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

Kia ora all!

If birds, the bush and bingo are up your alley then this is a tramp for you. Over three days we will walk up the Ōhau river, up and over twin peak, and back down through the bush. Over this time, each of us will have a bingo sheet of native birds to spot – with huge prizes (like bird-sightings) up for grabs!

This trip will run from Saturday the 17^th till the Monday the 19^th of October, leaving Saturday morning and getting back Monday evening. The current plan for the route is shown on the map below.

Day 1 - Leave from the Poads Road end, walking up the Ōhau River to South Ōhau Hut.

Day 2 – Walk up the trail (through Butcher Saddle and over Twin Peak) to Waiopehu Hut.

Day 3 – Walk out down the main trail from Waiopehu hut.

I will send out a gear list closer to the time but feel free refer to the website for a general idea (just normal tramping things – plus maybe binoculars and a bird ID book if you’re feeling enthusiastic).

Dinner will be provided (and divvied between packs) but you will need to bring your own breakfast, lunch and snacks.

There is a chance the route will change slightly if it rains a lot (or is forecasted to) and we need to avoid the river.

Numbers are limited by hut capacity, and by drivers (2 people with cars would be great!)

Cheers,
Micah (soon to be bird spotting pro)

(The cost is for 2 dinners + fuel for driving to and from)

TRAMPS WEEK! - Kime-Renata Loop

Dates: Saturday 17th to Monday 19th

Max group size: 5

Need a driver! I'll shout you a pie!

• Sat - Drive from Hunter Carpark to Otaki Forks, walk to Renata Hut (5-6 hours) 
• Sun - Renata to Kime Hut, lunch at Elder Hut (6-7 hours) 
• Mon - Walk out to Otaki Forks via Field Hut (4-5 hours) 
   

Will be taking it chill, main risk is if bad weather while we're exposed on the ridgeline, and the cold. Everyone should have sufficient warm layers for temps as low as 0C overnight. Potential of high winds when going past Elder Hut. We will adjust the plan according to the weather 

 

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.

More details to come but the idea is that we do the Southern Crossing in one day (~35km, 2500m vert) and orchestrate a key swap with Tommy who is tramping from the other direction.

The route has a lot of elevation so starting early and conserving energy will be the strat, i.e. walking up hills and slow jogging any flats / chill downhills.

TE MATAWAI MISSION!!!

Unfortunately I have exams so can't afford any longer tramps :( but never fear! The humble overnighter offers a welcome escape from the drudgery of study period. I want to go to Te Matawai hut because I've never explored that area of the Tararuas and theres's no better time than now. This is a medium level tramp so some experience and fitness is required - if you're unsure flick me an email :)

DATE FLEXIBLE: if you're keen but can't make these dates let me know and I could potentially change to a nearby day.

^This could be your home for an evening...

^ and this could be you making an epic journey up Pukematawai peak...

PLAN:

Day 1:
Meet at Hunter carpark around 7:30am, and drive 1h15m to Poads Rd end. Walk up to Te Matawai hut (around 900m total elevation gain), via Waiopehu hut and Butcher Saddle. The Doc estimate is 6 hours, but it could be longer depending on group size and experience. We should get to the hut before dark.

Day 2:

I'm thinking a morning mission up to Pukematawai peak for those who are keen?? Then back more or less the way we came (there are two options of similar distance so we can decide) and back to Welly. All going well we should be back by early evening.

WHAT TO BRING:
- Standard overnight tramping gear (https://www.vuwtc.org.nz/resources/gear-list). Don't forget warm layers and a headtorch + spare batteries + toilet paper ;)

- Water, lunch x2, breakfast, and snacks. I'll sort a group dinner and distribute ingredients before we leave.

If someone else with a car signs up more people can come! 

Hello!

As I have been loving all the collabs between various clubs on campus here at VUW (looking at you Greywacke series) I feel that a collab between the VUWTC and the MUAC (Massey University Alpine Club) is in order. This also allows us to use the MUAC lodge on the mountain!

This is a planned summit of Tahurangi via the Skyline Ridge. As this is a trip that will take place during snowy conditions, It is mandatory that anyone coming has attended a snowcraft course, or can prove they have attended a similar course.

Give this course report by WTMC to get a feel for what this trip could be like 

https://wtmc.org.nz/trip-report/tahurangi-from-blyth-hut-mt-ruapehu/

The Skyline ridge is Mt Cook Grade 1 so its good way for anyone keen to get into moutaineering to get on.

