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adventure<br />
where actions speak louder than words<br />
ISSUE 231<br />
APR/MAY 2022<br />
NZ $10.90 incl. GST<br />
survival<br />
issue
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#FORTHEADVENTURE
How quickly things can change<br />
I decided to go to the Central Plateau for a few days biking, hiking<br />
and fishing, but first dropped my son off at the airport and headed<br />
south. The following morning, I woke and felt a bit hungover, but<br />
had only a few beers with the neighbours. This wore on and I was<br />
lethargic, and had a bit of a headache, evidently called a mailize.<br />
As evening drew on my temperature soared, accompanied by<br />
shaking, a sore throat and vomiting. This happy experience lasted<br />
for about two days, then slowly passed. My weekend trip was now<br />
extended to ten days of isolation.<br />
How quickly things can change!<br />
As my covid symptoms subsided, at the other end of the island,<br />
what I considered had died with rugby politics and apartheid,<br />
exploded outside of parliament. My views on the vaccine and<br />
mandates had nothing to do with how disappointed I was to see<br />
the escalation of violence and destruction. I am all for democratic<br />
protest, I support people’s right to choose but regardless of where<br />
you stand on mandates or politics, it was heart-wrenching to see<br />
kiwi police in riot gear and kiwi protesters setting fire to tents,<br />
throwing rocks and bottles at the police. This is not who we are.<br />
How quickly things can change!<br />
As the Wellington protest drew to its disappointing conclusion,<br />
on the other side of the world, Vladimir Putin and the Russian<br />
government decided to invade Ukraine. Once again regardless of<br />
your politics nobody wants to see this type of world aggression.<br />
To make it worse was Putin’s statement, which was an unmasked<br />
subtle nuclear threat, when announcing the military operation in<br />
Ukraine, he said: "Whoever tries to hinder us ... should know that<br />
Russia's response will be immediate. And it will lead you to such<br />
consequences that you have never encountered in your history."<br />
This was followed by US President Joe Biden’s aggressive<br />
response: He stated the US had “an unwavering resolve that<br />
freedom will always triumph over tyranny". In an hour-long<br />
address to lawmakers in the US he said: "Putin's war was<br />
premeditated and unprovoked. He rejected repeated efforts at<br />
diplomacy. He thought the West and NATO wouldn't respond. And<br />
he thought he could divide us here at home." He - added: "Putin<br />
was wrong. We were ready!”<br />
Russian nuclear forces are now on high alert, a world that has<br />
been nuclear-free for what seems like forty years suddenly is now<br />
threatened with mass destruction on a scale as Putin says, ‘has<br />
never been seen before’.<br />
How quickly things can change!<br />
Now that all may seem dire, and in keeping with the survival<br />
issue, but my point here is ‘’things change quickly’’; your health,<br />
your country and even the world. So, it is paramount for us to be<br />
in the present. Do not put things off till tomorrow, or till retirement,<br />
or till you have more money, or till you have more time or you<br />
are fitter. Get out and enjoy, experience, embrace every moment<br />
available to you. Our only non-renewable asset is time, and the<br />
time for us all to live and experience all that life can offer is now.<br />
<strong>Adventure</strong> magazine is full to the brim with activities, adventures,<br />
and experiences; it is our hope that you will be motivated to get<br />
out and do as much as you can, live for the now!<br />
On a final, more positive note: as covid still impacts us all, as the<br />
protestors look for other platforms and as Russia makes the world<br />
unstable. It won’t be forever. Things change quickly!<br />
Steve Dickinson - Editor<br />
your <strong>Adventure</strong> starts with Us<br />
23 Locations Nationwide | www.radcarhire.co.nz | 0800 73 68 23 | adventure@radcarhire.co.nz
page 10<br />
<strong>#231</strong><br />
contents<br />
Image by Eric Berger/Red Bull Image by Eric Skilling<br />
Image by Beilmann/WSL<br />
page 34<br />
page 78<br />
10//Kelly Slater<br />
the survivalist<br />
16//Gertrude Saddle<br />
exploring home with Paige Hareb<br />
22//Dance with the Devil<br />
avalanche survival<br />
34//Mt Taranaki Summit<br />
on a perfect day<br />
40//The Often Forgotten Item<br />
the emergency shelter<br />
44//Tenkara<br />
fishing from heaven<br />
48//Alex Honnold<br />
the soloist<br />
52//E-mountainbike <strong>Adventure</strong>s<br />
using technology to access history<br />
56//Trails of the Mackenzie<br />
a paradise for connecting with nature<br />
62//Legendary Mackenzie<br />
your 2022 adventure bucket list<br />
76//<strong>Adventure</strong> Travel<br />
Japan | Tahiti | Rarotonga | Vanuatu<br />
plus<br />
64. gear guides<br />
96. active adventure<br />
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BEHIND THE COVER<br />
It is very rare to see Kelly Slater show<br />
emotion. However, this moment, as he<br />
clinched his 56th career win, was like no<br />
other. Kelly has not only survived a 35 year<br />
professional surfing career, he has blitzed it.<br />
But what made this moment so special? Less<br />
than a week after this photo was taken, Kelly<br />
Slater turned 50 years old, quite an anomoly<br />
in the world of professional surfing. Up against<br />
a field of athletes, most of who were not even<br />
born by the time he won his first few World<br />
Titles, Kelly showed he still has what it takes<br />
to hold the number one spot in the world,<br />
despite his chronological age.<br />
Kelly's rare public display of emotion goes to<br />
show the depth of his dedication to a sport<br />
that he has excelled in over four decades.<br />
A rarely emotional Kelly Slater after he beats Seth Moniz in the Final at the Billabong Pro Pipeline<br />
on February 5, 2022, making him No.1 in the world, a week before his 50th birthday.<br />
Photo by Brent Bielmann/World Surf League<br />
For more on the ultimate survivor that is Kelly<br />
Slater, see page 10.<br />
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08//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
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KELLY SLATER<br />
THE SURVIVALIST<br />
“Some people call me<br />
obsessive, or driven,<br />
or lucky or whatever,<br />
I’m all of those things,<br />
shouldn’t we all be?”<br />
When we think of survival we think of the life and death situations, which Slater has faced his<br />
whole surfing career, but the flip side of that is surviving a sport geared towards youth in an<br />
ever-changing environment, and not only surviving a 35 year career but dominating a sport like<br />
no other athlete on earth.<br />
On the 6th of February 2022, Slater paddled out into giant waves at Pipeline; it was his 32nd<br />
year on the World Tour and 32nd season surfing at Pipeline. Kelly Slater, a week away from<br />
turning 50, has been competing on the World Tour of Surfing since 1988. He won his first World<br />
Title in 1992 at this very wave when he was 20 years old, before nearly every other competitor<br />
on the tour this year was even born.<br />
Early in the competition Kelly faced 22 year old wild card, local Hawaiian, Barron Mamiya. At<br />
the time Barron was born, in January 2000, Kelly had already won 6 World Titles. So could the<br />
almost 50 year old cut it against the young Hawaiian born, Pipeline local?<br />
For the first half of the heat it looked like Barron was going to be the new blood to replace<br />
the old, but with just seconds to go, and needing a 7.18 to win, the ocean provided and Kelly<br />
pulled into a huge barrel scoring a 9.23 to take the win putting him into the quarter finals. Even<br />
Kelly was quick to acknowledge the new generation chomping at his heels. “Barron is the next<br />
generation out there, it’s just a pleasure to surf against him.” And for a little insight into the<br />
secret to his success. “I don’t know what to chalk it up to, except for spending my life in the<br />
ocean”<br />
Kelly went on to win the event against a 24 year old Seth Moniz, whose father had competed<br />
against Kelly in the early years of his own career. Kelly’s win made him the most decorated<br />
Pipeline surfer of all time, winning there 8 times in his 30+ year career, first in 1992 and finally in<br />
2022, with 11 World Titles in between.<br />
So how has Kelly managed to survive so many years at the top of his sport? He joined the<br />
World Tour in 1988 and in his 30+ year career, spanning 4 decades, he has been ranked in the<br />
top ten for all but 6 of those years.<br />
Kelly paddles out at the Billabong Pro Pipeline,<br />
Image Brent Bielmann/World Surf League<br />
10//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
AVERAGE PLAYING CAREER<br />
5 years - Major League Baseball<br />
5 years - NBA<br />
6 years - NHL<br />
7 years - NFL<br />
32 years - KELLY SLATER<br />
11<br />
WORLD TITLES<br />
56<br />
CAREER WINS<br />
At time of print<br />
Kelly taking the drop at the Billabong Pro Pipeline,<br />
Image Brent Bielmann/World Surf League<br />
12//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
KELLY RESULTS FROM PIPELINE OVER THE YEARS<br />
5,<br />
1,<br />
2,<br />
1,<br />
1,<br />
1,<br />
17,<br />
3,<br />
1,<br />
9,<br />
3,<br />
4,<br />
7,<br />
2,<br />
9,<br />
1,<br />
2,<br />
3,<br />
3,<br />
3,<br />
1,<br />
13,<br />
5,<br />
3,<br />
9,<br />
3,<br />
3,<br />
3,<br />
1
WORLD TOUR 2022<br />
AGE OF COMPETITORS ON<br />
20,<br />
29,<br />
28,<br />
28,<br />
27,<br />
23,<br />
28,<br />
26,<br />
30,<br />
28,<br />
23,<br />
24,<br />
27,<br />
24,<br />
25,<br />
31,<br />
23,<br />
21,<br />
29,<br />
34,<br />
24,<br />
50,<br />
27,<br />
24,<br />
22,<br />
26,<br />
24,<br />
30,<br />
21,<br />
30,<br />
32,<br />
29,<br />
27,<br />
24,<br />
25<br />
Along with some fortunate physical statistics, a<br />
true passion for the sport and a winning mindset,<br />
the secret to Kelly’s survival is his ability to study,<br />
analyse, revise, adapt, develop and learn from<br />
others and his own mistakes. He is a walking<br />
encyclopedia, whose knowledge of surfing and the<br />
ocean is simply second to none.<br />
Physical Stats: Within every sport there seems to<br />
be an ideal body height, shape and weight most<br />
suitable to that sport. Kelly happens to have the<br />
right physical characteristics to make surfing an<br />
ideal choice. However, although born with a good<br />
platform, Kelly has dedicated his life to eating<br />
healthy and working on both his physical and<br />
mental wellbeing.<br />
Passion for surfing: There is little doubt about<br />
his passion for surfing. He began surfing at a very<br />
young age, an almost escape from a difficult family<br />
situation and in his own words, “I was lucky, a lot<br />
of people get addicted to pills, but I got addicted<br />
to surfing.” He still surfs more than almost anyone<br />
else, purely cause he loves it.<br />
Winning mindset: Kelly exhibits an incredible<br />
focus and realises the importance of opportunity.<br />
No matter how far behind he may appear, he<br />
believes there’s always an opportunity for triumph.<br />
“Most anything I’ve ever set my mind to, I could<br />
accomplish.”<br />
Study: Kelly is always studying; the ocean, his<br />
equipment, what works, what doesn’t. Listen to him<br />
talk post heat and he can discuss each break in<br />
detail, knowing how the shifting patterns will affect<br />
the behaviour and therefore the potential of each<br />
wave. His knowledge of the ocean is second to<br />
none. “Your surfing can get better on every turn,<br />
on every wave you catch. Learn to read the ocean<br />
better. A big part of my success has been wave<br />
knowledge.”<br />
Analyse: No matter who Kelly is surfing against or<br />
what the conditions are he is constantly analysing<br />
each situation. “Well I’m always working on<br />
everything constantly. I never take the approach<br />
that I’m doing as well as I possibly can… I always<br />
think there’s more and I think if you don’t have that,<br />
you are not driven to be better.”<br />
Revise: Kelly once admitted to that fact that he<br />
kept a log of every heat that he lost and would write<br />
what he did wrong. This way he would be sure not<br />
to make the same mistake.<br />
Adaptability: In Kelly’s four decades of surfing,<br />
he has been a part of revolutionary changes in<br />
surfboard design and witnessed the arrival of the<br />
aerial surfing generation. For him to stay relevant<br />
he has had to adapt. “I look at it now, and my<br />
surfing that won my first title would probably only<br />
be good enough to get me 30th place in today’s<br />
competition. It’s not even comparable.”<br />
Develop: Kelly has continued to develop as an<br />
individual. He began making his own fins, and<br />
then his own boards. He spent years developing<br />
his own wave pool, and then gave up a lucrative<br />
sponsorship deal to develop his own clothing<br />
brand. “Some people call me obsessive, or<br />
driven, or lucky or whatever, I’m all of those things,<br />
shouldn’t we all be?”<br />
Fearless: Kelly once remarked, "A Formula One<br />
Driver once said. “You are never as real as when<br />
you might die.” That fear creates an intense focus,<br />
an intense presence. It defaults you to the place<br />
you should be at all times, present, here, not<br />
distracted. It’s like a drug..." Apart from salt water<br />
crocodiles, there's not much that he fears.<br />
Although some names have stayed at the forefront<br />
of their chosen sport, very few have continued to<br />
compete at the elite level against athletes decades<br />
younger than them. Surfing is seen as a youthful<br />
sport and unlike games such as tennis and golf,<br />
the professional surfer is often placed in life<br />
threatening situations when faced with big waves of<br />
consequence, so it’s not just about keeping up with<br />
the physical fitness required to be a professional<br />
athlete but also the mental fortitude needed to take<br />
the risks associated with surfing.<br />
So what’s next for Kelly Slater? As I was writing this<br />
Kelly was wearing the yellow jersey (showing he<br />
was ranked number one in the world) and had just<br />
paddled out at 20ft Sunset. Interestingly enough,<br />
by the time we went to print the yellow jersey had<br />
changed hands three times; from Kelly to the<br />
shoulders of the 22 year old wild card, Barron<br />
Mamiya, who had come so close to taking out Kelly<br />
at Pipeline, and then to 24 year old Kanoa Igarashi.<br />
At time of print Kelly is still ranked number two in<br />
the world!
