There's a new action-packed, track marking, helicopter stunt filled blockbuster coming to a tramp near you...

We are likely going to help with the installation of marker poles in the Tararua Main Range. This trip involves heavy lifting on steep and exposed terrain, so attendees would be selected based on strong tramping experience and fitness. Trip participants will receive an aerial view of the Tararuas ;)

Participants will need to attend a training and health/safety session before the trip.

You are cordially invited to the annual summit luncheon between the good folks of VUWTC and AUTC.

Snowcraft experience required. Cricket, sock wrestling, and table-traversing experience strongly preferred.

Staying at the TTC lodge, room for 16 of us to go.

We will be staying in the TTC Lodge with members from the AUTC (Auckland University Tramping Club). Many shenanigans will be undertaken, mulled wine will be drunk, cricket will be played on the summit plateu, and we will wrestle over socks. Perhaps we may sing songs too.

Gear required is the same as was used on Snowcraft. So please ensure you have all the right layers and crampon compatible boots. 

Food: We will do a group meal on the Saturday night that will be shared with AUTC. That is the only shared meal. The rest will be self catered. 2x Lunches, 2x Breakfasts, and plenty of snacks!

Helloo,

A debut to Maungahuka hut has been calling me recently so join me if you’re interested spending a few days on some fun weather exposed ridges in the Tararuas !

These dates are very weather dependent, but I’m hoping that this or least some time in the last week of October works out. 

Regarding those who sign up, people will be picked at the discretion of myself for ease of transport.

The plan is to leave early on the 27th, drive the hour to Otaki forks, and then walk the 5-6 hours to Kime hut. 

The next day we will cross the peaks to Maungahuka hut (7-9 hours).

Day 3 we will most likely go all the way back out (8-10 hours) and get home late on the 29th

This route is a very advanced tramping track; 

• The track is a poled route along an exposed, narrow ridge. There is no shelter, visibility can often be poor, and sections of the route are very steep and difficult. Only experienced and well-equipped trampers should take this route.
• The walk to Kime hut is a steep forest track climb opening into an extremely exposed alpine ridgeline - with a 1300m + elevation gain over the 10km track. Kime hut sits at 1400 metres so high fitness levels are required.
• From Kime to Maungahuka (6.8km) the ridge is very narrow in places, with steep drop-offs and sections of rocky outcrops. We will traverse across the notoriously steep double peak formed by the Tuiti and Tunui summits with the help of the long steel ladder. The hut sits at around 1300m, situated beside a beautiful tarn with wicked views - thus the appeal of this trip.

I will release more details closer to the time ! 😍

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Mark the Changing of the Guard with our Annual General Meeting! Decide who will be on the committee for 2027. The venue is SU228.

Meeting starts at 6pm. With pizza from 5:45pm - In SU228

Nominate new committee members here: 

Below are some brief descriptions of what each role does, so have a read and a think.

President: 

• Run the meetings or delegate to someone else every other meeting. This includes making the meeting slides.
• Make sure committee meetings: Ensuring things get done when they need to happen (Freshers, Heels). 
• First point of contact: Typically you will be the first one to reach out to, whether that be new members or other queries.
• Be a friendly face: You are the face of the club so use it wisely ;)
• Co-manage the [email protected] email with the Secretary.

Secretary:

• Take minutes at committee meetings, special general meetings, and annual general meetings.
• Manage [email protected], jointly with the president.
• Manage physical mail - this includes letters, FMC cards, Backcountry magazines, gear donations, and other things. Generally, we don't get too much mail.
• Once a year, send annual financial statements to the Registrar of Incorporated Societies.
• Keep club details updated on the Register, and let the Registrar know of any changes to the constitution.
• Once a year, re-register the club with Federated Mountain Clubs and the university.
• Once a year, apply for grant funding from the university, with help from the rest of the committee.
• Book the weekly meeting room and the clubs week stalls or get someone else to.
• Keep the Register of Members.
• Hold the club's records, documents, and books except those required for the Treasurer’s function.
• Attend in-person and online meetings, such as with FMC, Mountain Safety Council, and Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne.

Chief Guide & Assistant Chief Guide:

• Run trips!! The chief guides are responsible for all-things tramping. Run tons of trips and encourage & help others in the club to run trips too!
• Organize and lead the main annual trips which are: Snowcraft 1 & 2, Bushcraft and Freshers (shared with the social officers).
• Plus organizing Midwinter, which involves encouraging people to run larger trips over the uni holidays (and hopefully run a big one yourself!).
• Act as the main source of information for people in the club about tramping, like giving advice and helping others plan & run trips.
• Manage the [email protected] email.
• Quit your day job and spend every weekend tramping!

Treasurer & Co-Treasurer:

• Deal with payments for trips, including the big ones (Freshers, Bush rave etc)
• Keep track of the club’s annual budget
• Help with any payment issues for club members
• Chase up people who owe money
• Manage the [email protected] email
• No treasurer = No more tramps! 

Climbing Officer:

• Run weekly climb nights
• Organises Rockcraft 
• Organise/help others organise outdoor trips 
• Be fun and welcoming and get people climbing!! 

