Location: Memorial Theatre, Student Union Building, VUW Kelburn Campus, Wellington

A collection of New Zealand-made mountain films - brought to you by the Vic Uni Tramping Club, Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club, and of course the New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival!

Pedals To Powder (28 mins) Nick Kowalski, NZ. Two women cycle to every ski field in Aotearoa
in one wild season, braving storms and exhaustion—uncovering a hidden world of independent
ski culture along the way.
All in or Nothing (24 mins) Gordon Duff, NZ. Up against 120 riders with full support crews, a
young athlete only has himself to rely on. Follow his gruelling six days as he attempts to win the
overall title at the NZ MTB Rally. BEST DOCUMENTARY
Riverbound - The Storybook Has Just Begun (13 mins) Dylan Gerschwitz & Deane Parker,
NZ, World Premiere. Yak, a former pro kayaker now paraplegic, takes on Class 3 rapids in the
Upper Buller Gorge. Can packrafting restore his freedom—and redefine who gets to run wild
rivers? FESTIVAL SPIRIT AWARD
As One - The MHS Adventure Racing Team (15 mins) Louie Burger, NZ, World Premiere.
This uplifting documentary follows nine Motueka High students on a wild, 40-hour adventure
racing from the West Coast home—raising funds for World Vision with grit, laughs, and heart.
Spirit of the West (12 mins) Pedro Pimentel, NZ, World Premiere. Set against New Zealand’s
wild West Coast, this film captures the spirit of the Old Ghost Ultra—where community, resilience,
and grit collide in a transformative celebration of people and place. COMMUNITY SPIRIT
AWARD
Rakiura Solo (13 mins) Michael Beckmann, NZ. A tough solo hike around the 130km North West
Circuit on Stewart Island/Rakiura. Beyond the challenge, what makes this island truly special is
its rich wildlife. An ambient film without dialogue.
Waiatoto (20 mins) Josh Morgan & Jasper Gibson, NZ. This film tells the story of a traverse
across the Southern Alps through packraft, skis and tramping. Starting at the Matukituki, the route
went via Tititea, the Volta Glacier, and the Waiatoto, to the Tasman Sea. BEST NZ MADE FILM

Total running time: 125 minutes + 15 minute intermission.

We will either leave on the Friday or Saturday depending on weather and peoples availabilty.

Day 1: Leave from the Hunter carpark at 0800, and drive 4ish hours to Dawson Falls. Get to Dawson Falls around 1200-1300, from there we climb up to Fanthams Peak where Syme Hut is located. The climb should take around 3-4 hours. We will sleep at Syme Hut for the night. Have some drinks and a group dinner (Pasta and Lion red).

Day 2: We wake up early at 0600 to get a move up the mountain. It should be a straight shot right up the mountain about 600 metres. It'll be a steep climb, steeper than Ruapehu. For this portion it is vital everyone coming knows how to self arrest, walk with crampons and use an Iceaxe. I ideally want to make the summit by 1100-1200. We will downclimb and tramp out from Syme Hut back to Dawson Falls and drive back to Wellington. 

Syme Hut is limited to 10 bunks, so I dont want to bring more than 7-8 people. Bring a sleeping mat incase a bunk is taken.

This is going to be a bit of a slog, so no one who hasn't completed Snow Craft (or comparable course) , climbed a mountain (Something simillar to Ruapehu or Taranaki, the Tararuas unfortunaly don't count in this case) and also has a high level of fitness. 

https://wtmc.org.nz/trip-report/taranaki-hard-core/  

(This is basically what we are doing minus the early 0400 start)

Meeting Point: Te Kopahou Visitor Centre Carpark, Ōwhiro Bay Parade

Difficulty: Easy – flat coastal track

This will be a fun time along Wellington's wild southern coast! This week’s walk takes us to the iconic Red Rocks Coastal Track, a 7.4 km out-and-back trail along the rugged shoreline that offers stunning views of the South Island on clear evenings. Expect a relaxed pace, great company, and maybe even some seals basking along the walk (DON'T HARRASS THEM). We will turn around at Sinclair Head and head back to Te Kopahuou Visitor Centre!

What to bring:

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Warm layers and a raincoat if it's raining
• Water and snacks, or no snacks and water
• A torch or headlamp

How to get there:

• Take the 29 bus which stops at Owhiro Bay. This bus runs from Wellington Station through Newtown, Brooklyn, and down to Ōwhiro Bay and Island Bay. You plan for this here: https://transitapp.com/en/region/wellington/metlink/bus-29
• More information for the 29 bus https://backend.metlink.org.nz/assets/PDF-Timetables/23-27-29-39-July-2021.pdf

Last minute trip down the Waiohine river from Totara flats. The walk in is about 4h of very boring yet somewhat challenging valley walk with barely any views (Saturday arvo). BUT it might all be worth it to paddle down to the carpark in the freezing cold water the next morning (Sunday), yay! The paddle is about grade 2, so not technical, but since it is a walk in / paddle out at least some packrafting and/or river safety experience is required for this trip. 

You will need:

Dinner + breakfast + snacks + hot drinks material (I will bring a stove!)

Camping gear for yourself, night might be cold! 

Walk-in + camping clothes

Thermals + wet or dry suit + a rain or wind jacket + very warm socks + river shoes (old sneakers work great) for the paddle (maybe gloves too?)

A set of dry clothes and shoes at the carpark

Every year we like to head up Mt Ruapehu & learn a bit about alpine hiking. We learn how to use an ice axe, crampons & some info about safety in winter conditions.

We stay at the TTC Lodge on the mountain, which is one of the most incredible places to watch the sunrise & sunset.

What happens on Snowcraft?