“I don't mind being<br />
put out to pasture. If<br />
someone's going to<br />
make me look silly on<br />
a wave they're gonna<br />
have to be surfing<br />
pretty good. ”<br />
11x World Champion, Kelly Slater on the road to claiming the win and the yellow jersey<br />
Image Tony Heff/World Surf League
FIORDLAND<br />
*<br />
GERTUDE SADDLE<br />
EXPLORING HOME<br />
Words by Paige Hareb - Images by Lauren Murray<br />
After travelling around the world to<br />
many beaches for the last 15 years<br />
to being “stuck” in New Zealand for<br />
the last two years, I decided to make<br />
the most of my homeland since there<br />
were still so many places I hadn’t<br />
explored. I find that quite common<br />
with Kiwis, always travelling the<br />
world but not their own backyard.<br />
16//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
Previous page: Lone camper admires the saddle<br />
Above: Bivvy spot for the night<br />
Right: Walls of schist everywhere you look<br />
With the New Zealand surfing Nationals being held<br />
in Westport in the South Island, I decided now was<br />
the right time to take the opportunity to explore more<br />
of the South. So three weeks prior to the Nationals<br />
I jumped in my newly purchased 4WD truck with a<br />
slick looking Kiwi Camping Tuatara hard shell rooftop<br />
tent. I met Lauren Murray (pro photographer and avid<br />
hiker) in Wellington, we drove onto the Inter-islander<br />
ferry and our South Island adventure had begun!<br />
Of course with my surfboards packed, I was planning<br />
to head to surf breaks on the east and west coast<br />
and do a bit of a loop of the South Island, driving<br />
down the east and up the west. With Lauren being<br />
a keen hiker and always exploring to get “the shot” I<br />
knew we would be squeezing in a few hikes on the<br />
road trip too.<br />
After checking out the Milford Sound area we pulled<br />
into the Gerturde Valley carpark, about 98 km along<br />
the Milford Road from Te Anau. I hopped out of the<br />
car and checked the sign with all the info, the first<br />
words my eyes were drawn to were “experienced<br />
hikers only”. My instant thought was “ah damn I’ve<br />
only done a handful of medium hikes, I’m not sure I’m<br />
prepared for this”. Then Lauren cut my thoughts short<br />
with “Sh*t yeah! I’m so excited! Let’s do this!”<br />
Most people do this 4-6hour return trip as a day hike<br />
but Lauren, being the experienced hiker out of the<br />
two of us, had all the gear including a tiny lightweight<br />
tent, so yes, I was a little nervous this was going to<br />
be my first ever overnight hiking experience (in a<br />
tent) at the top of a random mountain! The first part<br />
was super cool, starting from the bottom of the valley<br />
and walking through a tiny little track surrounded by<br />
lots of green shrubs. Looking up towards where we<br />
were headed, it felt like we were in the centre of a<br />
natural amphitheatre.<br />
I felt this hike had a plethora of variety in terrain.<br />
Starting with thick vegetation, then over 500m-1km of<br />
small to medium size rocks where you really had to<br />
concentrate where you put every step. After crossing<br />
a small river under a waterfall, it then opened up to<br />
scoria, then to huge open faced, steep rock slabs<br />
with some parts having and needing heavy metal<br />
rope to help you up and down. I could definitely see<br />
how if it was wet, ice or a lot of snow that it would be<br />
super dangerous to do. Up and over the ledge we<br />
finally came upon the black lake and chatting with<br />
one passing hiker who was brave enough to have a<br />
quick skinny dip in it.<br />
Another 200 metres or so of navigating more steep<br />
rock faces and some huge rocks, before back<br />
onto half dirt/shrub tracks, we eventually came to<br />
Gertrude’s Saddle! The 360 view was amazing,<br />
looking back down the valley was pretty incredible,<br />
then spinning around 180 to look over another valley<br />
through to Milford Sound. It was a moment’s thought<br />
of “where the hell am I? I feel so small!”<br />
18//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//19
"This was by far<br />
one of my best<br />
adventures yet."<br />
Lauren and I got super excited<br />
that we had finally made it to the<br />
top, started hooting and hollering<br />
like little kids and stripped off our<br />
sweaty hiking gear into some<br />
warmer clothing to prepare for the<br />
night. Then walking up a tiny hill to<br />
feel a little embarrassed by the way<br />
we acted as we realized that there<br />
were half a dozen of other people<br />
up there with the same idea as us to<br />
stay the night.<br />
With the sun setting we explored<br />
around the saddle searching for the<br />
best, flattest and most comfy spot to<br />
set up our tent. In between shrubs<br />
and rocks we managed to find a<br />
small area to set up with of course<br />
an awesome view to fall asleep and<br />
wake up to. We were up at 6am,<br />
packed up quick and had to make<br />
an 8am boat to explore the Doubtful<br />
Sounds, so going down was super<br />
quick and rushed but this was by<br />
far one of my best adventures yet.<br />
I would definitely do this one again<br />
and recommend to most people<br />
wanting a hike and an adventure of<br />
a lifetime.<br />
Getrude Saddle Facts:<br />
7km return trip (4-6 hrs)<br />
Experienced trampers.<br />
Essential safety (DOC)<br />
Only attempt this track if:<br />
1.You are fit and experienced – on<br />
the route you will have to:<br />
• scramble up steep rock<br />
• avoid wet rocks<br />
• cross rivers<br />
• avoid hazards by following<br />
markers<br />
2. The track and weather conditions<br />
are good on the day.<br />
3. You have the right equipment,<br />
including a personal locator beacon.<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//21
DANCE WITH THE DEVIL<br />
AVALANCHE SURVIVAL<br />
By Jamie Hareb<br />
“You will never be the same again.” These<br />
words reverberated through my head from my<br />
work colleagues as I was given a farewell. I<br />
have come to understand that as humans we<br />
are in a constant state of change. But on that<br />
last evening, I never quite realised the rites of<br />
passage that I was about to embark on.<br />
I swatted over maps in fine details with my<br />
manager at Franz Josef Glacier Guides. We<br />
discussed all options on the desired route,<br />
emergency procedures, communication<br />
checkpoints and how to use PLB (Personal<br />
Locator Beacon). Everything was set in place.<br />
‘Now the only thing to it, is to do it’.<br />
At the Karangarua River bridge, the sandflies<br />
instantly made themselves’ known as I<br />
disembarked the vehicle. Nothing else in the<br />
world can make you move faster with intention<br />
like that iconic West Coast feeling. It screams<br />
that there no time to dwell on the moment or to<br />
double check your equipment. Shut the door,<br />
locked the car and I was gung-ho. As per all<br />
journeys, I recited a karakia to give praise to the<br />
whenua, to the atua (gods) for protection and<br />
guidance on this hikoi. A calm reminder that I<br />
was delving into a new space and there will be<br />
numerous learnings along the way.<br />
The planned mission included a 9 day solo<br />
perpendicular traverse of the Southern Alps from<br />
the West Coast to Mt Cook Village and back. I<br />
intended to venture up the Karangarua valley,<br />
overcoming 3 mountain passes and return over<br />
the Copeland Saddle out to the road.<br />
The next few days glanced by in a trance of<br />
freedom and wander. It’s always amazing<br />
observing what comes to your mind during times<br />
of pure solitude. In my diary I had written lyrics<br />
from a Fat Freddys’ Drop tune ‘you can change<br />
your mind, but you can’t change your destiny’.<br />
Ironically, on the 3rd day my desired path upriver<br />
had been bluffed out and after a vicious attempt<br />
at ploughing through dense bush, I was forced<br />
to redirect up over Mt Howitt (1958m) and down<br />
to the Horace Walker Hut. What a blessing<br />
that was! It caused my new route to behold the<br />
most epic, insane topography and exposure I<br />
have ever encountered. Traversing the Douglas<br />
glacier and up over the Douglas saddle into<br />
the head of the Landsborough River. Despite<br />
navigating the technical and gruelling terrain.<br />
The sublime nature of these locations reinstates<br />
those longing feelings for seeking wilderness<br />
adventures that the soul craves.<br />
Body was tired. Sleep was healing. A stunning<br />
morning rose, but I was sluggish as I gathered<br />
my gear together. There was one more mountain<br />
ascent before making my way towards Mt.<br />
Cook village. I summoned the energy and<br />
barged up the Rubicon Torrent to the Spence<br />
Glacier, relishing in the glory of a good sweat.<br />
The sun poured over the glistening armchair of<br />
surrounding mountains. Steadfast, I diverted<br />
my route NW as I ventured up a shaded gully<br />
towards Fyffe pass (2226m). Undetected from<br />
my view above was Mt. Montgomery (2340m),<br />
which was basking in the warming midday sun.<br />
I must have been 300m from the top the saddle<br />
when I heard the noise.<br />
“CRACK! Just like<br />
lightning snapping at<br />
the surface. A loud sharp<br />
noise pulsated down into<br />
the 20m wide gut I was<br />
climbing in.”<br />
CRACK! Just like lightning snapping at the<br />
surface. A loud sharp noise pulsated down into<br />
the 20m wide gut I was climbing in. I casted<br />
my gaze above me, only to behold something<br />
unfathomable. Like a dam bursting its banks,<br />
a fierce wave of snow and ice congregated,<br />
tumbling downhill. The deep roaring rumble<br />
grew in volume as it cascaded over the ridge<br />
above me.<br />
22//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
An avalanche is a scary sight, even at a distance.<br />
Image by Tatjana Posavec / Pixabay.com
FROM<br />
1999 TO 2018,<br />
THERE WERE<br />
742<br />
REPORTED<br />
AVALANCHE<br />
INCIDENTS,<br />
INCLUDING<br />
27<br />
FATALITIES.<br />
70%<br />
OF THOSE<br />
FATALITIES<br />
WERE<br />
MOUNTAINEERS<br />
I instinctively scrambled up to the highest<br />
vantage point possible, 5-10m above the<br />
bottom of the gully. Danger evaded me for<br />
a brief moment as the ice train whooshed<br />
through beneath me. “Oh epic, this is sick!<br />
I should be videoing this” my mind voiced<br />
at the new visual sensation. However, my<br />
childlike joy was to be short-lived. The<br />
penultimate waves of ice pulsed higher and<br />
higher and whipped me off my feet.<br />
Time went super slow. My mind was going<br />
bonkers. I was now part of this turbulent<br />
roller-coaster. I had recently completed an<br />
avalanche awareness training and I didn’t<br />
need a reminder of the gloomy outlook of<br />
survival once caught in an avalanche.<br />
“Oh shit, this is how people die”. I thought<br />
as I looked at my trajectory below me<br />
towards an outreached rock. “Oh shit, this<br />
is how I die”. A head-on collision loomed.<br />
Squash, crunch and smash I went into the<br />
rock. My body, legs and arms got caught<br />
in a sandwich of ice boulders. I thought<br />
it was all over for me, I was at complete<br />
mercy to the mountain gods. I presumed<br />
that the power of the avalanche would<br />
squish me into the wall like a pestle and<br />
mortar, revealing my secret spice mix to<br />
the mountain vultures. Or the river of ice<br />
boulders would trap my bag or a limb to<br />
hoist me down within its over-turning Ferris<br />
wheel of destruction. My situation was<br />
looking rather grim.<br />
POOF! I couldn’t believe it when I opened<br />
my eyes. I was staring up the mountain<br />
with my feet in the air while still hooning<br />
downhill. As surreal as it was, it was still<br />
a mayday mission. I innately knew I had<br />
to get the hell off this death circus, and<br />
pronto. Somehow, I clambered back<br />
around onto all fours and launched for a<br />
close-by rock outcrop. Here, I clung onto<br />
the rock hanging in suspension above<br />
the avalanche for about a second. My<br />
heart sunk as the rock suddenly dislodged<br />
from its mother and I fell back on to the<br />
motorway of ice. Feeling discouraged, but<br />
fortunate as the speed was slowing down<br />
as the slope flattened off. I fought hard to<br />
wriggle and wrestle towards the edge of the<br />
avalanche. A clearance of safety seemed<br />
within reach. After what seemed hours, I<br />
leaped back onto stable ground.<br />
“ I had recently<br />
completed an<br />
avalanche awareness<br />
training and I didn’t<br />
need a reminder<br />
of the gloomy<br />
outlook of survival<br />
once caught in an<br />
avalanche. ”<br />
How does one merely put into words<br />
the feeling aftermath a dance with the<br />
devil? It would be in the terms of bliss,<br />
nirvana or heaven. Choose any or all of<br />
the above. A comprehensive awakening<br />
to dissolve all issues that one could have.<br />
Nothing else could matter except the gift<br />
of life, something forgotten through daily<br />
normalities. Not that I was thinking of<br />
anything. Just sat there, dripping in blood<br />
gazing out into a wonder of the world.<br />
The magic of those elegant mountains<br />
draped in silky white cloaks whispering<br />
the softest of sweet nothings that day.<br />
The evanescence of sheer wild beauty<br />
in that moment murmured melodies that<br />
encroached the soul.<br />
I didn’t need a doctor to tell me that my<br />
body was impaired. I feared the worse<br />
as I turned my attention to surveying the<br />
damage. I was half-expecting to view a<br />
bone sticking out of my leg, collarbone<br />
to be snapped, rib cage to be crushed or<br />
my foot to be twisted backwards beyond<br />
recognition. Fortunate as I was to nullify<br />
the extremes of these mind marauders, I<br />
was still hurt. There was no hesitation to<br />
understand that I had reached a moment to<br />
press the big red button of the PLB. At that<br />
moment, I had no idea what happens when<br />
the SOS alert gets sent nor had I talked<br />
to anyone that has pressed it before. A<br />
light flashed every 2 seconds and that was<br />
about it. Let the wait begin. I rolled out my<br />
camp mat, pulled on my jacket, whipped<br />
out some dark chocolate and engrossed<br />
my last carrot in some luscious peanut<br />
butter. I only had one thing on my mind that<br />
was to remain with me forever ‘Mountains<br />
are beautiful, but are not worth dying for’.<br />
It took about 20mins for this ecstasy of<br />
adrenaline to subside. It also aligned with<br />
dark mooted clouds beginning to hug<br />
the south-western mountain range. I was<br />
aware of my position still on an avalancheprone<br />
slope half-way up the mountain side.<br />
Surrounded by a mountain barrier in all<br />
directions except the down the extensive<br />
river corridor. Which would estimate to be<br />
a 60km hike for a full-bale body back to the<br />
SH6 road. I had to start moving, to at least<br />
to make a safe camp at a lower altitude<br />
for the night. Gingerly, I tested out the<br />
capability of my body’s facilities, or a lack<br />
24//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
View of the Douglas neve adjacent to Mt. Sefton. Which hangs about the Douglas Glacier (covered in moraine).<br />
Looking out to Mt. Thomson from the Douglas Saddle. Mt. Sefton lurking in behind.<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//25
“I was feeling<br />
suspiciously guilty,<br />
having committed<br />
the great cardinal sin<br />
of all ‘experienced’<br />
mountaineers. We<br />
continue to promise<br />
ourselves and loved ones<br />
to always return home<br />
safely, avoiding risky<br />
scenarios. Failing to do<br />
so begs the commoners<br />
to question a reckless<br />
maturity.”<br />
Jamie Hareb, Happy and lucky to be alive<br />
of them. The results came in with one ok leg to<br />
stand on and one good arm to put my weight on.<br />
The other limbs faltered at any pressure. I can’t<br />
say that I was moving any faster than a glacier,<br />
never-the-less I was moving. I felt so determined<br />
to overcome this unforgiving terrain that continued<br />
to buckle me.<br />
I vowed to get up straight away every time after<br />
each fall I took. I possessively would set goals at<br />
small distance intervals to reach, 10-15m at a time<br />
before taking a short break to reassess a new<br />
target. Slowly, but surely, I was making progress<br />
downslope.<br />
Time flew by as I was fixated in survival. 2 hours<br />
had gone by before I heard this weird buzzing<br />
noise. It was getting louder and louder. Then I saw<br />
it, a freaking helicopter! I suddenly remembered<br />
(I had totally forgot) amidst my trance of gimp<br />
walking that I called for an emergency pick-up. I<br />
happily stopped dead in my tracks as it hovered<br />
down to meet me at my level. A guy jumped out<br />
and boosted me up into a seat. Whoa! What a<br />
relief! They asked for any serious injuries and how<br />
I was feeling. It almost seemed that the rescuers<br />
were as relieved as I was. They saw where the<br />
beacon was set off and thought they were in for a<br />
3-day body retrieval mission. Those heavy words<br />
lingered over me as I re-adjusted to my newly<br />
safe scenario. Thus, I remained in contemplating<br />
silence for the rest of the flight as the helicopter<br />
navigated in between building storm clouds before<br />
we eventually burst out to the coast.<br />
Medical crews awaited my arrival at Fox Glacier<br />
SAR (Search and Rescue) headquarters and<br />
instructed that I was immediately transferred<br />
to Greymouth Hospital. My manager at FJGG<br />
was there, he had received the distress signal<br />
of danger during his lunch break. Despite the<br />
seriousness of the scene, he was stoked to see<br />
me and pulled out his camera. “Smile”. I don’t<br />
know how it happened, but a cheeky grin emerged<br />
on my face in a reaction for the photo.<br />
Arriving at the hospital was a real reality check.<br />
I wasn’t cold but I was stuck in a frenzy of shock<br />
that seemed to continue for next 24 hours. I was<br />
feeling suspiciously guilty, having committed<br />
the great cardinal sin of all ‘experienced’<br />
mountaineers. We continue to promise ourselves<br />
and loved ones to always return home safely,<br />
avoiding risky scenarios. Failing to do so begs<br />
the commoners to question a reckless maturity.<br />
Why would anyone voluntarily risk their life just to<br />
climb some hills? Around 6.30pm, a phone rang<br />
back in Taranaki of an impending phone call that<br />
no parent would want to receive. It was a nurse<br />
from the Greymouth Base Hospital asking if she<br />
was the mother of Jamie Lee Hareb. Luckily there<br />
wasn’t fatal news but let’s just say it ruined her<br />
evening plans.<br />
26//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
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RESCUE BEACONS<br />
A LIFESAVING DEVICE?<br />
A devise the size of a cell phone allows<br />
people to travel into the outdoors with<br />
some sense of security, knowing that if<br />
something goes wrong, then help will be<br />
not too far away. Working off satellites,<br />
a personal locator beacon has better<br />
coverage than cellphones and has helped<br />
reduce the “search” in search and rescue.<br />
Carrying a personal locator beacon can<br />
help save lives and money. A simple<br />
rescue operation can cost around $10,000,<br />
however when it’s a search and rescue<br />
operation the cost skyrockets into the<br />
$100,000’s.<br />
With any technology, there is the possibility<br />
of misuse. There are plenty of stories<br />
online of people activating their PLB for a<br />
“quick ride home”. In New Zealand, misuse<br />
of personal locator beacons can result in<br />
as little as a warning up to a $30,000 fine.<br />
In 2012, only 109 of the 1700 activations in<br />
Australia were actual emergencies.<br />
In 2013, a tramper was accused of<br />
activating his PLB just to get a ride home.<br />
After a thorough investigation it turned<br />
out the tramper encountered more difficult<br />
terrain than he had prepared for and it was<br />
determined that he would have put himself<br />
at great risk had he ventured further under<br />
the conditions. He was cleared of any<br />
wrongdoing.<br />
There are a variety of devices for use in<br />
an emergency; it is important to know how<br />
to use them and also to remember to use<br />
them ONLY as a last resort.<br />
Rescue Beacons<br />
As with any rescue beacon, you must make sure you know how to<br />
use it before you leave and that you have spare batteries or a way of<br />
charging when you are out in the wilderness. Make sure it is always<br />
on hand, rather than kept at the bottom of your pack, for easy access<br />
in an emergency.<br />
Personal Locator Beacons: PLBS<br />
When activated the PLB will transmit your exact location to emergency<br />
services, who will then do their best to get to you as soon as possible.<br />
They are to be used for life threatening situations only.<br />
Satellite Messenger Devices:<br />
Use satellite systems to send messages or emergency distress<br />
notifications. Good for remaining in contact with friends and family<br />
or allowing people to route track your progress. Can also be used for<br />
emergency situations.<br />
Satellite phones:<br />
Similar to mobile phones but using satellites to connect with phone<br />
networks. Can be used anywhere in the world provided you have<br />
satellite coverage.<br />
When to activate a beacon or satellite message?<br />
If you have tried to use two way communications such as a phone or<br />
radio to talk to emergency services and still feel you life is in imminent<br />
danger, then your distress beacon should be activated.<br />
What happens next?<br />
A signal will be sent to a Cospas-Sarsat 406HMz satellite which<br />
notifies the nearest ground station. This call is then relayed to the local<br />
Rescue Coordination Centre which will arrange a search and rescue<br />
operation. The speed and exact response will depend on your location<br />
and circumstances. You must be prepared to survive in assistance<br />
cannot reach you immediately.<br />
Carrying a PLB has also helped perpetuate the notion that guaranteed<br />
help is just one button push away, but the reality is that not everyone<br />
can be saved…<br />
28//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
CASE STUDY:<br />
SURVIVING A CYCLONE<br />
On December 13th 2012, local Kiwi, Laurie Miller was one<br />
of three men sailing off the Philippine island of Dinagat,<br />
when their 18 meter yacht, Katerina 1, began experiencing<br />
some issues and taking on water. Winds were high, at 60<br />
knots, a heavy 3m swell was running and with the motor now<br />
waterlogged they were concerned the boat would go down<br />
