheques should be made out to 'Otago University Tramping Club' and sent to Otago University Tramping Club, P.O. Box 1436, Dunedin, with a note indicating the quantity of books required, your postal address, and if claiming the discount, the name of your FMC-affiliated club or confirmation that you are an individual supporter. Add $5 for 1-2 books and $10 for 3-5 books to cover postage and packing.

Dusky Track anyone?:Anthony Ede is thinking about tramping the Dusky Track in late February. Tramping in remote areas has its hazards and an individual has greater risks. He was wondering if there would be person(s) in the club that may be interested. He would really appreciate your help and interested parties can make contact using This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Thanks in Advance.

Poo Pots: DOC is trialling a "Poo Pots in the Park" scheme at Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. Pots are free, and recyclable outside the Visitor Centre at the Aoraki/Mt Cook village. The liners are free, bio-degradable, and can be deposited with the poo in hut toilets or outside the Visitor Centre. The CTC support and encourage the use of the Poo Pots in the Aoraki/Mt Cook region, both for human health and for Maori cultural reasons. To take, pick up a supply of Poo Pots and liners, visit the Visitor Centre at the Aoraki/Mt Cook village during its opening hours - we suggest you contact DOC directly to confirm the opening hours before leaving Christchurch.

FMC pack liners and poster: FMC have produced their own pack liner. Suitable for day packs and for a bag-with-a-bag in bigger packs, it is a bit smaller and lighter than the standard. Prices $56 for 100 bags or $20 for 25 bags inc. p&p from FMC. See the notice board in the latest FMC bulletin. If you only want a few, email the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 349 2280 and we will see if there is enough interest for an order. FMC have also produced a colour poster - again see the Bulletin.

General notices

CTC Website: As most of you know, the CTC has had a website since 1999. Paul Ashton has been Webmaster from the very beginning and has put many many hours of his time into it over the years. Paul now wants to take a slightly more behind-the-scenes role and so Richard Lobb is becoming the new Webmaster. The Committee would like to offer a huge thanks Paul for all his work in creating such a marvellous resource for the Club, and welcome Richard into the hot seat.

Get Fit for Tramping. Susan's "Get Fit for Tramping" sessions happen every Wednesday evening over the summer months. Come along to Mt Vernon carpark at 6:00pm on Wednesdays. This is Susan's backyard and she can show you 5 or 6 circuits of varying distance and difficulty. The aim is to pick the right one for you to complete in 1 hour. As you get fitter, you move on to the next circuit. Race yourself or a fellow tramper to push your boundaries. Talk to Susan at club night and she'll show you the circuits on the map. Please note that there are no trip lists and no 'leaders'. After some initial help from Susan, you should be confident enough to follow well marked tracks on your own and be self reliant. After getting people settled on their circuits, Susan herself will be aiming at the Moderate level circuits.

Email: The club operates a moderated email list. This list is used to send out the newsletter, occasional tramping related messages and other invitations, and from time to time a complete list of the email addresses of CTC members. Messages intended for the list, and requests to join or leave the list This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Note that the moderator will check as to the appropriateness of all messages.

CTC Stickers: The club has Christchurch Tramping Club stickers for members to stick in hut books when they visit a hut. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you would like some.

Photos: We can have photos on the web site to accompany trip reports. Please email your photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., along with relevent information such as who took the photo, location and whether it is relevent to a particular part of the trip report (so the link goes in the right place).

Access Database: If you know of any new information that concerns obtaining access to the properties we tramp on (such as change of owner or phone number), please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (343 2155).

When using the Club Hut, please be careful when changing the taps when arriving and leaving. The consequences of cocking this up (no pun intended) could be severe, so please read the instructions carefully.

The Committee meets from 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of every month. The venue changes between committee members' homes. Club members may attend meetings to discuss matters. Contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (349 2280) to arrange this.

Club Newsletters:If you are a club member and are logged in to this web site, the main menu will include a Newsletters link, which will give you access to Word and PDF versions of all club newsletters from 2002 onwards. Each time a newsletter comes out, it is made available in this way and an email is sent to the club mailing list alerting members and supplying login details.

Crampon Retention: Just a wee reminder that stuff attached to the side of your pack is liable to come off, if not securely attached, especially when bush bashing. Many CTC members have bitter memories of having lost valuable stuff in such a way (editor included). Remember that crampon patches are not necessarily to be trusted, and anything tied on needs at least one backup connection point in case of failure.

Mountain Radio: the Canterbury Mountain Radio Service has changed its address to c/- Ballingers Hunting & Fishing, 173 Montreal Street, P.O. Box 22-342, Christchurch, New Zealand.

The closing date for the next newsletter is Saturday, January 21st.

Please email articles to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Alastair Brown, or post them to The Newsletter Editor, Christchurch Tramping Club, PO Box 527, Christchurch.

This page provides access to archived newsletters from 2002 onwards in Adobe acrobat format (.pdf). Left-click a link to open a newsletter in a new window or right-click it to download it to your machine.

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We meet at Thursdays 7.30pm at the Canterbury Horticultural Centre (Watling Lounge), Hagley Park South, 57 Riccarton Avenue (entrance opposite the hospital). A variety of social functions is organised, the atmosphere informal, and tea and biscuits served. We show slides or have guest speakers most nights. If you can give a presentation or have ideas, please contact Social Convenor This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (384-6425). Please note that formalities start at 7:50 pm sharp, and if there is a guest speaker, he/she will start at 8:10 pm sharp. Other social occasions and trips are arranged at various times. Come along!

