February Hi TAC Newsletter of the Taranaki Alpine Club Inc.

Transcription

1 Sunrise Jan P Andrews February 2013 Hi TAC

2 The Trip Files November2012 The Trip Files February 2013 I hope Christmas treated you all well, and you got all you asked for. Better still if you got to try out some of your presents to yourself! I managed just one summit, but did get to the lodge a few times and also overnight at Pouakai Hut. The Surf to Summit to Surf is not far away now. So if you ve been umming and ahhing about challenging yourself, then do a Nike and just do it. It s on 9th February, so let me know asap. Mike Hutson s recent Interesting Walk off the Mangorei track treated a small group to a thoroughly enjoyed spectacle of the Mangorei Falls with some wows amongst the crowd. The plane wreck didn t quite generate the same response. Thanks Mike. Interesting, but perhaps not overly social, is a walk in to the Kaitakes with Ivan Bruce. It will be a bit of a bash to the mines and the Pa site. It will definitely be educational as Ivan shows off his knowledge of the history of the area. Ring Ivan on to say you re keen. Date will be the first fine weekend in February. Trip grade medium. Time for another Sunset/Sunrise Summit. That s right folks, watch the sun go down from the best viewing spot around. Then rug up as you wait for sunrise. If you haven t watched a sunset or sunrise from the mountain top, then this is a must do. The suns show from the summit is a breathtakingly beautiful event. Jeremy Beckers will be chaperoning this one, so call him on for more info and to register. You ll need to jump around as it s coming very soon on 16th/17th February. Trip grade medium. Jeremy is also keen to take a trip into the Tararuas or Ruahines this summer. Probably 3 or 4 days in length. Options are wide open at this stage, so express your interest to Jeremy and have some input into the shape of this trip. You will need to be fit and strong for this one it falls into the hard grade. Early March will be round three for the South-North Traverse. I say round three because it has been thwarted both previous times because of conditions, and ended at Syme Hut. Call me to register your interest. I am also needing a trip leader, so call me if you can help. Trip grade medium. Good old West Side is in April. The west side of the mountain is so very different and quiet as you get away from the tourists. Walk up above Kahui Hut and over to the Pyramids where you can look down at the rapidly eroding Pyramid Stream. Be sure to take your camera ready as the photo ops are endless. I m also in need of a trip leader for this one too. Trip grade medium. In May there will be a very social trip to Maungatautari in the Waikato. There will be a night at a lovely B&B at the bottom of the peak, and a fairly easy day tramp over the peak. I ll let you know more when the trip leader has confirmed dates and details. You can still register your interest with me in the meantime though. Trip grade social. 2 Hi TAC

3 And finally a little something to get you thinking. A couple of years ago, I planned a put yourself in the picture challenge the aim being to identify where the photos were taken and get to as many as possible in a weekend. That challenge never got off the ground, but I still have the photos. Each month I will publish one photo in this column, and if you think you can identify what it is/where it was taken then me your answer. Your prize is your name here, showing how clever you are. When I run out of photos, the winner will be the one who got the most right. No prizes, just the glory. The only clue is that all the photos are taken in Egmont National Park. Last months photo was Bells Falls. No takers for that one. And I thought it would be an easy one. Here s something a bit harder Bryan Krijger Trip Coordinator (06) (027) bryan.krijger@clear.net.nz 3 Hi TAC

4 Open Climb 2013 The annual Open Climb event for the public will be held on February 23rd 2013! The reserve day will be Sunday February 24th. Please support your club, and volunteer to help. The more Club members we have, the better. Contact Jonathan Crane if you can make it President Jonathan Crane ( ) Open Climb Conducted from the old Tahurangi Hut - B Grawbow 4 Hi TAC

5 Club Nights... PLEASE NOTE Club nights start at 7-30 First Thursday of each month, Foundation for the Blind rooms, 131 Vivian St, NP TRIPS AT A GLANCE Ddate Trip Grade February 9th Surf to Summit to Surf Big & Hard Feb? Kaitakes interesting walk with Ivan Bruce Social / medium Feb 16 / 17 Sunset/Sunrise Summit Medium March South - North Traverse April West Side Challenging Grading of trips. I have been asked about grading of trips, and that members maybe aren t sure whether they are up to a particular trip. Grading is a tricky and subjective thing, but what I have done is broken trips into three categories as follows:- Social Shorter, easier walks 3-6hrs. Average fitness, family friendly, as fast as the slowest. Eg you find walks like the Kokowai or Jacobs Ladder Circuit enjoyable and easy. Medium & Challenging Long, full day trips, but not especially hard. Good level of fitness. Eg able to summit and return in under 5hr30 (summer conditions) is a good benchmark; although stamina for a full day is the overriding thing here ie you can finish the day with a spring in your step. Big & Hard Multi day or particular experience required (such as good winter climbing skills). High level of fitness and strength. Eg able to carry a heavy pack (15kg+) for 6hrs or more and feel good the next day to do it all again. These are fairly broad grades, and every trip is a bit different, so if in doubt call me to discuss. Bryan Krijger (06) (027) bryan.krijger@clear.net.nz 5 Hi TAC