and take the liferaft with it, so they chose to abandon ship.<br />
The three men set off an emergency locator beacon and along<br />
with their two dogs they abandoned the boat and climbed<br />
aboard the inflatable liferaft. With plenty of provisions aboard<br />
along with the comfort of the locator beacon, the men believed<br />
they would not have to wait too long before being rescued.<br />
They initially dropped anchor to prevent the raft tipping but<br />
during the first violent night they rolled twice losing their dog<br />
Spotty along with most of the provisions. All that remained<br />
was some flares and a second locator beacon.<br />
The second night the raft rolled again and they lost the<br />
second dog and the flares. The following day they set off the<br />
remaining beacon. Conditions inside the raft were dire, in<br />
such stormy conditions they were forced to urinate inside the<br />
raft and were left sitting in urinated water up to their waist.<br />
Despite the grim conditions, time seemed to pass quickly,<br />
maybe shock or maybe they just nodded off but on day three<br />
they spotted a ship in the distance. Without flares they were<br />
unable to do anything to attract its attention. All three men<br />
struggled, but Johnny seem to suffer more and became<br />
delirious, trying to take his lifejacket off a couple of times, but<br />
the other two secured him upright to stop him falling into the<br />
water.<br />
It was not until the fourth day that they heard a motor; a local<br />
fisherman had stumbled across the raft and rescued the<br />
three men and they began the 100km journey back to land.<br />
Unfortunately not all survived. Johnny, suffering from severe<br />
dehydration and organ failure, was declared dead by the<br />
hospital staff.<br />
So what went wrong? What happened to the locator beacon<br />
signal? Where was the rescue?<br />
Could the fact that the men were caught out in a tropical<br />
cyclone that claimed the lives of 41 people have been avoided?<br />
The question as to whether<br />
or not they should have<br />
abandoned the boat is possibly<br />
easier to answer in retrospect.<br />
The boat survived the storm<br />
and washed up on a beach in<br />
the Philippines relatively intact.<br />
However, the decision was<br />
made at the time thinking that<br />
rescue would not be far away.<br />
“The only time<br />
I would use<br />
a life boat is<br />
when I have to<br />
step up onto it.”<br />
Sir Peter Blake<br />
So what happened to the locator beacon signal? According to<br />
the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the two distress signals<br />
were detected by them and they contacted the Manila Rescue<br />
Coordination Centre, the people responsible for search and<br />
rescue in that area. So why did they not respond?<br />
Laurie later received information under the Freedom of<br />
Information Act that indicated the Philippine Coast Guard did<br />
not help the men because of the sea conditions due to the<br />
cyclone and the fact that the raft was in shark-infested waters.<br />
The fateful journey of Katerina 1<br />
The Katerina 1 was later found relatively intact<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//29
WE'RE DROWNING<br />
WHAT'S GOING WRONG?<br />
Drowning is the highest cause of<br />
recreational death and forth highest<br />
cause of accidental death in New<br />
Zealand. We still had one of the highest<br />
drowning rates in the OECD, ranked<br />
8th, almost double that of Australia, and<br />
five times that of the UK.<br />
In 2020 the Water Safety Sector<br />
Strategy was implemented, a joint<br />
effort from a variety of water safety<br />
organizations in the community with the<br />
goal of reducing the water deaths in<br />
New Zealand over the next five years.<br />
2021 began well and until December<br />
was on track to have a lower-thanaverage<br />
year. However, 20 deaths in<br />
December 2021 resulted in the same<br />
number of drownings as the previous<br />
year and the highest December<br />
drownings since 1996. The Xmas<br />
holiday period of 2021 - 2022 saw 14<br />
people drown, the worst figure since<br />
1983/84.<br />
So where are we going wrong?<br />
Well firstly we have a love affair with<br />
the water; over 3 million people visit<br />
beaches, 1.5million go boating, over<br />
1.1 million participate in swimming<br />
and more than 630,000 go fishing.<br />
There are also over 20 million visits to<br />
public swimming pools. Despite the<br />
best efforts to educate and change the<br />
culture around water safety, 2021 was<br />
still a tragic year in and around our<br />
waters.<br />
Two of the specific goals of the strategy<br />
were to reduce the overall deaths but<br />
specifically to half the number of men<br />
dying in our waters and totally eliminate<br />
the deaths of toddlers. Despite their<br />
best efforts, in 2021 men still made<br />
up over 80% of water fatalities and 5<br />
toddlers lost their lives, up from the 5<br />
year average.<br />
A surprising statistic was that three out<br />
of ten New Zealanders cannot swim or<br />
float in the ocean for more than a few<br />
14 people<br />
drowned this<br />
summer... were<br />
their deaths<br />
preventable?<br />
minutes. Our can-do attitude is also<br />
seen as a problem when it comes to<br />
safety in the water. There is a distinct<br />
difference between being able to swim<br />
and the skill and fitness required to<br />
swim, particularly if you are in rough<br />
waters or you are beginning to panic.<br />
Currently there is a pressure on<br />
the government to make swimming<br />
lessons free for children, historically<br />
schools had swimming pools and<br />
children were taught to swim at<br />
school. That rarely happens these<br />
days as schools move away from<br />
the risk of having pools. Swimming<br />
lessons are expensive and outside the<br />
financial reach of many kiwis, thus the<br />
push is to have swimming lessons for<br />
free at community pools. This has yet<br />
to be ruled on.<br />
Despite being surrounded by water,<br />
our knowledge of the oceans<br />
and rivers is poor. With 78% of<br />
beachgoers unable to recognise a<br />
rip it’s not surprising that they get<br />
into trouble. So often the calm water<br />
(that often indicates a rip is present)<br />
is where people believe it is safest to<br />
swim. It could not be further from the<br />
truth.<br />
Our knowledge of rivers is equally<br />
poor, this year, 6 of the 14 people who<br />
died this holiday period did so in our<br />
rivers. The education around rivers is<br />
not as widely shared and a tranquil<br />
slow moving river can present many<br />
dangers that users are unaware of.<br />
The good news<br />
Despite a terrible start to the year,<br />
New Zealand’s statistics have<br />
improved. In 1985 there were 163<br />
preventable drownings in our waters,<br />
fortunately this has halved since<br />
then. Almost half of the deaths at the<br />
beginning of this year were in rivers, a<br />
sign that maybe New Zealanders are<br />
not so aware of the dangers of these<br />
often tranquil looking waters.<br />
30//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
SAD BUT INTERESTING STATISTICS (FROM THE WATER SAFETY SECTOR STRATEGY)<br />
Each year, on average, over 100<br />
people die by drowning in NZ waters,<br />
and up to 80 of these deaths are<br />
preventable. On top of this, over 170<br />
are hospitalized as a result of water<br />
based incidents.<br />
Males are four times more likely to<br />
drown in New Zealand, making up 84%<br />
of total drownings.<br />
On average, six infants under five<br />
years old drown each year and a further<br />
34 are hospitalised. 87% of these<br />
deaths are attributed to inadequate<br />
adult supervision. 52% of preschool<br />
deaths occur at home.<br />
Maori make up 14% of the population,<br />
but 23% of those who drown. 90% of<br />
Maori who drown are men.<br />
Socioeconomic status and ethnicity<br />
also have an impact on drownings,<br />
with higher drowning rates occurring in<br />
lower socioeconomic groups, in ethnic<br />
minorities and in rural populations.<br />
Beaches (22%), rivers (20%) and<br />
offshore (19%) are where the greatest<br />
number of drownings occur.<br />
The largest number of drownings are<br />
immersion incidents (33%) where the<br />
victims had no intention of being in the<br />
water.<br />
Boating (at 22% of preventable deaths)<br />
claims the second greatest number of<br />
lives and almost three quarters (73%)<br />
of those that drown in a boating incident<br />
are not wearing lifejackets.<br />
Swimming makes up 21% of<br />
preventable drownings and a further 39<br />
hospitalisations per year. The majority<br />
of swimming deaths (39%) occur at<br />
beaches.<br />
Statistics are based on the five year<br />
average of preventable drowning<br />
fatalities 2010-2014<br />
Image by Ayyub Jauro/Pexels<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//31
KIWI IN NORWAY<br />
WHAT COULD GO WRONG?<br />
By George Snook<br />
Earlier this year I travelled to the land<br />
of the midnight sun, more commonly<br />
known as Norway. A practical trip that<br />
was pulled together with minimum<br />
resources. After competing at the Junior<br />
World Championships, I heard that<br />
some of the best white-water kayakers<br />
in the world were on their way North and<br />
on route to a white-water theme park<br />
that is Norway.<br />
In the span of 3 hours, I managed to<br />
organize myself a kayak and car ride to<br />
Norway from Switzerland. After another<br />
few calls with the Norwegian embassy,<br />
I was allowed to enter the country if I<br />
met their covid regulations. Fast forward<br />
a few weeks and I have found myself<br />
in the closing week of my Norwegian<br />
white-water holiday. It had been the trip<br />
of a lifetime, but the rivers had run dry,<br />
and paddling became rarer. Fortunately,<br />
in the last week we got lucky. A friend<br />
of mine notified us that there is a 60-<br />
foot waterfall only two hours away that<br />
should be flowing. That next morning,<br />
we hit the road early and were on our<br />
way to hopefully find something special.<br />
We arrived at the waterfall, and we were<br />
stoked with what we found. An amazing<br />
clean 60-foot waterfall.<br />
But this waterfall was not all sunshine<br />
and rainbows, there were hazards that<br />
we had to consider. We prepared and<br />
planned and then it was time to paddle.<br />
We all suited up and headed down<br />
ready for some free fall. After filming my<br />
friend crush the line it was my turn.<br />
I launched into the river from the gorge<br />
wall, paddled around above the waterfall<br />
for five minutes to warm up my body<br />
and then proceeded to give the “good to<br />
go” signal. Everyone was in position. I<br />
visualized my line one last time and then<br />
took to the falls. The impact from hitting<br />
the water below was heavy but nothing<br />
out of the ordinary for larger waterfalls.<br />
A few seconds had passed since I had<br />
landed, and I knew that I was upside<br />
down at the bottom of the waterfall.<br />
Recalling back my knowledge from<br />
scouting the waterfall not long before<br />
I remember that at the bottom of the<br />
waterfall there is a small pool that<br />
encloses the landing zone of the<br />
waterfall. The exit of this pool was<br />
smaller than ideal and created a<br />
recirculating “pocket” that wanted to<br />
hold my kayak and I stuck. I attempted<br />
some rolls as I knew that I would be<br />
able to paddle out of the pocket if I was<br />
up the right way. After multiple attempts<br />
at rolling up the kayak, I figured out<br />
that half of my paddle had snapped,<br />
unfortunately, it was the half that I used<br />
to roll the kayak up.<br />
My mind froze for a split second, and<br />
it was like I was watching a movie that<br />
had been fast-forwarded. I saw the<br />
worst-case scenario play out in my<br />
head at super speed. It did not end well.<br />
My brain clicked back to reality and<br />
luckily, I knew what to do to avoid that<br />
situation. It happened automatically. My<br />
right hand released and moved to the<br />
left-hand side of<br />
the paddle; my<br />
left hand followed<br />
in the opposite<br />
procedure. This<br />
meant that the left<br />
half of my paddle,<br />
the half that was<br />
still intact, was<br />
now on the right<br />
side of my body.<br />
This allowed me<br />
to use the force of<br />
"My mind<br />
froze for a<br />
split second,<br />
and it was<br />
like I was<br />
watching a<br />
movie that<br />
had been fastforwarded."<br />
the paddle blade to roll up the kayak. I<br />
had now made it up, but I was still in the<br />
pocket. With what was left of the paddle<br />
I pulled myself out from the pocket and<br />
into the safe pool below.<br />
At the time I didn't think too much about<br />
what had just happened apart from that<br />
I was happy to be able to act quickly<br />
and accordingly to get out of the sticky<br />
situation, but later on, I realized that the<br />
situation that I was in was actually a<br />
lot gnarlier than I had thought, it was a<br />
wave of delayed panic.<br />
I was later told that another kayaker<br />
from Germany had once got stuck in<br />
the same spot and after swimming out<br />
of his kayak spent 45 minutes in the<br />
pocket holding onto a rock wall. Luckily,<br />
his rescue team managed to get a rope<br />
to him, but it showed just how hard it<br />
was to access by a safety crew. If you<br />
were stuck there without a boat, it would<br />
have been near impossible to swim out.<br />
I know how dangerous that little but<br />
unforgiving pocket can be.<br />
Follow George Snook @georgesnook
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//33
MT TARANAKI<br />
*<br />
MT TARANAKI SUMMIT<br />
ON A PERFECT DAY<br />
Words and images by Eric Skilling<br />
I was standing on the top of the perfect cone-shaped volcanic peak, looking down<br />
2,518-metres to the West Coast of Taranaki. Around me, everyone had that priceless wideeyed<br />
look of achievement on their faces. None more satisfying than the sense of triumph I<br />
had felt at that moment.<br />
After six attempts over more than two decades I had finally made it to the top of Mt<br />
Taranaki, and in clear weather. Three earlier attempts had been spoilt by the weather even<br />
before reaching the end of the scree slope. Another attempt was frustrated by impassable<br />
ice-covered rocks just a few hundred metres short of the summit. When I made it to the top<br />
a few years ago, we had fought a bitterly cold, almost gale force wind and the clouds had<br />
blocked all views. That had been a miserable and very tense experience.<br />
34//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
A glorious sunrise as we made our way up towards "The Lizard"<br />
"After six<br />
attempts over<br />
more than two<br />
decades, I had<br />
finally made<br />
it to the top of<br />
Mt Taranaki in<br />
clear weather."<br />
This time it was so different. Having set out before dawn, we had enjoyed a glorious<br />
sunrise before reaching the summit mid-morning. The day was near perfect - the sky<br />
above was a cloudless deep blue, with a cool refreshing breeze.<br />
Gazing eastward from the top, the horizon was broken by the sharp point of Mt Ngauruhoe<br />
and Mt Ruapehu’s jagged ridge line. To the north, we looked down to the tiny clearing of Mt<br />
Egmont Visitors Centre some 1,500-metres below us. Then onto the shark-tooth shaped<br />
Paritutu Rock and the famous Power Station Chimney of New Plymouth.<br />
Low scattered cloud was drifting in from the south and west, but you could still make out<br />
the coastline curving its way around to the grey green of the distant South Island. Sure,<br />
it would probably be clearer mid-winter with an icy-dry southerly breeze, but that would<br />
mean ice-axes, crampons and a lot more layers. Give me a little summer haze any day.<br />
As it was it would have been zero-degrees up here at dawn and there was still ice in the<br />
small crater as we approached the final rocky crest.<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//35
Low cloud rolled in as we made our way back to the scree slope<br />
Climbing this landmark peak is such an exhausting pleasure, and an experience you will<br />
relive for a long time. Climbing nearly 1,400-metres up from the Visitor Centre, there is<br />
some shade in the first hour but expect to spend most of the 7 to 8 hours exposed to the<br />
sun, so carry plenty of water. A mixture of scree, rock and stairs, this is a climb that will see<br />
even the fittest using up some serious calories.<br />
All stages of the track are steep and equally, if not more challenging on the way down,<br />
especially for the tired and weary. A rescue operation was in full swing as we descended<br />
after someone had fallen going down the stairs.<br />
However challenging, it has been a feat successfully accomplished by many and should<br />
be pursued by many others. Plus, when you return, you get to enjoy an ice-cream or hot<br />
coffee at the Visitor Centre before retreating into your car.<br />
"All stages<br />
of the track<br />
are steep<br />
and equally,<br />
if not more<br />
challenging on<br />
the way down."<br />
36//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
ON A LESS THAN PERFECT DAY<br />
Mt Taranaki is the North Islands second highest mountain and thousands of trampers hike the<br />
Summit Track each year. In the summer, Mt Taranaki is still a strenuous climb, but in winter it has<br />
the added challenges of snow, ice, bad weather and avalanches. A helmet, crampons and ice axe<br />
are essential as well as the ability to use them. Snow is present year round but snow cover is at its<br />
lowest in the peak summer months of Jan – April. The average daily summer temperature ranges<br />
from 1-7 o C.<br />
Since records began, there had been over 80 deaths on Mt Taranaki, the second most deadliest<br />
alpine environment behind Aoraki/Mt Cook.<br />
Although winter has seen the most fatalities, autumn is also considered treacherous; to the<br />
untrained eye conditions may seem ideal, however a thin coating of ice called verglas often covers<br />
the upper reaches, making climbing exceptionally challenging even with crampons and ice axes.<br />
The most deadliest day was in JULY 1953 when 6 people fell to their deaths.<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//37
A DEADLY WEEKEND<br />
Case study: Labour weekend 2013<br />
Labour weekend 2013, ten climbers, with varying degrees of experience, set<br />
out to climb Mt Taranaki’s East Ridge.. The chain of circumstances that lead to<br />
fatalities in the outdoors are often referred to as lemons, a metaphor that comes<br />
from the old-style fruit slot machines; if you pull the lever often enough you might<br />
hit the jackpot. In the context of risk in the outdoors, the jackpot can be a fatal<br />
accident. So what were the lemons?<br />
All climbers arrived to the Alpine Club Lodge, a 60-90 minute climb from the car<br />
park, late that evening between 11.15pm and 2am so most did not get to sleep<br />
until 2am. Those wanting to climb the East Ridge were told to be up around<br />
5.30am. The remainder were going to climb the North Ridge.<br />
It began as a bluebird day when they left the lodge at 7.30am, expecting the<br />
circuit to take about 6 hours. No one rechecked the forecast before they left,<br />
even though they knew bad weather was approaching. At 11.15am, around 500m<br />
from the summit, the face steepened to 45 degrees so ropes were needed for a<br />
short stretch. With limited ropes their progress was slow.<br />
Two experienced climbers unclipped and free-climbed to the summit with the use<br />
of ice axes and no tether. By the time they reached the summit it was 3.15pm<br />
and they could see bad weather approaching so they descended back to the<br />
group and advised them to turn back.<br />
The remaining group had split into two, with four slightly ahead<br />
of the others. This group made the fateful decision to keep climbing and<br />
return down the North Face. They did not reach the summit till 8.30pm and by<br />
now one of the group was showing signs of hypothermia. As a result they slipped<br />
hitting one of the other climbers sending them 150m down a sheer ice face. One<br />
of the remaining climbers hurried down to see if they were still alive. Injured but<br />
able to walk the two continued down together leaving the other two just metres<br />
below the summit to descend together.<br />
Above: The joy of reaching the narrow ledge<br />
just below the final short climb to the summit<br />
Inserts: Nearing the top of "The Lizard"<br />
Tongariro National Park just visible peaks to<br />
the east<br />
"If you pull<br />
the lever often<br />
enough you<br />
might hit the<br />
jackpot. In the<br />
context of risk<br />
in the outdoors,<br />
the jackpot<br />
can be a fatal<br />
accident."<br />
38//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
With worsening signs of hypothermia the two<br />
dug a shallow trench and called the lodge to<br />
let them know they were marooned on the<br />
mountain only 200m below the summit, by<br />
now it was 11.30pm.<br />
A rescue team set out from the lodge at<br />
12.30am, but blizzard like weather forced them<br />
to retreat just 150m from the trapped pair.<br />
The following morning helicopters were equally<br />
thwarted by the gusting wind and as ground<br />
searchers were also unable to reach them due<br />
to the ferocity of the weather.<br />
By the time search and rescue reached the<br />
pair two days later, one had already died, and<br />
the other passed away shortly after.<br />
Lack of sleep: With some climbers not arriving until 2am the night<br />
before the tramp, they had as little as three hours sleep.<br />
Lack of experience: Although some of the group were experienced<br />
climbers, others were not experienced enough to climb the East Ridge.<br />
This slowed the whole groups progress.<br />
Poor weather conditions: The weather forecast was deteriorating and<br />
all climbers were aware, however they chose to risk climbing in a small<br />
clear weather window. As a result the conditions on the mountain were<br />
icy and difficult.<br />
Lack of equipment: The group did not have a gear checklist and did not<br />
carry enough technical equipment or emergency equipment and having<br />
to share meant the groups progress was slowed down even more.<br />
Lack of time monitoring: Having a set turnaround time is something<br />
that helps keep people safe, however the turnaround time of midday was<br />
not monitored and the group that got home safely did not turn around<br />
until 4.30pm whilst the remaining four pushed for the summit.’<br />
Lack of leadership: When tramping with a group of independent<br />
climbers, you still need to have someone who will be responsible for<br />
decision making. This did not happen.