Thursday December 7

Annual BBQ at Halswell Quarry. Meet at 6pm. Bring your own food and drink. BBQ's will be provided. This is a great social event in the awesome warm weather that we will have. All welcome, including the kids.

Thursday December 14

Norman Hardie on "The Silver Hut expedition". Doctor Pugh who had been the physiologist to the 1953 Everest Expedition was very keen to undertake long-term experiments on humans at high altitude with the intention of making the results available to the planners of future space flights. This was before the first sputnik went into orbit. Eventually money was raised and a large group was organised for a ten months enterprise at 20,000 feet in the Himalayas during 1960/1. Sir Edmund Hillary was the leader of the party which over the scattered period included 23 men, nine from New Zealand and the others from the USA, UK and India.

To give some incentive to mountaineers and to test the long term effects of the experiment an attempt was made on Makalu, fifth highest mountain in the world, at the end of the period. Ama Dablam was climbed for the first time and to give some news value for the sponsors a detailed search was made for the alleged yeti. Norman Hardie was there for the first three months for the construction of the high laboratory. He kept in touch with the others after he left and has photographs covering the whole enterprise. Some of Pugh's medical team have subsequently been the main advisers to American and Russian space station experts.

He will also have copies of his new autobiography, "On My Own Two Feet" available.

Thursday December 21

Plate and Crate. This is the annual potluck dinner and the final social event for the year. It is from 6pm, eating at 6:30. Bring food for at least 4 people. You will need your own eating tools (plate and cutlery) plus liquid refreshments.

Thursday December 28 and Thursday January 4

No club nights. Happy tramping/socialising.

Thursday January 11

Trip report night. Come along and hear about those amazing tramping trips that were done over the festive season.

Thursday January 18

The CTC Web Site. Tonight our web team (Paul Ashton and Richard Lobb) will talk about the club web site -- how it developed, where it's at now, and where it might head in the future. In particular they'll be seeking opinions on some of the future possibilities, such as wikis, forums, shopping baskets and photo albums. Come along, learn about some of the site's present capabilities and offer your own opinions on how you'd like to see it develop.

Thursday February 1

Multi-day tramps in the South Island. Susan Pearson is taking us on multi-day tramps in the south Island. The trips will be including Lewis Pass to Nelson Lakes, and possibly The Dragons teeth - an area rarely visited by the tramping club.

Maps

  • WAMS - Walking Access Mapping System - Ara Hikoi. Interactive NZ topomap site including layers showing public access areas.
  • NZ Topomaps. Another interactive NZ topomap site. Doesn't show public access areas but has other useful capabilities like printing and coordinate readout and conversions.
  • koordinates.com. Yet another interactive map. Harder to use than the above two but with lots more individually-selectable information layers.
  • LINZ topo maps. You can download full-size images of the Topo50, Topo250 etc series of maps from this site. But be warned: they're huge.

Other New Zealand tramping and alpine clubs

Note that the Waimea Tramping Club has a comprehensive page of links to the home pages of other tramping clubs.

Canterbury Clubs:

Peninsula Tramping Club

Auckland clubs:

Other North Island Clubs:

Wellington region clubs:

Top of the South Island clubs:

Otago and Southland clubs:

National clubs:

National organisations:

Buying tramping stuff:

Other pages of interest:

  • The Summit Road Society works to enhance, preserve and protect the nature, beauty and open character of the hills of Banks Peninsula for people to enjoy.
  • Remote Huts Westland, maintained by a group working to make sure the huts are maintained.
  • MOUNTAINZ.CO.NZ "is open to all mountaineers to share their alpine adventures".
  • Campfire creations is a commercial website is about cooking good food in the New Zealand outdoors.
  • New Zealand Tramper is a site that contains general information on tramping in New Zealand. You can join the site, and post your own information!
  • Tramping New Zealand is a site that contains reports and photos of tramps and walks from around New Zealand.
  • The degree confluence project is an eccentric site that records details of visits to many of the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections in the world.
  • Peak to Peak is an international site with a huge number of links to tramping and wilderness web sites.
  • Graeme Black is in the process putting his father's journals on-line on this web site. Many trips will be familiar to club members.
  • Softrock is a site maintained by Graeme Kates of Arthurs Pass. It contains a lot of info on the Arthurs Pass area, including tramping and climbing routes, weather and snow conditions. This material is under the links page.
  • Today's weather from MetService.
  • snow.co.nz is a comprehensive New Zealand skiing site.
  • Bushwalking in Australia.
  • Hiking, Trekking & Camping @ ABC-of-Hiking.com. A portal for Hiking, Trekking & Camping Information. Hiking Tips & Techniques, Hiking Equipment Buying Guides and all information you need to go Hiking.
  • mtnguide.org is the one stop shop for adventure travel needs.
  • Glentui Homestay is a B&B in the Canterbury foothills, adjacent to Mount Richardson, Mount Thomas Forest set in 11 hectares of native bush.
  • The Kaikoura Coastal Track is a three day track run by commercial operators.
  • Nelson Lakes Shuttles arrange transport in the Nelson Lakes area, offer free tramping and accommodation information, and can arrange car storage and car transfer to any track end.
  • The Bibbulman Track Foundation manages, maintains and markets the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia, which stretches almost 1000kms from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills to Albany on the south coast. The Track passes through some of the most diverse and beautiful coastal, forest and wilderness areas of Australia’s south west.
  • Index to all trip reports