6 NEW MEMBERS & SOCIAL GATHERINGS We welcome you to the TAC. Grant Upson is keen to help you integrate easily into club activities so give him a call if you have any questions. Scott Chamberlain is our new social co-ordinator and is open to any suggestions for a good get together. TAHURANGI LODGE This the TAC s premier Lodge on Mt Egmont / Taranaki. It sleeps 26, has electric heating and cooking, all cutlery, pots and pans, etc. Just like home. To get an ekey you need to apply in writing to the Executive Committee. An application form can be obtained by downloading from our website. Overnight fees are $5 for TAC members (under 18 years $2.50) and $20 for non-members (under 18 years $10). Members can buy an annual lodge pass for $40 (under 18 years $20) which allows members unlimited sleeps until the next AGM. Anyone who stays at Tahurangi Lodge must write in the overnight book upstairs by the fridge; 1. Their surname and initials. 2. Say TAC or non-member. 3. If under 18 please state. Bookings by people from other clubs or groups of 5+ people should be made with the Lodge Booking Officer The lodge subcommittee looks after all maintenance. Contact Danny Roguski if you want to help, have ideas for improvements, or have found something wrong. SUBSCRIPTIONS Annual subscriptions are set at the Annual General Meeting. Subscriptions for 2012: FAMILY $60, ORDINARY (single) $40, STUDENT (under 18), $30. The subscription halves for those joining after 01 September. For more info contact the Treasurer, Colin Neighbours (ph ). Members with unpaid subs at end of April are sent an account overdue notice. If still unpaid by 1 st June incur a penalty of 20%. Any members with unpaid subs at 1 st July are removed from membership. GEAR HIRE - TAC Equipment Officer: Jonathan Crane ( ) The following equipment is available for hire by TAC Club Members: Ice axes, ice hammers, helmets, harness (incl. karabiners, etc). Each item costs $5/day or a maximum of $10/day for 2 or more items per person. Return the gear promptly after use and you only pay for the days you actually used it. Return it late and risk paying for the complete period; Your choice. A PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is also available for hire and great for back country tramping or alpine climbing. Contact the Equipment Officer AT LEAST 2 days in advance to ensure availability EVENTS PROGRAMME Club Information Club nights, trips, instruction and social events are all important functions of the Club s activities they need both support from participants as well as volunteers to lead them. If you have suggestions for club nights contact the Club Captain, or would like to volunteer to lead a trip contact the Trips co-ordinator. HiTAC Newsletter of the Taranaki Alpine Club A monthly newsletter ed out to club members with an address. Also available via the Clubs website Any trip reports, events, gear for sale can be sent to the Editor at Taranakialpineclub.hitac@gmail.com Each quarter the FMC ( Federated Mountain Clubs) Magazine is posted with a paper copy of the HiTAC. 6 Hi TAC

7 President Jonathan Crane ( ) Vice President Pat Sole (Ph ) Club Contacts - Club Captain & Club Nights Phil Davies ( ) davies.phillip@hotmail.com Secretary Elaine Sinton ( ) taranakialpineclub.secretary@gmail.com Treasurer Colin Neighbours ( ) taranakialpineclub.treasurer@gmail.com Instruction & New Members Grant Upson ( ) gcupson@slingshot.co.nz Trips Bryan Krijger (06) (027) bryan.krijger@clear.net.nz Social Scott Chamberlain (Ph ) scottchamberlain8@hotmail.com OFFICERS & COMMITTE Committee Ivan Bruce (Ph ) itmustbesointeresting@xtra.co.nz Tahurangi Lodge Lodge Bookings Stephen Miller ( ) taranakialpineclub.lodge@gmail.com Lodge Committee Convenor Danny Roguski (Ph ) the.gusgus@hotmail.com LIBRARY Librarian Jeremy Beckers ( ) PUBLICATIONS HiTAC Phillip Andrews ( ) Andrews.phillip@gmail.com Website - Editor Matthew Penn (Ph ) webmaster@taranakialpineclub.co.nz EQUIPMENT FOR HIRE Equipment Officer Jonathan Crane ( ) joncrane@slingshot.co.nz CHANGE OF ADDRESS Must be advised in writing Send to the Secretary by mail to 7 Hi TAC Taranaki Alpine Club, PO Box 356, New Plymouth or taranakialpineclub.secretary@gmail.com STAYING OVERNIGHT IN THE LODGE? If you do you must fill in the Overnight Register which is situated upstairs next to the fridge. Please read the instructions on what information is required, particularly if you decide to pay before departure. Record this beside your name and put the money in the envelope provided. If you don t do this then don t be surprised if you get an invoice requiring you to pay - perhaps a second time! If you prefer not to pay on departure, then that is OK, because an invoice will be sent to you in due course usually after the end of each quarter. If you decide to take your immediate family (who normally reside with you) to the Lodge overnight, remember...you can only claim member costs ($5 or $2.50) if you are registered with the Club as a FAMILY membership. If you are an ORDINARY then your family pay the full costs ($20 or $10). The alternative is to change membership status by contacting the Treasurer prior going to the Lodge. Colin Neighbours (Treasurer)

8 2012 FMC Photo Competition 8 Hi TAC