THE<br />
OFTEN<br />
FORGOTTEN<br />
ITEM<br />
By NZ Mountain Safety Council<br />
New Zealand's extreme landscapes laced with its pure beauty is the<br />
lure for adventurists, trampers and day walkers to explore what it<br />
has to offer. With the addition of our country's volatile weather, it can<br />
make an outdoor experience both exciting and with its risks.
There are many essential survival items<br />
that people must carry and one important<br />
item that often doesn’t make the pack<br />
is the emergency shelter, says the NZ<br />
Mountain Safety Council (MSC).<br />
Packing an emergency shelter doesn’t<br />
mean carrying large amounts of additional<br />
gear, it’s about assessing the type of trip,<br />
the expected terrain and the forecasted<br />
weather, which narrows down the<br />
appropriate form of emergency shelter.<br />
MSC alpine advisor Tom Harris'<br />
experiences with search and rescue,<br />
glacier guiding and work in Antarctica,<br />
have given him a personal insight into the<br />
importance of an emergency shelter. "It’s<br />
easy to think that nothing will happen to<br />
you, but if someone gets injured or the<br />
weather changes dramatically, which is<br />
common in New Zealand, there is a high<br />
likelihood you’ll need to hunker down,” he<br />
says. "If there is any chance of high winds,<br />
rain, or cold conditions where you’re going<br />
and there’s no guarantee of getting help or<br />
getting out fast, then an emergency shelter<br />
is a must have."<br />
Aside from being a member of the MSC<br />
team, Harris has years of personal<br />
experience in the great outdoors. On<br />
personal tramping trips, Harris and his wife<br />
prefer to use a tent to avoid busy huts, and<br />
for more privacy and route flexibility, with<br />
the additional bonus of it doubling as an<br />
emergency shelter.<br />
But Harris says a tent is not the only form<br />
of emergency shelter out there. There are<br />
plenty of options out there for all kinds of<br />
trips.<br />
For those going solo, a well-designed<br />
bivvy bag has similar multi-use benefits,<br />
Harris says. It offers the flexibility to<br />
stay outside of huts, but also acts as an<br />
excellent emergency shelter in a pinch,<br />
he says. These are particularly good in<br />
challenging environments such as windy<br />
locations where it is tough to pitch a tent,<br />
or when alpine climbing where flat space<br />
can be an issue.<br />
"Tarps or flys are great, but have a bit of<br />
setup required, such as needing walking<br />
poles or trees to setup and don’t help<br />
as much with breaking the wind. This<br />
will work well if your route mostly stays<br />
below the bushline, but it won’t help you<br />
much at all in exposed areas. If you’re not<br />
interested in a tent, fly or bivvy bag, or if<br />
you’re tramping as a larger group, a bothy<br />
bag would be my pick. They aren’t too<br />
expensive, are incredibly easy to pull out<br />
and get shelter, are compact and light, and<br />
may fit bigger groups."<br />
Harris recalls one of many guiding trips<br />
he was leading on Fox Glacier where the<br />
weather turned enough for the group to<br />
need shelter. "I pulled out the bothy bag<br />
and we all hopped inside to have some<br />
lunch and take a break. Immediately the<br />
group morale lifted, and that lightweight,<br />
compact shelter turned a potential<br />
nightmare trip into an awesome memory<br />
for all.”<br />
MSC suggests that emergency shelter<br />
is part of any standard tramping kit,<br />
alongside other important survival items<br />
such as a first aid kit and communications<br />
devices. These should be carried even on<br />
day trips if you are going solo or to remote<br />
parts of the country.<br />
"A shelter is just one of<br />
the many useful items to<br />
consider in your pack, it<br />
is hard to think about the<br />
what-if situations, but as<br />
many experienced trampers<br />
know, anything can happen<br />
out there."<br />
You can find out a lot about which shelter<br />
suits you best by looking online at reviews,<br />
asking fellow trampers and talking to<br />
the staff in your local retailer. It is also<br />
important to understand how your setup<br />
works and to test it at home before you go.<br />
Store this in an easily accessible part of<br />
your pack. A shelter is just one of the many<br />
useful items to consider in your pack, it is<br />
hard to think about the what-if situations,<br />
but as many experienced trampers know,<br />
anything can happen out there.<br />
Things to consider when setting up:<br />
Setting up a shelter in an emergency situation has its<br />
challenges, however if there is time, consider the following:<br />
Choose a site:<br />
• On well-drained ground above flood level<br />
• Sheltered from wind – in the bush or in the lee of<br />
ridges and rocks<br />
Avoid setting up:<br />
• Under dead trees or large epiphytes (plants that<br />
grow on branches), which might fall in windy or wet<br />
conditions<br />
• Under possible rockfall or in avalanche path<br />
• On mosses that may fill with water during rain<br />
• In a river bed, on an island in a riverbed, or in a gorge<br />
where rising waters could flood your camp<br />
• When it is very cold, you may want to choose a<br />
campsite above the valley flats to avoid the coldest air<br />
that will gravitate there during the night.<br />
If you’re unsure on what other items to take with you, you can start with a gear list by using the MSC Plan My Walk app which<br />
will help you start planning a safe trip in New Zealand's outdoors, or jump on mountainsafety.org.nz for further information.<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//41
PACKING FOR THE WORST PAID OFF<br />
“We had everything we needed to be<br />
safe,” Vanessa Bridge said in January last<br />
year as she reflected on being rescued<br />
from Fiordland’s remote Dusky Trackafter<br />
activating a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).<br />
After breaking her ankle three days into<br />
the challenging eight-day expedition,<br />
Vanessa and her partner, Andy Reid, both<br />
from Auckland, were thankful their “bloody<br />
heavy packs” had emergency shelter and<br />
surplus food, two important items they<br />
would have needed for an unexpected<br />
lengthy stay in the isolated outdoors.<br />
The 84km Dusky Track is no mean feat,<br />
as described on the Plan My Walk app<br />
and website it's a difficult but rewarding<br />
remote track, between Lake Hauroko and<br />
Lake Manapouri, for the well-equipped,<br />
advanced tramper. Vanessa, a keen<br />
cyclist, and Andy, an adventure racer, both<br />
slotted into that category, being fit and<br />
seasoned trampers.<br />
It was a late January afternoon when<br />
the couple began the steep descent to<br />
Loch Maree hut, through forest covered<br />
by a dense tree canopy. “Unfortunately,<br />
Vanessa slipped on a branch and broke<br />
her ankle,” Andy said. "From there we<br />
decided that it was unlikely she would be<br />
able to proceed, so we set up camp.”<br />
They pitched their emergency shelter,<br />
a small tent, and Vanessa rested in it in<br />
her sleeping bag while Andy went to the<br />
hut, about 1.5hours away, to collect some<br />
water and make an unsuccessful call<br />
attempt from his satellite phone.<br />
He then left a note at the hut detailing their<br />
situation before returning to Vanessa at<br />
about 9pm. The pair, both in their early<br />
60s, made the decision to activate the<br />
beacon shortly before 7am on Thursday as<br />
Vanessa knew her situation wasn’t critical<br />
and was able to manage her pain levels<br />
with medication overnight.<br />
“Because we were under the canopy, we<br />
were thinking the signal might not get out.<br />
It was the first time we had used one.”<br />
Just over an hour later they heard the<br />
hum of the helicopter overhead, and Andy<br />
waved his orange jacket in a small gap<br />
amongst the tree canopy for the rescue<br />
team to spot them. The couple were<br />
winched up separately and taken to the<br />
Te Anau Medical Centre by ambulance<br />
waiting for them.<br />
Andy says the decades of outdoor<br />
experience gave him and Vanessa comfort<br />
in the situation. “But without a PLB I would<br />
have felt more nervous as it’s very remote.<br />
. . it’s one of DOC’s hardest tracks.”<br />
The couple had decided to take a small<br />
tent as emergency shelter, especially after<br />
reading an alert on the DOC website that<br />
mentioned the quick rise of the rivers along<br />
the track raising the possibility of having<br />
to set up camp to wait for the river level to<br />
drop, he says.<br />
“I think there’s always the trade off with<br />
the weight that you carry. For an eight<br />
or more-day tramp, the pack was bloody<br />
heavy, maybe about 20kg. We probably<br />
had bought more food than we needed but<br />
if for some reason the PLB didn’t work, we<br />
would have been grateful for that,” Andy<br />
says.<br />
The couple were very thankful for the<br />
efficient, life-saving effort by the Southern<br />
Lakes Helicopter crew.<br />
42//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
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ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//43
"Tenkara is like<br />
dancing with<br />
trout; like a<br />
fishing ballet.<br />
It is a balance<br />
between delicate<br />
and firm."
TENKARA<br />
FISHING FROM HEAVEN<br />
Words Steve Dickinson | Images By Lynne Dickinson<br />
A few years back on a hiking trip up the Mohaka River, as we pitched our tent and<br />
sat on the bank in the evening, the trout started to rise, plucking floating bugs off<br />
the surface as they drifted downstream and swirled in the current’s eddies. We<br />
didn’t have a line or a rod but wished we did. On our return I started to investigate<br />
light-weight trout fishing gear and to simplify the process and I discovered Tenkara.<br />
I was introduced to it via Patagonia, the clothing company that has a strong sideline<br />
in trout fishing thanks to the founder Yvon Chouinard who simply passion for<br />
the sport. I started to find out that the rods are extremely light and compact and<br />
that Tenkara fishing originated in Japan more than 400 years ago. This style of<br />
fishing started with traditional fishermen in the mountain streams of Japan who<br />
found it an effective method of catching fish in the local freshwater streams.<br />
The Japanese the word ‘Tenkara’ literally means ‘Fishing from heaven’ or fishing<br />
from the skies or empty sky with ‘Kara’ meaning empty and ‘ten’ meaning sky.<br />
Tenkara is still a rare method of fishing among freshwater mountain anglers in<br />
Japan even now, the most common method now used is bait. It was believed that<br />
it was the Samurai that started tenkara but that is not correct. Samurai did fish, but<br />
they used a more aggressive jigging technique (as you would expect!). Tenkara was<br />
largely unknown outside Japan until 2009, when Daniel Galhardo returned from<br />
a trip with a tenkara rod in his bag, it was introduced to the states and since has<br />
slowly seeped worldwide.