Social Convenor x 2:

• Organises all of the party trips: Tramps X3, Freshers (With chief guides), Bush ball, Midwinter Xmas, Bush rave
  • Finding location, organising setup crew, setting theme etc
• Be a friendly face at these events and others 
• Option to organise more social trips outside of these

Conservation Officer:

• Run a bunch of conservation trips!
• Promote conservation/environment/sustainability causes, like Conservation Week, Bird of the Year, NZ Garden Bird Survey, Earth Day, Plastic Free July etc.
• Maintain connections with long-standing partners of VUWTC: DOC, Sustainable Coastlines, Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, uni clubs like VUW SCB and VUW Science Collective.
• Build new relationships with conservation and community groups.
• Possibly do 2-3 beach cleanups out at Opau Bay each year (VUWTC looks after that site).
• Help VUWTC contribute to conservation/environment related legislation if appropriate.
• Arrange conservation guest speakers if possible!
• Purchase/look after club conservation gear.
• Manage the [email protected] email.

Gear Custodian x 2:

•  Put gear in members’ hands
• Influence how club gear budget is spent
• Repair gear and give it new life
• Preserve club’s historic artifacts
•  Run working bees to do the heavy lifting
• Use of the gearshed workshop

Publicity Officer x 2:

• Manages the social media accounts; the Instagram account (@vuwtc), the Facebook page, and don't forget the TikTok! ;)
• Manages the vuwtc publicity email [email protected].
• Ensures the club is engaged on social media, by posting past trips, advertising upcoming trips, sending out reminders for weekly meetings, climbing nights & walkies etc
• Organises the creation and sale of merch
• Finds/makes good merch designs (hoodies, shirts, beanies, badges, stickers...), reach out to design companies, gets quotes to ensure we stick to budget, and ensures they get deliver

Hut Maintenance Officer:

• Gets the club involved in maintenance of huts and tracks
• Is our representative to the Greater Wellington Backcountry Network (GWBN)
• Would be great to have a keen person in this role

HEELs Officer:

• Leads the production of the annual magazine 'HEELS'; 
• Leads a group in charge of the design & writing of HEELS, 'hassles' people to write trip reports, reach out to book printing publishes, ensures we stick to both the printing guidelines and the budget

This addition to the VUWTC Tararua Tramp Week involves 2 groups tramping the Southern Crossing over the weekend, coming out on Sunday. The reason for having 2 groups is so that we can do a car swap, exchanging keys when we meet along the track and driving theother groups vehicle(s) home. One group will tramp from Kaitoke to Otaki Forks and the other from Otaki Forks to Kaitoke. Below plans are outlined for each group.

Southern Crossing

DRIVERS NEEDED (Jack will give you a piece of his Blue Boots as a reward <3 )

Kaitoke - otaki Forks Group

Day 1 Friday 16th: 

Meet at Hunter Carpark at 7:30am, depart at 8am. Arrive at Kaitoke Roadend and on track by 9am. Tramp to Alpha Hut via Marchant Ridge. (8-10h)

Day 2 Saturday 17th:

Tramp from Alpha Hut to Kime Hut, meeting other group on the way, swapping car keys. (5-6h)

Day 3 Sunday 18th:

Walk out from Kime Hut to Otaki Forks, drive back to Hunter Carpark, swap back cars. Make ways home! (6-8h)

Otaki Forks - Kaitoke Group

Day 1 Friday 16th:

Meet at Hunter Carpark at 4:30pm, depart by 5pm. Arrive at Otaki Forks and on track by 6:15pm. Tramp to Field Hut !!Headtorches!! (3-4h)

Day 2 Saturday 17th: 

Tramp from Field Hut to Alpha Hut, meeting other group on the way, swapping car keys. (8-10h)

Day 3 Sunday 18th: 

Walk out from Alpha Hut to Kaitoke Road End via Marchant Ridge, drive back to Hunter Carpark, swap back cars. Make ways home! (8-9h)

**All times are according to DOC**

**Alternative Group Option** 

We are looking at the option of one group doing this route as a trail run over one day from Kaitoke to Otaki Forks on the Sunday. (35km)

Hut Tickets

Each Hut on this trip requires 1 standard hut ticket. This means that everyone should be bringing 2 Blue Hut Tickets.

Hut Ticket Retailers

Gear

Please bring overnight tramping gear. Key things are a tramping pack, warm clothing, a windproof raincoat, tramping boots or trail runners, a sleeping bag, a bowl/cutlery, a headtorch, a 1-2L water, and a first aid kit/personal medication. Bring a pot/cooker if you have them.

You can borrow club gear (eg packs, sleeping bags), but please ask in advance.

VUWTC Gear List

Fitness Levels

Due to some longish days on track and long exposed sections along the tops, this trip will require a moderate level of tramping experience.

Food

You will need to organise your own food for this trip. 

You will need to bring:

• Dinner x 2
• Lunch (x3 for Kaitoke to Otaki Forks group, x2 for Otaki Forks to Kaitoke Group)
• Breakfast x 2
• Snacks!!

Food inspo

Huts do not have gas provided so if you have a cooker you are able to bring along to share with the group please let me know.

Note: Feel free to organise shared meals with others in your group if you wish.