On Friday evening we will meet at the gear shed from 4pm to sus ourselves out, then start driving north by 4:30pm. Bulls is about halfway & has a bangin' curry spot so maybe pop in for dinner on the way, or elsewhere (up to your driver really). We should get to Ruapehu before midnight, then we have to walk about 20min from the carpark to the lodge. 

Saturday morning we will rise at a reasonable hour, have breakfast, and sort the day's gameplan. We will split into groups, and spend the day on the mountain learning snow skills, & checking out some cool scenery. Then we'll head back down to the lodge for a mean feed & a bit of socialising. 

Sunday morning we have to tidy up the lodge but otherwise we can decide what we want to do. There's potential for more snow stuff, or maybe a trip to the hotpools or other locations on the way home. 
 

What do I need for snowcraft?

A comprehensive list will be sent out to those attending, but here's a rough outline of the kind of gear you need:

• Waterproof jacket, pants & gloves
• Boots that are compatible with crampons - this is very important! Bring your boots to a meeting if you're not sure. 
• Sleeping bag
• Warm clothes - thermals, fleece etc
• Headtorch
• Snow goggles or decent sunglasses

VUWTC will supply helmets, ice axes, and crampons.

What will it cost me?

The cost of the trip is $140. This includes:

• The fees for staying 2 night in the TTC lodge
• 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner/dessert
• Your share of petrol (it's a long drive!)

The trip fee for leaders will be subsidised to $100 each. 

We need 6 drivers - drivers will be reimbursed $254, which is in line with IRD's kilometre rates. 

How do I sign up?

Sign up using the sign up form below. Sign ups will open on the 12th August and close on the 21st August.

Due to the popularity of this trip it will not be first in first served - priority will be given to members that are currently active in the club (coming to meetings/going on trips) & those who signed up to Snowcraft 1 but missed out.

We are allowed 31 people in the lodge so that will be the trip capacity. 

Celebrate one year of restoration at the Kumutoto Ngahere and Awa.

About

Everyone is invited to the Kumutoto catchment to join for a day of activities relating to urban forest and stream restoration. Coming up on Sunday, 14th September, from 9 am to 2 pm is Kumutotos' first-ever community open day! A celebration of everything that has been achieved over the past year through this amazing project. A karakia at 9 am will open the day, followed by activities, workshops, Kai, music, and tours of the ngahere. The celebrations are open to everyone, so bring your whanau, friends, and flatmates to join. It will be a great day to recognise all the incredible mahi that has been put into this project, and provide an outlook to the future of Kumutoto's restoration.

Workshops

• Water and invertebrate testing
• Fish passageways
• Stormwater tunnels
• DIY Tracking tunnels

What's Else?

• Children's workstation
• Ngahere fort building
• Karaka tree korero
• Guided tours of the Kumutoto stream and forest trap lines
• Taco Addicts Food Truck!

Access from Club K lower carpark on Salamanca Road or from 214 The Terrace.

Welcome to Wednesday Climbing Nights!

We bounce between Hangdog Adventures in Lower Hutt and Faultline Climbing on Willis St!

There are grades for everyone: people who prefer to test out the basic climbs to those who love a good challenge, so come along! No matter how much climbing experience you've had, you are welcome.

This week: Faultline 

Schedule:

• Sign up! (Even if you are meeting us down there)

• Please meet at the Hunter Carpark at 5:45 p.m. We will head down on the dot (6 p.m.).
• Travel to the Climbing Gym by foot. 
• CLIMB!
• You can leave whenever you like (We usually finish up around 8:30 p.m), return to your flats and halls by bus or walk from the gym.

Entry costs $15 + $3 for shoes 

This is not paid for through the club—there is no piking fee if you pull out. Let me know if you cannot make it on the night !!!

To get the VUWTC entry price, just let the front desk know you are with VUWTC. Our discounted price is only from 6 pm onwards on Wednesdays

The FMC (Federated Mountain Clubs) Photo Competetition is an annual photography competition run by FMC, inviting member clubs to submit the best photos taken during the previous year. We'll hold our competition deciding which photos to submit to FMC at our Tuesday meeting on the 9th of September in AM101. The competition is a fab oppurtunity for you to show off your photography skills, win cool prizes, and see some more of what everyone has been up to over the year! 

Entries close 11.59pm Sunday 7th September. Entries will be judged by popular vote of VUWTC members at the Tuesday weekly meeting on the 9th. Prizes will be given to the winner of each category of the VUWTC competition. The top two in each category will be submitted to FMC.

Please email submissions to vuwtcpublicity@gmail.com. 

The catogories are: 

• Above bushline, no human element (ABN).
• Above bushline, with human element (ABW).
• Below bushline, no human element (BBN).
• Below bushline, with human element (BBW).
• Historic (old photographs, not photos of old things) (HIS).
• Native flora, fauna & fungi (NFF).
• Long exposure (LE).
• VUWTC Club Spirit (this is an internal competition and the winning photo won't be submitted to FMC).

NOTE: The 2025 theme is ‘Public Land Forever’. New Zealand is a land of extreme landscapes, most of which are public lands. FMC is once again fighting to ensure our public lands remain public forever. Any photo taken within a public space in New Zealand that you think is under threat of being lost to the public or has already suffered from an excessive human impact can compete for an additional prize. It might be a closed access point to your favourite bush or a once wild river now diminished or dammed…

A couple of other important things:

• You can enter two photos per category 
• Photos must be from Aotearoa
• Photos must be yours 
• Photos must have been taken after 1 September 2024 (except historic)
• Photo must be named according to this convention: Category code, club name, photographer, and caption, in that order. For example: ABN, VUWTC, Your name, 'Ruapehu at Sunset'. This rule doesn't apply to the club spirit catogory. 

More rules at: https://fmc.org.nz/photo-competition/

Here's a few winning club entries from last year!