Surpising the size of the fish you can land with no reel<br />
Originally the rod was simply a bamboo<br />
cane rod, but unlike modern western<br />
bamboo rods, it wasn’t split and stuck<br />
back together as used extensively in<br />
coarse fishing, it was simple a bamboo<br />
pole, like the quintessential Huckleberry<br />
Finn fishing poles. Obviously in Japan<br />
bamboo is readily available and light.<br />
Because of its light weight, traditional<br />
Japanese fishermen were able to use<br />
very long bamboo rods and reach<br />
as far as needed without the need to<br />
develop reels or extended line or casting.<br />
Although there are similarities between<br />
tenkara and traditional fly fishing the two<br />
techniques developed independently of<br />
each other, with tenkara being purely<br />
Japanese in origin however there are<br />
some similarities to coarse fishing in<br />
Europe with the likes or a roach pole<br />
which was a similar method.<br />
Tenkara fishing can be seen as a<br />
streamlined alternative to traditional<br />
fly-fishing. The equipment is designed<br />
to directly concentrate on the fly and<br />
catching of the fish, very similar to a<br />
high rod technique when fly fishing.<br />
Like a lot of Japanese culture there is<br />
an elegance and simplicity to Tenkara<br />
that has a strong appeal not just in its<br />
convenience but in its presentation or<br />
the fly. There are also other advantages<br />
of using the long tenkara rods as a long<br />
rod allows for precise placement of the<br />
fly on small pools avoiding casting in<br />
cramped areas and the inevitable tangles<br />
in overhanging bushes, the long rod<br />
presentation allows for holding the fly in<br />
place on the other side of a current. As<br />
any fly fisher man will tell you the drift is<br />
all important. The drift, how the fly either<br />
on the surface or below flows through the<br />
water naturally will always be important<br />
in catching trout. The main advantages<br />
of using the long tenkara rod is precise<br />
control for manipulation of the fly drift and<br />
presentation.<br />
Recently I went to a back water river<br />
which was very tight and shallow but<br />
full of fish. On my first trip I took a<br />
traditional rod and reel, and fishing was<br />
at best difficult, at worst impossible, plus<br />
because it was so shallow and so clear<br />
the fish spooked easy. But the following<br />
day I added my tenkara set up to my<br />
gear and happily fished for hours with no<br />
loss of gear (other than being snapped<br />
off by a big boy). Tenkara simply made<br />
the presentation easy and because of the<br />
lack of movement the fish did not spook<br />
as bad.<br />
You could literally be Huckleberry Finn<br />
and go cut a long piece of bamboo add<br />
some line and a fly and you would be<br />
tenkara fishing, however the modern<br />
tenkara rods are very long and flexible<br />
rod (usually telescopic which makes for<br />
ease of carrying and pack down into<br />
itself). The rods normally range from 3.3<br />
to 4.5 metres (11 to 15 ft) long. 3.6 m<br />
(12 ft) is common. Although rods were<br />
originally made of bamboo, they are now<br />
made with carbon-fibre or fibre-glass.<br />
They also have a handle similar to flyfishing<br />
rods that can be made of wood<br />
or cork. Plus, a loop at the end of the<br />
rod to attach the tenkara line. There is a<br />
specific way to bring out a tenkara rod,<br />
you hold the opening of the rod in your<br />
hand and slowly bring out segment by<br />
segment linking each segment firmly, my<br />
13ft foot rod has 13 separate sections.<br />
The same thing applied when collapsing<br />
the rod into itself.<br />
Tenkara line: As in fly-fishing, it is the<br />
tenkara line that propels the weightless<br />
fly forward. In tenkara, the traditional and<br />
most commonly used line is a tapered<br />
furled line (twisted monofilament), of the<br />
same length or slightly shorter than the<br />
rod. The main advantage of tapered lines<br />
is the delicate presentation and ease of<br />
casting. Alternatively, a tenkara "level"<br />
line can be used. Level lines are specially<br />
formulated fluorocarbon adjusted to the<br />
desired length as they maintain the same<br />
diameter throughout their length. Tapered<br />
lines are typically easier to cast and<br />
preferred by people getting started with<br />
tenkara, whereas level lines tend to be<br />
lighter (slightly harder to cast) but can be<br />
kept off the water more easily. But once<br />
you have the tenkara line regardless<br />
of what type it is simply a case of then<br />
attaching normal fishing line to the end.<br />
The traditional tenkara line has a loop<br />
of braided line at its thicker end. This<br />
braided line is used to tie the tenkara line<br />
46//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
"Tenkara is pure simple fishing, a rod, a line<br />
and a fly and it all packs down compactly and<br />
is easy to carry anywhere."<br />
directly to the tip of the rod. I felt that the<br />
loop on my tenkara rod was not secure<br />
enough and had it removed and replaced<br />
by my local fishing store the loop was both<br />
super glued and whipped on.<br />
Tippet: This is the same as a regular<br />
fly-fishing tippet just shorter and is used<br />
to connect the fly to the line. Usually<br />
between 30 cm (12 in) and 1 metre (3 ft 3<br />
in) of tippet is added to the end of the line,<br />
personally I used about a meter and a half<br />
of tippet and found it both easy to control<br />
and simple to use. In Japan the tippet is<br />
referred to as "hea" (for hair), due to it<br />
being the thin part of the process.<br />
Tenkara fly: Artificial flies are used in<br />
tenkara fly-fishing. These are tied with<br />
thread, feathers and sometimes fur as<br />
just as normal<br />
fly fishing.<br />
Customarily a<br />
special reverse<br />
hackle wet fly is<br />
used. In Japan<br />
it is known<br />
as "kebari"<br />
literally means<br />
“feathered/<br />
haired hook.<br />
These<br />
traditional<br />
Japanese flies<br />
differ from<br />
most Western<br />
flies, in that the<br />
hackle is tied facing forward. That is the<br />
purest way of fishing Tenkara, however I<br />
have simplify used traditional flies bought<br />
form the local fishing store. Both dry and<br />
wet flies and have used both a dropper rig<br />
(dry fly and small beaded nymph) plus and<br />
traditional nymphing set up with a small<br />
bomb and nymph the only difference you<br />
don’t really need an indicator as you are so<br />
attached to the movement of the line.<br />
Whenever you talk Tenkara you nearly<br />
always get the same reaction. ‘’How’s<br />
that gonna work on bigger fish in New<br />
Zealand?”<br />
Tenkara rods are designed to handle more<br />
stress that you would think, if you do not<br />
have the option of a reel or line drag then<br />
you have to use the next option, you head.<br />
You need to fight the fish on your terms,<br />
learning to fish smarter not harder.<br />
Firstly, use the heaviest tippet you think<br />
you can get away with and buy good<br />
product don’t skimp on the line. Fishermen<br />
spend thousands of dollars on rods and<br />
reels and getting to some fish heavy<br />
location only to baulk at the cost of good<br />
line and try to save twenty dollars, don’t.<br />
That’s the business and you don’t want it<br />
to let you down.<br />
Tenkara rods are made to be bent, so get<br />
the butt of the rod to the fish front as soon<br />
as possible, ‘remember show em your<br />
butt’’, pointing the butt of the rod at the<br />
fish will help you handle most of the fish’s<br />
aggressive movements.<br />
But the time will come when they move<br />
and you need to be prepared to move with<br />
them, it pays to use common sense if you<br />
are fishing a wider deeper river and big<br />
boy decides to go for the other bank, don’t<br />
put yourself in peril by following, it’s only<br />
a fish. Try to weigh up all the alternative<br />
before you get<br />
a fish on, and<br />
you won’t be<br />
faced with a<br />
snap decision<br />
you might<br />
regret.<br />
Try to keep<br />
a 90-degree<br />
angle at the fish<br />
as with normal<br />
fly fishing. All<br />
of the normal<br />
fly-fishing rules<br />
apply to landing<br />
a fish bigger<br />
fish, keep side<br />
pressure on and be directive.<br />
Lastly, and this is only something I have<br />
read about, should a fish be getting the<br />
better of you it is suggested that you<br />
drop the rod in the water! The weight of<br />
the water will keep the hook in place but<br />
because there is not rod stress on the fish,<br />
they will return to their holding place and<br />
you can simply go back, pick up you rod<br />
and start again. Like I said, I have never<br />
tried this, but it might work well in low<br />
running, narrow rivers.<br />
Fly fishing has been described as a dance<br />
with trout, if that is so then Tenkara is<br />
ballet, it is simple, delicate, and effective.<br />
My journeys into the back hills have been<br />
a discovery of small rivers and stream<br />
many of which do not even have a name<br />
but surprisingly in the middle of nowhere<br />
a tiny mountain stream will still carry trout.<br />
Tenkara is pure simple fishing, a rod, a line<br />
and a fly and it all packs down compactly<br />
and is easy to carry anywhere.<br />
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48//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
ALEX HONNOLD<br />
THE SOLOIST<br />
Words and images courtsey Red Bull<br />
Alex Honnold is a professional rock<br />
climber whose free-solo ascents of<br />
America’s biggest cliffs have made<br />
him one of the most recognized<br />
and followed climbers in the world.<br />
Honnold is distinguished for his<br />
uncanny ability to control his fear<br />
while scaling cliffs of dizzying heights<br />
without a rope to protect him if he<br />
falls in a climbing style called free<br />
solo climbing.<br />
In 2017 Honnold completed the first<br />
and only free-solo of El Capitan’s<br />
“Freerider” route (5.13a, 3,000 feet),<br />
hailed by many as one of the greatest<br />
sporting achievements of our time.<br />
Free Solo' the film documenting this<br />
climb, won the Best Documentary<br />
Feature at the 91st Academy Awards.<br />
The two-part 'Alex Honnold: The<br />
Soloist VR' immerses viewers<br />
alongside the 36-year-old Californian<br />
as he exhibits the talent that has<br />
captivated people globally. The film is<br />
only available for Oculus TV, on Meta<br />
Quest VR headsets.<br />
The film, which was shot over two<br />
years by award-winner producer<br />
Johnathan Griffith of 'Everest VR:<br />
Journey to the Top of the World' -<br />
uses the latest in high-resolution 3D<br />
360° to capture Honnold in some of<br />
the most remote and wildest locations<br />
possible.<br />
VR Producer Johnathan Griffith<br />
added: "After seeing how audiences<br />
were enthralled by Alex in Free<br />
Solo, we thought that VR could bring<br />
people even closer to being on the<br />
wall with Alex as he continues to<br />
push the boundaries of the sport and<br />
human achievement."<br />
Alex Honnold soloing Desert Gold at sunrise, Vegas<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//49
The three-part series 'Making the<br />
Soloist VR' on Red Bull TV, follows<br />
the production team and provides an<br />
inside look at the challenges faced with<br />
shooting VR in these environments.<br />
Honnold, filmmaker Jon Griffith and<br />
a group of climbers take us through<br />
the journey, struggles and rewards of<br />
creating such a film.<br />
Episode 1 follows Honnold to Yosemite,<br />
home of the fearsome 7,573 ft (2,308<br />
m) El Capitan, and Red Rocks.<br />
The action then switches to Europe<br />
where Honnold teams up with Swiss<br />
mountaineer Nicolas Hojac to tackle<br />
tough Dolomites free solo climbs.<br />
Episode 2 culminates with Honnold<br />
and Hojac battling a snowy and wet<br />
summer to free solo American Direct<br />
on the Aiguille du Dru in Chamonix and<br />
the Kuffner arete on Mont Maudit – the<br />
Cursed Mountain – the second-highest<br />
peak in the Mont Blanc Massif.<br />
As shooting in the mountains means<br />
uncontrollable circumstances, every<br />
aspect revolved around the crew’s<br />
ability to handle themselves in complex<br />
and often dangerous situations. While<br />
they were documenting the stars of<br />
the climbing world, the team had to<br />
have a high level of mountain skills<br />
themselves, and put together a support<br />
crew that can keep up with Honnold.<br />
Leading the artistic vision of this<br />
behind-the-scene series was Director<br />
Renan Ozturk, and helping the<br />
team navigate the high alpine was<br />
professional mountaineer Nico Hokjac.<br />
Ozturk works on getting great images;<br />
both on film and stills, while Hojac’s<br />
principal job is to rig the cameras and<br />
keep the team safe.<br />
Honnold explained: "For anyone<br />
wanting to take a deeper dive into the<br />
world of free solo climbing, The Soloist<br />
VR is the perfect opportunity to do so<br />
from the comfort of your own home.<br />
Viewers come along for the ride as we<br />
climb some of the most beautiful rock<br />
faces on earth."<br />
Nicknamed Alex “No Big Deal”<br />
Honnold, the Medical University<br />
of South Carolina, in Charleston<br />
conducted a functional MRI scan<br />
in 2016, which showed little to no<br />
activation in Honnold's amygdala which<br />
is responsible for fear responses.<br />
Of Sacramento, California, Honnold's<br />
most celebrated achievements include<br />
the first and only free-solos of the<br />
Moonlight Buttress (5.12d, 1,200 feet)<br />
in Zion National Park, Utah, and the<br />
Northwest Face (5.12a) of Half Dome<br />
(2,200 feet), Yosemite, California. In<br />
2012 he achieved Yosemite’s first<br />
“Triple Solo”: climbing, in succession,<br />
the National Park’s three largest faces<br />
- Mt. Watkins, Half Dome and<br />
El Capitan - in under 24 hours.<br />
50//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
Alex Honnold and Nicolas Hojas climbing Digital Crack (8a) on the Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//51
CENTRAL<br />
OTAGO<br />
*<br />
E-MOUNTAINBIKE ADVENTURES<br />
USING TECHNOLOGY TO ACCESS HISTORY<br />
Words and images by Duncan and Andy / Bike it Now!<br />
In the 1800s gold miners experienced the adrenaline of<br />
finding gold in the Central Otago hills and mountains.<br />
With advances in E-Mountain Bike technology we are<br />
able to travel their paths, access their history, and<br />
experience adrenaline of our own through day mountain<br />
bike adventures!<br />
In the heart of Central Otago you can find the E-Bike<br />
specialists of Bike it Now! Cromwell, and Bike it Now!<br />
Clyde. These are the places for all your biking needs.<br />
Bike it Now! have a huge array of E-bikes for every rider,<br />
and their knowledgeable and qualified staff will find you<br />
your next bike - because at Bike it Now! - it’s all about<br />
you!<br />
Our adventure starts from the door of Bike it Now!<br />
Cromwell. The ride from Cromwell to Bannockburn is<br />
a great warm up on the first six kilometres of the Lake<br />
Dunstan Trail. This new 42km cycle way, starting in<br />
Cromwell takes in the stunning scenery of the Cromwell<br />
Gorge, and finishes in Clyde. In fact, you can ride from<br />
Bike it Now! Cromwell to Bike it Now! Clyde on the trail.<br />
E-bikes are the popular choice of bike for this day trip and<br />
the teams at Bike it Now! at either end of the track can<br />
sort you out with the best bike to power you on this ride.<br />
We, however, are after more of an adventure, and keen<br />
to head into the hills, so at the Bannockburn Bridge we<br />
head south towards Bannockburn, the heart of the desert.<br />
The hills of Bannockburn are littered with stories of the<br />
past. The land has been changed by hand and water,<br />
and what is left offers some exhilarating mountain biking<br />
opportunities.<br />
Our first stop is the Bannockburn Sluicings. The<br />
Department of Conservation calls this area a “desert<br />
made by water.” and not naturally. The terrain in which<br />
we are playing has been shaped by the miners who toiled<br />
in these hills. The Slucings of Bannockburn showcase<br />
the mighty power of water that was harnessed to carve<br />
out the hillside. It is the mighty power of the high torque<br />
motors on our bikes that allow us to easily climb through<br />
and over the left over tailings to access fun turns, great<br />
views, and a landscape more reminiscent of the wild west<br />
than what we would normally expect in Aotearoa.<br />
The balance of the controlled<br />
power and suspension on these<br />
E-mountain bikes gives us a<br />
smooth ride up and over the rocks<br />
that would normally have stopped<br />
us in our tracks, and speed up<br />
the short and steep inclines that<br />
offer the views into the man<br />
made canyons. How the men of<br />
history changed this landscape<br />
with their limited technology is<br />
mindblowing. Accessing it on the<br />
E- bike technology that is changing<br />
mountain biking is also mind<br />
blowing.<br />
"The balance of<br />
the controlled<br />
power and<br />
suspension on<br />
these E-mountain<br />
bikes gives us<br />
a smooth ride<br />
up and over the<br />
rocks that would<br />
normally have<br />
stopped us in our<br />
tracks"<br />
The E-mountain bikes the team at Bike it Now! have on<br />
offer are all electric assist. Electric assist simply means<br />
that the bikes amplify the power the rider puts in while<br />
peddling. So for us, the motor doesn’t work unless we do!<br />
We might be flying up these hills on our new 90 newtonmetre<br />
of torque supercharged legs, but we are still puffing<br />
at the top, and that keeps the adventure feeling like an<br />
adventure.<br />
The bikes are not only built to handle the ups, but on the<br />
rocky drops, tight corners and flowy downs they handle<br />
with the fun we would expect from any top of the range<br />
full suspension mountain bike. Rolling the rocks isn’t a<br />
problem up or down.<br />
Further up and into the hills behind Bannockburn and<br />
the ruins of Stewart Town lie the remains of Carricktown.<br />
52//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
Marcella and Chantel descending through the tailings<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//53
Craig nearing Carricktown, Lake Dunstan and Cromwell in the background.<br />
Marcella and Chantel passing by the ruins of Stewart Town.<br />
The views from this historical settlement are well<br />
earned, and normally only tackled by mountain<br />
bikers with something to prove, and time on<br />
their hands. We don’t have to toil here like the<br />
miners who lugged up their tools in order to dig<br />
the kilometres of water races into the hills. The<br />
bikes Duncan and the Bike it Now! team have<br />
for sale allow riders to purchase bikes that have<br />
the power to meet their riding goals, so we have<br />
bikes that have the power to climb these steep<br />
hills without slowing down. With a 250 watt motor<br />
that allows the bike to sustain power over long<br />
periods of time, and an amp controller to increase<br />
peak power when needed, it doesn’t take long<br />
to climb to the spot where we are eye level with<br />
kāhu cruising on wind currents. Normally, it’s at<br />
this point that the fun begins, but the smoothness<br />
of the ride up is going to be hard to beat.<br />
The descent is longer, faster, and more<br />
variable than the short tight turns of The<br />
Sluicings. The way our bikes handle the ride is<br />
confidence inspiring. We get to the bottom with<br />
adrenaline rushing. With the battery technology<br />
improvements of the past few years, even with<br />
the bikes on turbo up the hills, our bikes still have<br />
plenty of charge left in them for the cruise back<br />
into Cromwell. We’ve had a great adventure, and<br />
a good workout, but thanks to the motor we still<br />
have plenty of charge left in us too.<br />
Marcella and Chantel overlooking the Slucings and Tailings from the<br />
bygone mining era.<br />
*The weather of Central Otago can be varied<br />
and extreme. Always ride prepared with suitable<br />
clothing, water, and food. Check the conditions<br />
before riding, and follow the mountain bikers’ off<br />
road code.<br />
54//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
Reviews from<br />
millions of Tripadvisor<br />
travellers place this<br />
attraction in the top<br />
10% worldwide.<br />
Come cycling in stunning Central<br />
Otago and let the experts look<br />
after all your needs.<br />
> Lake Dunstan Trail<br />
> Otago Central Rail Trail<br />
> Roxbourgh Gorge Trail<br />
and more...<br />
Call the experts at Bike It Now!: 0800 245 366<br />
Clyde Bike Shop and Tour office open 7 Days<br />
Cromwell Bike Shop open 7 days<br />
www.bikeitnow.co.nz<br />
Tripadvisor<br />
Travellers’<br />
Choice<br />
Bike It Now!<br />
⬤⬤⬤⬤⬤
TRAILS OF THE MACKENZIE<br />
The Mackenzie is New Zealand’s largest intermontane basin – an elevated<br />
plateau ringed by mountains in every direction, including the mighty<br />
Aoraki/Mount Cook. The region is known for its stunning landscapes<br />
which change each season, and its tri-colour palette: turquoise lakes,<br />
white snow-capped mountains and golden grasslands.<br />
With such dramatic landscapes and the boundless pristine dark sky<br />
reserve above, it’s no wonder the Mackenzie is a paradise for connecting<br />
with nature. From short walks to multi-day trails, here’s a few of our<br />
favourites to help you explore this spectacular part of the country.<br />
BEN ŌHAU & GRETA STREAM<br />
(Image by Hollie Woodhouse)<br />
16km loop. Near Twizel.<br />
The Ben Ōhau and Greta Stream return near<br />
Twizel is a true hidden gem, taking in the summit<br />
of Ben Ōhau, views of ancient riverbeds, and<br />
Ōhau, Ruataniwha and Pūkaki lakes. The track<br />
runs through Greta Valley, past castle-like rocky<br />
outcrops and golden tussock-clad mountains,<br />
alongside pure (drinkable) mountain streams.<br />
Wander among rare native beech forests to epic<br />
views across Lake Ōhau, nestled in the shadow<br />
of the Southern Alps. Pop into Greta Hut for some<br />
local history before heading home.<br />
56//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
MACKENZIE<br />
REGION<br />
*<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//57
FLANAGAN PASS TRAIL (Below: Image by Tekapo <strong>Adventure</strong>s)<br />
23km. Near Twizel.<br />
This trail near Twizel is in the Ruataniwha Conservation Park, a<br />
37,000 hecatre park that encompasses the Ben Ōhau Range and<br />
several valleys between Lake Pūkaki & Ōhau. The trail can be<br />
walked, biked, and is suitable for horse riding. There is also access<br />
to ski-touring in the basins at the southern end of the Ben Ōhau<br />
Range.<br />
Turn off SH8 onto Glen Lyon Road and start the trail from the<br />
carpark just past the Pūkaki Canal bridge, heading to the Darts<br />
Bush Stream Track. Branching off the track at the signpost takes<br />
you on the climb up to Flanagan Pass at 1,225m. Enjoy wide<br />
sweeping views across the Mackenzie Basin.<br />
During the 1800s this trail was used as a route to Glen Lyon<br />
Station. Telegraph poles from the 1940s are still located along the<br />
track and once provided communication over Flanagan Pass to<br />
Ōhau.<br />
You can descend from Flanagan Pass using the Dorcy Track, or<br />
taking the diagonal track to the Greta Stream car park.<br />
TWO THUMBS TRACK (Above: Image by Tekapo <strong>Adventure</strong>s)<br />
56.5km section of the Te Araroa Trail.<br />
Near Lake Tekapo.<br />
The Te Kāhui Kaupeka Conservation Park was opened back<br />
in 2009, resulting from the tenure review of Mesopotamia and<br />
Richmond Station pastoral leases. Mesopotamia was once<br />
owned by English author Samuel Butler, the braided river and<br />
hanging valleys providing inspiration for Butler’s satirical novel<br />
‘Erewhon’. The Two Thumbs Track is the centrepiece of this DOC<br />
estate, and is part of the Te Araroa Trail – the 3,000km route that<br />
stretches from Cape Reinga in the north to Bluff.<br />
It is recommended to walk the trail from north to south, starting at<br />
the Bush Stream carpark on Rangitata Gorge Road. On day one<br />
you have a short climb out of Bush Stream, and from there on the<br />
trail is mainly downhill. You also get great views of Lake Tekapo<br />
from the ridges on the descent. You can exit down the Roundhill<br />
Skifield road, or continue along Boundary Stream to Lilybank<br />
Road.<br />
The park is popular with hunters, with plenty of tahr and chamois<br />
around. The Stag Saddle is New Zealand’s highest horse<br />
accessible trail, and also the highest point on the entire Te Araroa<br />
Trail. There are four huts along the track, with Royal Hut being<br />
aptly named due to a helicopter visit in 1970 from Prince Charles<br />
and Princess Anne.<br />
HOOKER VALLEY (Right: Image by Rachel Gillespie)<br />
10km return via same track.<br />
Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.<br />
While the three-hour return Hooker Valley Track is quite well<br />
known, have you heard about the new old Hooker Hut? This<br />
historic hut has just been rebuilt and is tucked away off the<br />
famous Hooker Valley Track. The hut has a wood burner, eight<br />
bunk beds, gas cookers, running water, and a pit toilet. This<br />
hut is a great option for those with young children as it's only<br />
950 metres from the well-maintained Hooker Valley Track. It’s<br />
also bookable via the DOC website, giving families that much<br />
needed security they’ll have a bed for all.<br />
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60//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
SEALY TARNS (Image by Rachel Stewart)<br />
5.8km Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.<br />
Dubbed the stairway to heaven, the Sealy Tarns Track<br />
in the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park is a must for the<br />
fit adventurer. 2,200 steps take you straight up to the<br />
freshwater lakes of Sealy Tarns, providing spectacular<br />
views of the Hooker Valley and the National Park. The<br />
track branches off from the Kea Point track in the village<br />
and is steep with a total height gain of 600m. Those<br />
wanting an overnight adventure can continue on the<br />
alpine route for a couple of hours to Mueller Hut.