I will be picking people for this course based on level of experience

Bushcraft 2 - An incredible journey for you to develop skills in navigation, river crossing, devouring food in the bush aka foraging, risk management and first aid! This trip is open to all who have a reasonable level of tramping experience and who are ready to learn what to do when things might not go to plan...

For Bushcraft 2, we will be heading to Tutuwai Hut on Friday the 2nd of October at 2pm, meeting at the Hunter Carpark at 1:30 pm. We will aim to be back by around 5pm on the Sunday. 

We will be fly camping at Tutuwai Hut, and the gear list is attached below. If you have your own compass and tararua map (Topo50), please bring it.

https://www.vuwtc.org.nz/resources/gear-list

If you want to learn more about Navigation, sign up to the nav course as well on the 15th of September.

This year, the New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival is back again! Together, VUWTC and our mates at WTMC have joined up to run a screening of both the Pure NZ Night and Award Night screenings of the films featured in this year's programme.

We will be selling tickets to the Pure NZ Night, which will be hosted on Tuesday the 6th of October, and the Award Night, hosted on Thursday the 8th of October! All proceeds raised from ticket sales will be donated to charity!

Tickets are $20 for all, per night. Choose which night you'd like to come along to, or even come along to both! 

Bring your family, friends, neighbours and anyone along. Snacks encouraged!

This calendar listing is for tickets to the Pure NZ Night on Tuesday the 6th of October!

See this listing for tickets and info on the Awards Night hosted on Thursday the 8th of October: Awards night tickets

Timings: Doors open at 6:30pm, Film starts at 7pm. End time approx 9pm

PURE NZ NIGHT: - total time 126 minutes - Tuesday the 6th of October

Jerry on the Jerry (10 mins) Huw Miles, NZ. World Premiere. A team of packrafters make a second attempt at a first descent of the Jerry River deep in Fiordland.
 

Race Be Run (15 mins) Richard Carey & Prabhjit Sabharwal, Canada/NZ. Dressed as
Superman, a man runs solo along Canada's highways to raise funds for cancer charities, transforming the grief of losing both parents into a quiet, inspiring mission of hope.

Project RedLine (30 mins) Matheson Brown, NZ. A blue-collar nobody from New Zealand goes up against a mountaineering elite in an attempt to strip him of what is widely believed to be an illegitimate world record. FESTIVAL SPIRIT AWARD
 

Alone on Makalu (22 mins) Nick Kowalski, NZ. Matthew Scholes attempts to summit the world’s fifth-highest mountain without supplementary oxygen.

The Pole of Inaccessibility (25 mins) Danny Warley & Ned Brannigan, NZ. A paraglider embarks on a multi-day bivouac flight across New Zealand's Southern Alps, navigating glaciers and vast wilderness to reach the country's most remote point, the Pole of Inaccessibility. He then faces the challenge of getting back out. SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE AWARD

100 Days in Fiordland (24 mins) Dan Sutherland, NZ. Three kayakers spend 100 winter days deep in Fiordland National Park, sea kayaking, hunting, fishing and searching for unexplored whitewater in one of New Zealand's most demanding wilderness expeditions.
BEST NZ MADE FILM

Tickets:

$20 per person, per night - Please note these tickets are for Pure NZ Night only; see the Awards night tickets linked here: Awards night tickets

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!

Welcome to Wednesday Climbing Nights!

Want to try indoor climbing for the first time, or meet some like-minded climbers? Come along to our weekly climb nights! We climb at Hangdog (Bouldering & Top roping) in Lower Hutt, and Faultline (Bouldering) on Willis St.

This week, we'll be climbing at Faultline, which is a bouldering gym. This means no ropes/harnesses and no belaying. There are grades for every level of experience, so no matter how much climbing experience you have you’ll have plenty to get stuck into!

IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME CLIMBING AT FAULTLINE, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE (https://www.wellingtonclimbing.co.nz/first_visit_fl/) AND SIGN THE ONLINE WAIVER BEFORE WE LEAVE FOR THE GYM!

This week: Faultline

Schedule:

• Meet outside the top floor of the VUWSA building at 5:00pm to walk down together or outside Faultline at 5:20 p.m.
• CLIMB!
• You can leave whenever you like (we usually finish up around 7:30-8:00 p.m) and return home independently.

Entry costs: $15 + $3 for shoes

This is not paid for through the club—there is no piking fee if you pull out. Pay at Faultline when we arrive.

To get the VUWTC entry price, just let the front desk know you are with VUWTC. Our discounted price is only from 5:30 pm onwards on Wednesdays.

See you there :)