Wilderness

Each issue of Wilderness takes its readers to the most beautiful areas in New Zealand, whether by foot, mountain bike, sea kayak, raft, pony or dream.

An accidental fastpacker

Wilderness

LETTER of THE MONTH

Your trips, YOUR PIX • What did you get up to last weekend?

VOTE FOR THE GREAT OUTDOORS • New Zealand's General Election is on October 14. We asked the four main political parties for their views on the most critical issues involved in outdoor recreation. Act Party did not respond.

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO SUMMIT

DUA DISCOVERS THE OUTDOORS IS FOR EVERYONE

The resilience toolkit • How do you keep going when it all seems too much?

Resilience in action • What resilience looks like for Walk1200km participants.

Start preparing for Walk1200km part 3!

SNAIL'S PACE • There are fast walkers and there are slow walkers. Whatever your pace, just remember, it's not a race.

ABOVE and BEYOND • In his early years, Sir Graeme Dingle was an unlikely hero. But the skinny teenager punched above his weight by setting ambitious goals. Over five decades, thousands of Kiwis would catch his passion for wild places.

See more … QUIRKY STUFF • The weird, unusual and downright quirky things you can see in the backcountry.

THE UNRELENTING CLIMB • FRENCH RIDGE TRACK, MT ASPIRING NATIONAL PARK

Pell Stream Hut, Lewis Pass Scenic Reserve • Long, hot summer days are best suited for this challenging journey into a seldom-visited valley near Lewis Pass.

The Bluff / Motupōhue Southland • The Bluff / Motupōhue tracks are the southernmost in Te Waipounamu. They make for a beautiful two-hour walk with a variety of steep hill track and easy flat coastal walkway.

Mt Hector via Field Hut, Tararua Forest Park • Mt Hector is the highest peak on the historic Southern Crossing route, which traverses the high points of the Tararua Range from Ōtaki through to Kaitoke near Upper Hutt.

Tarn Bivouac and Ohuinga, Ruahine Forest Park • An overnighter to a tiny biv and a high summit.

Steepface Hill, Hakatere Conservation Park • This walk is great for those who like to gain height quickly for epic views and bag a decent-sized hill while doing so.

In search of a gladiator • SPENDING FOUR DAYS IN RUGGED WESTLAND TO REACH THE PEAK NAMED THE GLADIATOR ISN'T EASY, BUT THAT ONLY MAKES IT MORE REWARDING.

Moving faster, travelling lighter • EVERYONE WANTS TO CARRY THE LIGHTEST PACK POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY FASTPACKERS WHO COMPLETE TRIPS IN MUCH LESS TIME THAN MOST PEOPLE.

5 GREAT ROUTES RECOMMENDED BY FASTPACKERS

Fastpacking gear • TO GO FASTPACKING YOU NEED LIGHT, DEPENDABLE GEAR. HERE ARE SOME IDEAS TO GET YOU STARTED.

HAUNTED HUTS • HEADING INTO THE HILLS THIS HALLOWEEN? PERHAPS YOU'LL BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO VISIT ONE OF THESE HAUNTED HUTS.

OTHER SUPPOSEDLY HAUNTED HUTS

The sort of fun most would run from • WILDERNESS MEETS THREE PEOPLE WHO ENJOY THE OUTDOORS IN A SLIGHTLY MORE EXTREME WAY THAN MOST.

A BALANCED START • Improve your confidence when walking on uneven ground and help prevent ankle rolling.

A SHORT LITTLE GUIDE TO CLOVE HITCHES

GEOGRAPHICALLY EMBARRASSED • Most of us will, at some time, have arrived at a place we did not intend to be in: we have been ‘geographically embarrassed'. How does this happen?

What's in MY PACK • Alice Brice became a fastpacker because it meant she could spend longer in the backcountry while still being able to run. She says going lightweight means she can “knock off epic adventures, return to my children more quickly than I would when tramping while still maintaining a running pace, taking photos and enjoying hut yarns”. Her pack weight can range from 6-9kg, but that is the...