HOPKINS VALLEY TRACK (Above: Image by Shellie Evans)<br />
21-35 km return via same track. Ruataniwha<br />
Conservation Park, near Lake Ōhau.<br />
This is an advanced tramping and mountainbike track with a<br />
range of terrain: grasslands, shingle, beech forest and river<br />
banks. There are six huts dotted along the valley. Following<br />
SH8 south from Twizel turn onto Lake Ōhau Road. The<br />
Hopkins Valley is at the end of the road, a total of 60km<br />
from Twizel. Park at the Ram Hill carpark, or continue on to<br />
Monument Hut if you have a 4WD vehicle.<br />
RICHMOND TRAIL (Above: Image by Hollie Woodhouse)<br />
13km one way. Near Lake Tekapo.<br />
0800 22 44 75 | cyclejourneys.co.nz | 3 Benmore Place, Twizel<br />
Over by Lake Tekapo is the Richmond Trail with sweeping<br />
views of Lake Tekapo, the Godley Valley and surrounding<br />
mountains. The trail is part of the Te Araroa trail – you can<br />
walk or bike it (grade 4) and it offers unbeatable views.<br />
The trail follows an old glacial terrace through tussocks<br />
and patches of native vegetation. While the track is<br />
graded easy, there are a few steep climbs (or descents,<br />
depending on which way you walk it) above Boundary<br />
Stream on the way back to Lilybank Road. This trail starts<br />
and finishes in different places – half-way up the Roundhill<br />
access road, or just past the Boundary Creek bridge.
OFF TRAIL<br />
IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT SHOE<br />
By Lynne Dickinson<br />
With an adventure race looming I was<br />
faced with the daunting task of finding<br />
myself a new pair of shoes in time for the<br />
event. I’m a bit of a “jack of all trades,<br />
master of none” type enthusiast. I do some<br />
biking, some running, a bit of hiking and<br />
a bit of adventure racing, and I wanted<br />
something that would tick all the boxes.<br />
But when I went shopping I found that<br />
although there were so many to choose<br />
from, and although many boasted similar<br />
features, it was hard to find one to fit my<br />
specific needs.<br />
I did my research before I hit the retail<br />
shops, asking around what other people<br />
wore in a range of situations.<br />
A friend who is an avid biker had recently<br />
purchased a pair of trail shoes. Sue is<br />
predominantly a mountain biker and<br />
having spent years in clips, a recent injury<br />
had made her change her pedals and she<br />
needed some new shoes to suit. She was<br />
looking for a more solid based shoe with<br />
a good grip for pushing her bike through<br />
steep tricky sections in the forest. She<br />
purchased a pair of Salomon Wings Sky.<br />
Another friend is an ultra runner, covering<br />
a ridiculous amount of miles each week;<br />
shoes are her lifeline, and her connection<br />
to the ground. So I reached out to her to<br />
see what she looked for in a trail shoe.<br />
Jenny spends most of her time running,<br />
so her needs were different again. She<br />
wanted something lighter and more<br />
flexible, however she was quick to point<br />
out that no one shoe could do it all. As a<br />
result she has different shoes for different<br />
scenarios. She admitted to being a bit of a<br />
Hoka girl, “I have Hoka Challenger ATRs<br />
for the less muddy trails and Hoka Torrents<br />
when I need more grip”, and for the super<br />
muddy stuff, some Icebug Acceleratas.<br />
So the secret is finding the shoe that<br />
is right for you… My problem was that<br />
I wanted one shoe that would do it all.<br />
In adventure racing you need to bike,<br />
hike, sometimes run and there’s always<br />
a water activity such as kayaking, rafting<br />
or paddleboarding. The terrain varies<br />
depending on the location and there’s<br />
always going to be times when you are<br />
pushing your bike up a steep hill, it just<br />
seems to come with the territory. But with<br />
so many things I wanted my shoes for, I<br />
had to choose the one that ticked most of<br />
the boxes.<br />
After trying on a variety of shoes in the<br />
shop, I ended up choosing the Salewa<br />
Ultratrain Shoe. These came highly<br />
recommended from my husband mainly<br />
due to the sole, which is made from<br />
Michelin outdoor compound, excellent on<br />
wet and slippery surfaces. Regardless of<br />
the many technical attributes, these just<br />
fitted MY feet perfectly. There is plenty of<br />
room in the toes, the soles are grippy but<br />
flexible, and the upper surface has plenty<br />
of extra protection from the elements,<br />
including a quick lacing system to help<br />
keep rocks and dirt out. And to top it off I<br />
absolutely love the colour!<br />
So what should YOU look for when<br />
choosing your trail shoe?<br />
The sole needs to have a good grip, and<br />
the depth of that grip will depend on the<br />
terrain you intend to be moving over. If<br />
you are mainly running on bush tracks<br />
your needs will be different from someone<br />
running on sand or over rocks. The type<br />
of rubber used in the sole is important<br />
too; good trail shoes will provide superior<br />
traction in both wet and dry conditions.<br />
Still on the sole, depending on what you<br />
are planning to do will determine whether<br />
you want a more rigid or softer flexible<br />
sole.<br />
Look for a good upper fabric that will<br />
protect you from the extra wear and tear<br />
from branches, rocks, dirt and water that<br />
you are likely to encounter on a variety of<br />
terrains. A good trail shoe will often have<br />
extra reinforcements in the toe and heel<br />
areas. The upper fabric needs to be more<br />
durable than your average running shoe,<br />
simply because it will likely be subject<br />
to more elements. Many now will have<br />
a waterproof element to the fabric, so<br />
if that is a factor for you look for a shoe<br />
constructed with GORE-TEX.<br />
64//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
One of the features I noticed in most trail shoes was the<br />
shoe lacing system. Some come with a pocket that allows<br />
you to tuck the loose end of the lace inside to prevent<br />
them coming undone or getting caught. Others come with<br />
a toggle system that allows you to loosen and tighten your<br />
shoes with one swift pull.<br />
Another feature is the heel drop, the amount of cushioning<br />
under the heel. This will once again depend on the main<br />
use of your shoe, if you intend to use them mainly for<br />
running then look for a pair with a greater heel drop.<br />
"Remember, there is<br />
rarely a time when<br />
one shoe will do it all,<br />
so choose the one that<br />
is best for your major<br />
needs."<br />
If you are in your shoes for a long time, the weight of them<br />
can make a real difference, so check how they feel but<br />
also how much they weigh.<br />
So how do you know which one is right for you?<br />
Firstly you have to know what type of trail or activity you<br />
are likely to navigate. This is easy if you always run the<br />
bush, for example, but it does get a little trickier when you<br />
have a variety of terrains and uses.<br />
One of the biggest mistakes I have made when buying<br />
shoes in the past is getting them too small, especially for<br />
when I am adventure racing. If you are going to be in your<br />
shoes for a longer period of time your feet are going to<br />
swell, so make sure you have enough room. If you have<br />
the typical kiwi wide feet, then look for a shoe that gives<br />
you more room in the toes, your feet will thank you for it.<br />
Try on plenty of shoes, what may feel great on your feet<br />
can feel totally different on someone else so let the shoes<br />
do the talking. Some people prefer the feeling of a high<br />
profile shoe, which can provide extra support around the<br />
ankles, whereas others prefer a low profile style allowing<br />
for more maneuverability.<br />
Remember, there is rarely a time when one shoe will do<br />
it all, so choose the one that is best for your major needs,<br />
and you may just need to follow Jenny’s lead and have a<br />
different shoe for each different occasion!<br />
Stretch gaters<br />
help to keeps<br />
debris out of the<br />
lace area<br />
Quick lacing system makes lacing easy<br />
and the neoprene cover keeps pebbles<br />
and brances out of your shoes.<br />
Extra features such as SALEWA’S 3F<br />
system help to keep the shoe snug and<br />
connected around your ankle<br />
and Instep helping to keep out debris.<br />
Look for a durable breathable<br />
mesh or a waterproof fabric if this<br />
is important to you.<br />
Extra protection at the toe, sides<br />
and heels helps to protect your<br />
shoes from a variety of terrains.<br />
A higher heel drop will provide<br />
more cushioning<br />
Look for a good grip on the soles,<br />
and a lug suitable for your activity.<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//65
Salewa Alp Trainer 2 $299.90<br />
This is a multipurpose all-round trail<br />
walking / hiking shoe – at home on<br />
groomed trails or something a little<br />
higher up the mountain (NEW for this<br />
coming winter)<br />
WWW.BOBO.CO.NZ<br />
hoka CHALLENGER ATR 6 $269.95<br />
This adaptable, all-terrain shoe defies convention<br />
— performing light on the trail and smooth on the<br />
street, thanks to its midsole geometry and outsole<br />
construction. Dynamically designed for versatile<br />
traction, its distinctive outsole has zonal construction<br />
to optimize grip and weight. Developed with broad,<br />
closely spaced zonal lugs, the Challenger ATR 6’s<br />
outsole delivers smooth transitions from one surface<br />
to another. This season’s iteration utilizes recycled<br />
UNIFI Reprieve yarn derived from post-consumer<br />
waste plastic.<br />
WWW.HOKA.CO.NZ<br />
merrell Moab Flight Eco Dyed - Mens/Womens $259.00<br />
This version of the Merrell best-selling<br />
cushioned trail runners is made with<br />
solution dyed yarns, a process that uses<br />
less water and energy compared to<br />
traditional dyeing methods.<br />
WWW.MERRELL.CO.NZ<br />
KEEN NXIS (woMen’s) $349.99<br />
The faster you go, the farther you go, the more you’ll see. That<br />
means more alpine hikes, more sunset views, and an extra-full<br />
camera roll. Splash through every puddle, hop across rocks, and<br />
slide through scree. Our lightest hiker to date with the KEEN<br />
famous fit and all-terrain tread, NXIS is ready for whatever your A to<br />
B looks like.<br />
• Famous Comfort: Fit 18 years in the making, our original fit<br />
holds your heel firmly in place while giving your toes room to<br />
spread out.<br />
• All-Terrain Tread: Our proprietary horseshoe tread has deep<br />
lugs for extra grip on any trail surface.<br />
• Iconic Toe Protection: Move fast with confidence, not stubbed<br />
toes. The split toe cap strikes a balance between protection<br />
and feel.<br />
• Waterproof: Thanks to a breathable KEEN.DRY waterproof<br />
membrane that keeps out water.<br />
Available at WWW.KEENFOOTWEAR.CO.NZ FROM 1 MARCH 2022.<br />
66//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
Salewa ultra-train 3 $299.90<br />
A lightweight, neutral, cushioned trail running<br />
or walking shoe.<br />
FEATURES:<br />
• Pomoca outsole<br />
• POMOCA® S Path<br />
• Stretch gaiter<br />
• Anti-rock heel cup<br />
• Reinforced Rand<br />
• Motion Guidance<br />
• Ortholite Footbed<br />
• 3F System<br />
WWW.BOBO.CO.NZ<br />
TRAIL SHOES<br />
merrell Moab FST 2 GTX - Mens/Womens $299.00<br />
Experience out of the box comfort you<br />
expect from Moab but with lighter and faster<br />
athletic styling, a Goretex® waterproof<br />
membrane and a Vibram® Megagrip®<br />
outsole.<br />
WWW.MERRELL.CO.NZ<br />
Salewa Mountain Trainer 2 GTX $399.00<br />
This is our most heavy-duty, robust<br />
Trail, Backpacking shoe. This has the<br />
same build as out Mountain Trainer Mid<br />
GTX – just with out the mid cut upper!<br />
FEATURES:<br />
• Stretch gaiter<br />
• Reinforced Rand<br />
• ORTHOLITE FOOTBED<br />
• Gore-Tex<br />
• Vibram<br />
• Climbing Lacing<br />
• 3F System<br />
WWW.BOBO.CO.NZ<br />
Merrell Moab Speed - Women’s $259.00<br />
The boot beloved by 50 million feet<br />
is now made lighter and faster. The<br />
Moab Speed is a hiking hybrid that<br />
doesn't look like a hiker, available in a<br />
ventilated version (available in stores<br />
or online now) and a GoreTex version<br />
(in stores nationwide, or by calling<br />
us to request your size) for both Men<br />
and Women.<br />
WWW.MERRELL.CO.NZ
Featured<br />
merrell Sprint V Leather - Men’s $249.00<br />
Fire up all cylinders. This rugged casual shoe features<br />
a full grain leather upper and extreme comfort for an<br />
any day adventurer.<br />
WWW.MERRELL.CO.NZ<br />
merrell moab 3 (men's & Women's) $219.00<br />
The #1 hiking shoe in the world just got better. The Moab 3 is now<br />
made more comfortable, with more eco-friendly material choices and<br />
more stable with great grip for any trail. Launching worldwide soon<br />
(NZ late April/early May).<br />
FEATURES:<br />
Planet in mind<br />
• Made with 100% recycled laces, lining and webbing<br />
Better Support<br />
• Designed with an improved Kinetic Fit ADVANCED<br />
contoured insole with cushioning pods in the heel and forefoot.<br />
More Comfort<br />
• Softer, plusher midsole foam and the famous Merrell Air<br />
Cushion in the heel helps your feet to absorb shock.<br />
Better Traction<br />
• Built with Vibram® outsoles with new and improved biting lugs<br />
that grip on varied terrain.<br />
Durable<br />
• Crafted with the protection of full grain leather and mesh uppers<br />
with rubber toe caps for longevity on the trail.<br />
All Seasons<br />
• This version is ventilated. Weatherproof versions coming later<br />
that are built with Goretex® and waterproof liners that will help<br />
to keep your feet dry while hiking.<br />
WWW.MERRELL.CO.NZ<br />
glerups The Shoe Honey Rubber - $189.00<br />
Looking for some comfy shoes to take on adventure with you?<br />
Made with 100% wool, glerups are the warmest and coziest.<br />
It is like a hug for your tired feet and well worth the space in<br />
your backpack. Relax and recover in glerups.<br />
WWW.GLERUPS.CO.NZ<br />
Outdoor Research Helium AscentShell Jacket $699.99<br />
Fully seam-taped 3-layer jacket with Pertex Diamond Fuse<br />
fabric, helmet-compatible hood with wire brim and HoodLock to<br />
reduce volume, stretch underarm panels, external and internal<br />
chest pockets, pack-friendly hand pockets, YKK Aquaguard<br />
zippers, elastic drawcord hem. 326g (m), 298g (w).<br />
WWW.BIVOUAC.CO.NZ<br />
patagonia Macro Puff $699.99<br />
This ultralight hoody delivers high-loft, water-resistant<br />
warmth due to its PlumaFill insulation, a revolutionary,<br />
down-like alternative with all the benefits of a synthetic.<br />
Fair Trade Certified sewn, it's available in a range of<br />
colours, as well as a jacket variant. 363g.<br />
WWW.PATAGONIA.CO.NZ<br />
68//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//69
Explore Planet Earth ePE Comas Swag Bag<br />
$199.00<br />
Designed for rugged adventures and oversized<br />
for comfort. The EPE Swagbag features a hollow<br />
fibre layered filling for superior thermal efficiency<br />
when warmth is needed the most.<br />
WWW.KIWICAMPING.CO.NZ<br />
Kiwi Camping Mamaku Pro -5°C Sleeping Bag<br />
$109.00<br />
The Mamaku Pro provides exceptional warmth<br />
on cold adventures. The semi-tapered design<br />
features a drawstring contoured hood that packs<br />
down into the handy compression bag for easy<br />
pack and carry.<br />
WWW.KIWICAMPING.CO.NZ<br />
Exped WinterLite -15 Down Sleeping Bag (medium)<br />
$899.99<br />
Designed for cold-weather mountaineering and<br />
harsh environments. Features a water-repellent,<br />
breathable, windproof, lightweight shell with 850g<br />
of 800-fill power goose down. Differential cut,<br />
adjustable draft collar, 3D foot box. 1380g<br />
WWW.BIVOUAC.CO.NZ<br />
kiwi camping Ruru 4 Hiker $439.00<br />
The Ruru is a lightweight, easy-pitch hiker tent with a<br />
semi-geodesic alloy frame. It breaks down into three<br />
separate bags for hiking.<br />
WWW.KIWICAMPING.CO.NZ<br />
kiwi camping Intrepid Lite Air Mat<br />
$109.00<br />
Weighing just 630g, the Intrepid<br />
Lite is a compact and comfy<br />
sleeping mat ideal for tramping,<br />
hiking or hunting. Made from<br />
310T Nylon Ripstop.<br />
WWW.KIWICAMPING.CO.NZ<br />
SteriPEN® Classic 3 $249.95<br />
A sleek, ergonomic and easy to use<br />
SteriPEN water purifier to keep you safely<br />
hydrated by destroying over 99.9% of<br />
waterborne microorganisms. Produces up<br />
to 8000 litres of purified water.<br />
WWW.OUTFITTERS.NET.NZ<br />
70//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
Jetboil Jetpower Fuel 100g, 230g & 450g from $8.99<br />
Fuel efficiency translates to weight, space, and money savings. Since Jetboil is up to<br />
twice as efficient as conventional stoves, you can take half as much fuel on your trip, thus<br />
saving weight. A Jetpower fuel canister, with 100 grams of fuel, boils as much water with<br />
Jetboil as competing stoves do with their big 227 gram canisters. The other big benefit is<br />
space savings since Jetpower canisters nest conveniently inside the cooking cup.<br />
WWW.JETBOILNZ.CO.NZ<br />
jetboil STASH Cooking System $299.95<br />
The lightest and most compact jetboil ever.<br />
We know your dreams are big and ambitious.<br />
Which is why we designed the all-new Stash<br />
to be lightweight and compact, maximizing<br />
your pack space without sacrificing that iconic<br />
Jetboil performance. At 7.1 oz or 200 g, the .8L<br />
Stash is 40% lighter than the .8L Zip.<br />
WWW.JETBOILNZ.CO.NZ<br />
Gasmate Turbo Butane Stove & Pot Set $139.00<br />
For quick boiling when you need it! A super<br />
lightweight aluminium stove with stainless<br />
steel burner, piezo ignition, stabilising feet and<br />
accessories all packaged in a mesh carry bag.<br />
WWW.KIWICAMPING.CO.NZ<br />
gasmate sika stove $41.99<br />
The Sika Stoves provides a powerful 10,900<br />
BTUs of cooking power and can support pans<br />
130mm in diameter. Weighing just 103g, it<br />
comes with it’s own plastic storage container.<br />
WWW.KIWICAMPING.CO.NZ<br />
BACK COUNTRY CUISINE:<br />
The first thing you’ll notice is that the front label on their pouches have changed for the better by adding Health Star Ratings<br />
and energy, protein, fat and carbs per pouch. They have also improved the readability of our back labels.<br />
Back Country Cuisine is available at leading retailers. For more information or to find your nearest stockist visit:<br />
www.backcountrycuisine.co.nz<br />
tasty chicken mash $9.49 - $13.99<br />
With smoky flavoured freeze dried chicken, cheese<br />
and vegetables.<br />
3.5 Health Stars - Gluten Free<br />
Available small serve (90g) or regular (175g)<br />
WWW.BACKCOUNTRYCUISINE.CO.NZ<br />
Apple & Berry Crumble $13.19<br />
A sweet mix of freeze dried apples and berries topped<br />
with a delicious gluten free cookie crumb.<br />
3 Health Stars - Gluten Free<br />
WWW.BACKCOUNTRYCUISINE.CO.NZ<br />
INSTANT PASTA $4.89<br />
Just add boiling water for perfectly cooked pasta.<br />
3.5 Health Stars<br />
Sizes – Family 120g<br />
WWW.BACKCOUNTRYCUISINE.CO.NZ
sunsaver classic 16,000 mah solar power<br />
bank $119.00<br />
Built tough for the outdoors and with a<br />
massive battery capacity you can keep all<br />
your devices charged no matter where your<br />
adventure takes you.<br />
WWW.SUNSAVER.CO.NZ<br />
JÄGERMEISTER COLD BREW COFFEE<br />
Inspired by the innovative,<br />
everchanging drinks scene,<br />
we instinctively knew how a<br />
drop of Jägermeister and a<br />
backbeat of cold brew coffee<br />
could transform any night. The<br />
enviable result? A brand-new<br />
mix. JÄGERMEISTER COLD<br />
BREW COFFEE. A unique<br />
fusion of JÄGERMEISTER’s<br />
56 botanicals and intense cold<br />
brew coffee.<br />
WWW.LIQUORLAND.CO.NZ<br />
TIRED<br />
LEGS?<br />
deepcreek local ipa $3.55<br />
With only 93 calories per can, this midstrength,<br />
refreshing, low calorie IPA is<br />
the perfect beer for the active lifestyle!<br />
WWW.DCBREWING.CO.NZ<br />
TRY OUR NEW<br />
APPLE & BERRY<br />
CRUMBLE<br />
DESSERT.<br />
toa music in ear headphones $139.00<br />
Toa Music. A game-changer in personal<br />
audio. Clear sound, a tree in the ground,<br />
sustainable construction, touch control"<br />
and 5% support for local outdoor nonprofits.<br />
Created by Kiwi adventurers.<br />
WWW.TOAMUSIC.CO<br />
backcountrycuisine.co.nz<br />
<br />
<br />
Shackleton Blended Malt Scotch<br />
Born from <strong>Adventure</strong>: Shackleton Blended<br />
Malt Scotch is based on the spirit supplied to<br />
the 1907 British Antarctic Expedition, expertly<br />
crafted using a selection of the finest Highland<br />
Single Malt Scotch Whiskies. Available at<br />
various Liquor Retailers .<br />
WWW.GLENGARRYWINES.CO.NZ<br />
deejo ultra light knife<br />
Ultra-light knife in Z40C13 stainless steel, black titanium<br />
finish. Secure liner lock system decorated with fine laser<br />
engraving. Belt clip. Solid blue beech wood handle slab.<br />
11 CM CLOSED / 20.5 CM OPEN<br />
WWW.BOBO.CO.NZ
hydroflask 24oz (710mL) Lightweight<br />
Wide Mouth Trail Series: Topaz, Slate,<br />
Obsidian, Clay $99.99<br />
Our Lightweight Trail Series flasks<br />
are 25% lighter, making it easier to<br />
take your hot or cold drink wherever<br />
your adventure takes you.<br />
WWW.HYDROFLASK.CO.NZ/<br />
COLLECTIONS/TRAIL-SERIES<br />
pacsafe RFIDsafe V100 RFID Blocking Bifold Wallet $60.00<br />
This sporty looking wallet keeps your cash and cards safe<br />
from unauthorised transactions with its RFID blocking<br />
material. It has 9 card slots, a zip-secure cash sleeve and<br />
comes with an adjustable cut-resistant wrist strap to ensure<br />
it stays with you.<br />
WWW.BIVOUAC.CO.NZ<br />
Quest bike trailers $1995 inc GST<br />
Designed and engineered in the<br />
Southern Alps of New Zealand, it will<br />
take you on and off the road carrying<br />
all the necessities to have a great time<br />
exploring our beautiful cycle trails or on<br />
that epic overseas adventure.<br />
WWW.QUESTBIKETRAILERS.COM
FEED YOUR ADDICTION<br />
Like a ‘perfect storm’, we have seen a dramatic growth and<br />
development in online stores over the past 5 years. Now as we are<br />
made to keep our ‘distance’, online, ecommerce takes on a whole<br />
new meaning and value. We are dedicating these pages to our client’s<br />
online stores; some you will be able to buy from, some you will be able<br />
drool over. Buy, compare, research and prepare, these online stores are<br />
a great way to feed your adventure addiction while you are still at home.<br />
Never have a dead phone<br />
again! Because now you can<br />
charge straight from the Sun<br />
with SunSaver. Perfect for<br />
that week-long hike, day at<br />
the beach, or back-up for any<br />
emergency. Check us out at:<br />
www.sunsaver.co.nz<br />
Experts at adventure travel since 2000<br />
We live what we sell!<br />
www.madabouttravel.co.nz<br />
www.adventuresouth.co.nz<br />
Whether you enjoy<br />
cycle trails, road<br />
cycling, mountain<br />
biking or walking,<br />
<strong>Adventure</strong> South NZ<br />
can help you to explore<br />
New Zealand at<br />
your own pace.<br />
Our motto is “Going the<br />
distance” and we pride<br />
ourselves on providing top<br />
quality outdoor and travel<br />
equipment and service<br />
that will go the distance<br />
with you, wherever that<br />
may be.<br />
www.trekntravel.co.nz<br />
Gear up in a wide selection of durable, multifunctional<br />
outdoor clothing & gear. Free Returns. Free Shipping.<br />
www.patagonia.co.nz<br />
Stocking an extensive range<br />
of global outdoor adventure<br />
brands for your next big<br />
adventure. See them for travel,<br />
tramping, trekking, alpine and<br />
lifestyle clothing and gear.<br />
www.outfittersstore.nz<br />
Specialists in the sale of Outdoor Camping Equipment, RV,<br />
Tramping & Travel Gear. Camping Tents, <strong>Adventure</strong> Tents,<br />
Packs, Sleeping Bags and more.<br />
www.equipoutdoors.co.nz<br />
Our Mission<br />
To bring like-minded adventurers together for epic journey’s<br />
fuelled by top-notch coffee. All while supporting the things<br />
we care about and restoring nature.<br />
www.epiccoffee.co.nz<br />
Our very own online store where<br />
you will find hard goods to keep you<br />
equipped for any adventure.<br />
www.pacificmedia-shop.co.nz<br />
74//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#230
Ultra lightweight running shoes, made by runners. No<br />
matter where the trail takes you, Hoka One One will<br />
have you covered.<br />
www.hokaoneone.co.nz<br />
PACKRAFT NZ<br />
Unlock your adventure horizon with Packraft New Zealand.<br />
Online supplier of Kokopelli packrafts, accessories and<br />
adventure inspiration. Shop online or contact us for expert<br />
advice for everything packrafting; hike-raft, bike-raft, hunt-raft,<br />
whitewater, fishing, canyoneering, urban and travel.<br />
www.packraftnewzealand.co.nz<br />
Bivouac Outdoor stock the latest in quality outdoor<br />
clothing, footwear and equipment from the best<br />
brands across New Zealand & the globe.<br />
www.bivouac.co.nz<br />
Shop for the widest range of Merrell footwear, apparel<br />
& accessories across hiking, trail running, sandals &<br />
casual styles. Free shipping for a limited time.<br />
www.merrell.co.nz<br />
Whether you’re climbing mountains, hiking in the hills<br />
or travelling the globe, Macpac gear is made to last<br />
and engineered to perform — proudly designed and<br />
tested in New Zealand since 1973.<br />
www.macpac.co.nz<br />
Living Simply is an outdoor clothing and equipment<br />
specialty store in Newmarket, Auckland. Your go-to place<br />
for quality footwear, packs, sleeping bags, tents, outdoor<br />
clothing and more.<br />
www.livingsimply.co.nz<br />
Offering the widest variety,<br />
best tasting, and most<br />
nutrient rich hydration,<br />
energy, and recovery<br />
products on the market.<br />
www.guenergy.co.nz<br />
Fast nourishing freeze dried food for adventurers.<br />
www.backcountrycuisine.co.nz<br />
Jetboil builds super-dependable<br />
backpacking stoves and camping<br />
systems that pack light,<br />
set up quick, and achieve<br />
rapid boils in minutes.<br />
www.jetboilnz.co.nz<br />
Supplying tents and<br />
camping gear to Kiwis<br />
for over 30 years, Kiwi<br />
Camping are proud to<br />
be recognised as one of<br />
the most trusted outdoor<br />
brands in New Zealand.<br />
www.kiwicamping.co.nz<br />
With stores in Clyde and<br />
Cromwell, Bike it Now! is<br />
your access point to the<br />
Central Otago Bike trials: T<br />
> Lake Dunstan Trail<br />
> Otago Central Rail Trail<br />
> Roxbourgh Gorge<br />
and more...<br />
www.bikeitnow.co.nz<br />
Excellent quality Outdoor<br />
Gear at prices that can't<br />
be beaten. End of lines.<br />
Ex Demos. Samples. Last<br />
season. Bearpaw. Garneau.<br />
Ahnu. Superfeet.<br />
www.adventureoutlet.co.nz
YOU NEED A TRAVEL SPECIALIST<br />
Overnight the travel industry stopped<br />
dead in its tracks, for over 2 years, thanks<br />
to Covid!<br />
So now, more than ever, as you start<br />
to look at your travel plans, you need<br />
someone on your side to make sure your<br />
adventure travel goes smoothly, because<br />
we are not over the bumps in the road<br />
just yet.<br />
Now, more than ever before, you need<br />
a travel agent who actually knows what<br />
they are talking about; someone who<br />
has real experience both as a travel<br />
expert and in the activities you want to be<br />
involved with.<br />
Phil and Katie Clark, Mad about Travel,<br />
are passionate about helping people live<br />
their dreams; whether its heli-skiing in<br />
Canada, diving in Truk Lagoon or hiking<br />
in Nepal.<br />
NOW MORE THAN EVER<br />
With over 22 years of travel experience,<br />
there aren’t many places they haven’t<br />
skied, dived or hiked. Add to that,<br />
travelling as a family of four for the past<br />
ten years, means they have a unique<br />
insight on how families travel and what<br />
makes family travel fun, interesting and<br />
most of all easy.<br />
In this new, post Covid 19 climate,<br />
using a travel expert is more important<br />
than ever! Border requirements are<br />
constantly changing, along with flight<br />
schedules, testing rules and vaccination<br />
requirements. As part of the Travel<br />
Managers Group (TMG), “Mad about<br />
Travel” is backed by the might of the<br />
Flight Centre group. This means their<br />
information is up to date, their airfares<br />
and accommodation rates are the best<br />
available and their accounting and backoffice<br />
systems are second to none.<br />
Mad about Travel can help you plan your ultimate ski trip<br />
Using a travel expert means you can<br />
develop a relationship with someone<br />
who knows where you have been<br />
and what you like. Even if you enjoy<br />
researching travel and hunting out great<br />
accommodation options, your travel<br />
expert will often be able to book the same<br />
properties at the same or better rates,<br />
with favourable terms and extras (like<br />
free breakfast, refundable terms and<br />
transfers).<br />
Also, your travel expert will find you the<br />
best travel insurance to look after you and<br />
your family which covers the activities<br />
you’re doing; skiing, mountain biking and<br />
sailing can all require special insurance.<br />
When things go wrong is when your travel<br />
experts value really comes to the fore.<br />
In this covid world things go wrong all<br />
the time and quickly. You just call them<br />
and speak to a real person, someone<br />
76//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
who wants to help you rather than waiting<br />
for hours on hold to an airline who really<br />
couldn’t care less! Flights, transfers and<br />
accommodation are easily fixed using direct<br />
access tools and you can get on with your<br />
trip.<br />
Now more than ever using a travel expert<br />
makes sense.<br />
Mad about Travel’s by-line is “we live what<br />
we sell”. There is not a better endorsement<br />
for an <strong>Adventure</strong> based Travel specialist!<br />
Call them to plan your next adventure.<br />
Mad about Travel<br />
+64 22 151 0198 | 0800 623 872<br />
Phil@madabouttravel.co.nz | info@madabouttravel.co.nz<br />
www.madabouttravel.co.nz<br />
Above: Let Mad about Travel help<br />
you plan your bike adventure to NZ,<br />
Canada and the USA.<br />
Image by Greg Rosenke<br />
We are MAD about TRAVEL!<br />
Experts at adventure travel since 2000<br />
Book your next adventure with<br />
Mad about Travel!<br />
We are here to<br />
look after you.<br />
"We live what we sell"<br />
0800 623 872<br />
info@madabouttravel.co.nz<br />
madabouttravel.co.nz
t r a v e l<br />
78//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
JAPAN<br />
REDEFING ADVENTURE<br />
"Watch snow<br />
monkeys bathe,<br />
learn how to<br />
prepare soba<br />
noodles, dive<br />
with sharks,<br />
explore Asia’s<br />
largest cave<br />
system, go ice<br />
fishing or try<br />
fat biking in the<br />
snow!"<br />
While for many, adventure screams<br />
adrenalin rush, danger and high risk,<br />
Japan National Tourism Organization<br />
(JNTO) has redefined ‘adventure’ in<br />
terms of leaving your personal comfort<br />
zone – whatever that may look like for<br />
each individual.<br />
The fresh approach means visitors<br />
can look to do something different,<br />
feeling challenged emotionally or<br />
spiritually and exploring an area of<br />
interest that may never have registered<br />
before. <strong>Adventure</strong> means ‘escape’<br />
on a whole new level – an escape<br />
from the everyday, a chance to push<br />
yourself beyond personal limits and an<br />
opportunity for reinvention.<br />
The Japanese archipelago offers<br />
endless opportunities to explore. In<br />
the north, Hokkaido offers large scale<br />
national parks, wild coastlines, rare<br />
fauna and the heritage of Ainu culture.<br />
Nagano, less than an hour from<br />
Tokyo, features striking alps, yearround<br />
trekking, world-class skiing and<br />
canyoning. Head south to Okinawa<br />
for scuba diving, cruising uninhabited<br />
islands and the warmth of the local<br />
Ryukyu culture. Here are some more<br />
adventure suggestions that are found<br />
all over Japan.
Camping/Glamping – Deer watching<br />
and open-air hot springs in World<br />
Heritage Site: With Japan’s variety<br />
of climates and changing seasonal<br />
landscape there are many locations to<br />
set up a tent and immerse yourself in the<br />
great outdoors for both beginners and the<br />
more experienced. Deep in the forests<br />
of Shiretoko Natural World Heritage Site<br />
and National Park in eastern Hokkaido is<br />
Rausu Onsen Campsite. This unique site<br />
allows visitors to spot native fauna like the<br />
Ezo deer and then relax in an open-air hot<br />
spring nearby.<br />
Canyoning – Explore canyons carved<br />
out over millions of years: There are a<br />
number of places to experience canyoning<br />
in Japan, including in Hokkaido and<br />
Nagano, but some of the best canyoning<br />
can be found in the nature-rich area of<br />
Minakami in Gunma Prefecture. There is<br />
no better way to seek adrenalin inducing<br />
summer thrills than in the fast-flowing<br />
waters from Japan’s Northern Alps that<br />
have over millions of years carved out<br />
Kamoshika Canyon, creating smooth<br />
slides and deep pools. Descend a<br />
15-meter waterfall using ropes, then swim,<br />
slide and jump down canyon walls, all with<br />
the help of an experienced guide.<br />
Caving – Go caving in one of Asia’s<br />
largest cave systems: Japan harbours<br />
several mystical, ancient caves. Okinawa,<br />
known as a diving destination, offers a<br />
magical and exotic cave diving experience<br />
in its famed Blue Cave. Additionally, one<br />
of the largest and most beloved collections<br />
of caves in Asia is found on Okinoerabu<br />
Island in Kagoshima. The large cave<br />
system attracts spelunkers from all over<br />
the world to explore a 1.2 km illuminated<br />
section of the cave, with milky stalactites<br />
and emerald-green pools.<br />
Climbing – Experience the spectacular<br />
seasonal beauty from on high: Did<br />
you know 70% of Japan is made up of<br />
mountainous areas? That may be why<br />
climbing is so popular in Japan as it offers<br />
a wealth of trekking and rock-climbing<br />
locations, with incredible views of a<br />
changing natural landscape. Mt Myogi in<br />
Gunma Prefecture is a rewarding climb<br />
for the adventurer looking for a challenge.<br />
There are an assortment of rock<br />
formations and swathes of natural beauty<br />
that showcase the colours of the season.<br />
Culture – Try on, and learn about the<br />
ritual around the kimono: Travelling<br />
across Japan, you will find regional<br />
traditions and differences offering a<br />
unique tapestry of traditional performing<br />
arts and long-established customs. In<br />
Hokkaido, learn about one of Japan's<br />
indigenous peoples, the Ainu; study the<br />
ways of the ninja in Shiga; try karate in<br />
Okinawa; observe mesmerising kagura<br />
performances in Miyazaki or learn about<br />
the Ama free-divers in Mie. Dressing in a<br />
kimono is a ritualistic process that is well<br />
worth a try on your next visit. Put yourself<br />
in the hands of an expert at Ryoan—a<br />
kimono shop in Shizuoka City, established<br />
in 1965. The English-speaking owner will<br />
help you pick out a kimono, dress you, and<br />
explain the history of the garment.<br />
Cycling – Ride along a scenic lake:<br />
Japan is lined up and down with scenic<br />
cycling routes, including world-famous<br />
tracks such as the Shimanami Kaido<br />
which connects Shikoku to Honshu. Lake<br />
Tazawa, the deepest lake in Japan, is one<br />
of Tohoku's most scenic spots year-round.<br />
In the warmer seasons, cyclists from<br />
around the world gather to explore the<br />
numerous beauty points that line its 20 km<br />
course. There are plenty of bikes available<br />
to rent nearby so that you can enjoy an<br />
unforgettable trip while cycling beside the<br />
stunning cobalt blue lake.<br />
Diving - Dive with a swarm of<br />
houndsharks in Chiba: As an island<br />
nation that stretches over 3000 kilometers<br />
long, Japan boasts several diving sites<br />
along its long coastline. This underwater<br />
world is populated with a diverse variety<br />
of marine creatures. The southern coast<br />
of Chiba Prefecture's Boso Peninsula,<br />
jutting out into the Pacific Ocean, is a<br />
prime location for diving, surfing, fishing,<br />
and other marine activities. The Ito-<br />
Tateyama area is one of the few places in<br />
Japan where divers can experience the<br />
‘shark scramble’, a swarm of hundreds of<br />
banded houndsharks. There are also large<br />
populations of red stingray, bulgyhead<br />
wrasse and longtooth grouper.<br />
Fishing – Try your luck ice fishing<br />
amidst the snowscapes of Mt<br />
Akagi: Japan is both mountainous and<br />
surrounded completely by water, offering<br />
various fishing locations in which to test<br />
out any number of fishing methods. Lake<br />
Akan in the Akan-Mashu National Park<br />
in Hokkaido and the Japan Alps near<br />
Gifu and Nagano are both famous for fly<br />
fishing, while Okinawa and the Ogasawara<br />
Islands are perfect for deep-sea fishing.<br />
Climb Mt. Akagi, one of the Three Famous<br />
Mountains of Gunma Prefecture, to the<br />
frozen Lake Onuma, where you can take<br />
part in traditional smelt ice fishing. Cut a<br />
hole in the ice and dangle string to catch<br />
a fish and if you are lucky enough you can<br />
bring your catch to a nearby restaurant to<br />
have it deep-fried or turned into golden<br />
brown tempura.<br />
Food & Drink - Make soba noodles in<br />
the birthplace of Japanese buckwheat<br />
noodles: A tour of Japanese dining offers<br />
glimpses of Japan's climate, aesthetics<br />
and even religious values. Try making<br />
soba in Nagano Prefecture, one of the<br />
most famous areas for the buckwheat<br />
noodle dish. Soba was likely first made<br />
in Nagano, and pristine water and local<br />
buckwheat make its noodles particularly<br />
delicious. There are many specialty shops<br />
around the region today, a handful of<br />
which offer soba-making experiences.<br />
80//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
Snow monkeys, rafting, food, skiing, hiking and kayaking... Individually all great reasons to visit, all together they help make<br />
Japan the perfect adventure destination...<br />
Hiking and Walking - Travel Nagano's<br />
ancient pilgrim paths: Japan’s diverse<br />
terrain is well worth exploring on one of<br />
the many scenic walks and hikes. You<br />
will encounter countless mesmerising<br />
landscapes of majestic mountains,<br />
endless seas filled with drift ice, ponds<br />
of different hues of blue and picturesque<br />
gorges. One of the highlights is the<br />
guided tour along the Togakushi Kodo in<br />
Nagano—an ancient pilgrimage route.<br />
The 10-kilometer route connects the five<br />
shrines on the slopes of Mt. Togakushi that<br />
are a traditional centre for Shugendo, a<br />
form of mountain worship. Along the route,<br />
view 400-year old cedar trees and wander<br />
through the wetlands on a boardwalk built<br />
to blend in with its surroundings.<br />
Kayak/SUP - Enjoy a kayaking tour<br />
around a candle-shaped island:<br />
Kayaking is a relaxing way to leisurely<br />
drift across the scenic waters that can<br />
be found throughout Japan, from Lake<br />
Biwa, the largest lake in Japan, to the<br />
Kushiro-shitsugen and its diverse wildlife<br />
population to Lake Kawaguchi and its<br />
spectacular view of Mt Fuji. Rosoku-jima,<br />
or ‘Candle Island’, located near Dogo<br />
Island in the Oki Island chain, is a large<br />
rock pillar that juts straight out of the water.<br />
At sunset, the sun appears to illuminate<br />
the tip of the pillar like a lit candle. Enjoy<br />
from a sea kayaking tour or sunset cruise.<br />
The Oki Island chain is characterized<br />
by pristine nature and beautiful rock<br />
formations, making it a breathtaking area<br />
to view from the water.<br />
Ski and Snowboarding – Or….take<br />
to the slopes on a fat bike!: The highquality<br />
powder snowfall in Japan is<br />
the envy of skiers and snowboarders<br />
worldwide. There are many resorts to<br />
be found in well-known places such as<br />
Hokkaido's Niseko and Nagano's Hakuba.<br />
Nagano's Togari Onsen Snow Resort is<br />
a ski resort with a 2500m long course<br />
that accommodates both beginners and<br />
experts alike and boasts Japan's only<br />
‘snow-bike park’. Load a fat bike (a bike<br />
with oversize tyres to accommodate<br />
extreme terrain) into the ski lift on your<br />
way to an exhilarating ride down the<br />
specially designed 800m course, with<br />
slopes and trees that the wide tires<br />
navigate easily, to have a different kind of<br />
snow thrill.<br />
Surfing – Surf where the pros do<br />
on Japan's surf island of Niijima:<br />
Surrounded by water, Japan boasts worldclass<br />
waves and beaches used for major<br />
surfing events as well as hidden spots that<br />
offer a more private surfing experience.<br />
Niijima Island is one of Japan’s most<br />
popular surf islands, with long, white<br />
beaches and beautiful, milky blue seas.<br />
The island has hosted the world’s best<br />
surfers as part of the Pro Tour WCT.<br />
Niijima Island is technically part of Tokyo<br />
but is located in the Izu Islands south of<br />
the metropolis, accessible by high-speed<br />
ferry and small plane.<br />
Wildlife Watching - Bathing snow<br />
monkeys in the scenic mountains<br />
of Nagano: A variety of astonishing<br />
wild animals can be found in Japan's<br />
diverse natural environment, including<br />
Hokkaido's wild bears, the enormous<br />
whales splashing in the waters of Okinawa<br />
and Nagano's hot-spring-bathing snow<br />
monkeys. At Jigokudani located within<br />
the borders of Joshin’etsukogen National<br />
Park, wild Japanese macaques (snow<br />
monkeys) saunter out of the snowy forest<br />
and slip into a steamy hot spring, relaxing<br />
in their natural habitat and forge an<br />
incredible memory for those watching.<br />
For more information visit:<br />
www.japan.travel/adventure/en/<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//81
t r a v e l<br />
TAHITI<br />
NOT JUST FOR HONEYMOONS!<br />
Tahiti is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful<br />
places on earth, the water, the beaches, the<br />
mountains, and the lagoons. You can see why<br />
it is the quintessential place to get married or<br />
go on your getaway honeymoon. However, it<br />
has the reputation of not only being beautiful,<br />
but expensive! Yet most destinations can be<br />
expensive if you stay at costly places, but they<br />
don’t have to be, and Tahiti is no different.<br />
Ok, Tahiti is not Bali, but it does not need to break<br />
your bank balance either. There is a range of<br />
good priced yet beautifully located hotels, the<br />
is an ever-growing number of Air BnB homes,<br />
which when you look online are often beautifully<br />
situated and cost effective. Over the last ten<br />
years or so, there has been real growth in<br />
boutique smaller properties called ‘’pensions’’,<br />
like a guesthouse. These are normally a familyrun<br />
businesses many located in more secluded<br />
locations, where you can have a room, or a<br />
house, which often comes with a boat (for surfing,<br />
diving, fishing) and the family will also feed you.<br />
It is a full immersion experience that gives you a<br />
taste of the Tahitian lifestyle and local knowledge<br />
which if linked in with activities like surfing or<br />
diving that local knowledge is priceless.<br />
Apart from romantic weddings and honeymoons,<br />
Tahiti is also seen as a lazy lay on the beach or<br />
by the pool with a cocktail, which you can do, but<br />
it has a lot more to offer:<br />
Hiking in Tahiti, lush vegetations, waterfalls, historic sights and amazing views!
Above: Tahiti's warm, clear water makes for perfect diving conditions all year.<br />
Top Right: Not all the waves in Tahiti are huge- Ask Paige Hareb, New Zealand's top surfer. There are great waves all over Tahiti.<br />
Bottom Right: The wharf to Teahupoo's Bonjouir pension.<br />
The DIVING in Tahiti is amazing, it is not<br />
known for its sponges and coral, say like<br />
Fiji, but it has a reputation for large pelagic<br />
fish, barracuda, sharks, stingrays, manta,<br />
even whales in the correct season. The<br />
water clarity is superb and of course, it’s<br />
warm. Most of the islands offer some<br />
professional scuba experience, surprisingly<br />
some of the more remote islands like<br />
Fakarava offers Professional PADI dive<br />
operators simply because people will travel<br />
the extra distance because the diving is so<br />
good.<br />
Hand in hand with quality scuba diving<br />
is FREEDIVING. With the growth of<br />
freediving worldwide, Tahiti has become<br />
a mecca for freedivers – as mentioned in<br />
the diving section there is a plethora of<br />
pelagic fish in Tahiti, all close to the reef<br />
edge and easily accessible. Spearfishing<br />
is a full-time occupation for many<br />
Tahitians, as fish is the prime source of<br />
portion. So, Tahitians know where all<br />
the best spearfishing places are, where<br />
to go on what tides and in what season<br />
seasons.<br />
SURFING in Tahiti has a world reputation,<br />
but unfortunately to the masses, Tahiti<br />
is only known for Teahupoo the massive<br />
wave on Tahiti-Iti. There are numerous<br />
YouTube clips of Teahupoo and massive<br />
sets rolling in but don’t let this put you<br />
off, there are only a handful of surfers<br />
who feel comfortable in these conditions.<br />
However, there is surf all over Tahiti, the<br />
main island, and the smaller islands. They<br />
are predominantly reef breaks, however,<br />
there are several beach breaks. Some<br />
of the reef breaks are within paddling<br />
distance of the shore, some not. Staying<br />
at a pension is a great way to get into the<br />
local surfing scene, the family will take<br />
you out to the best reef – determine your<br />
ability and put you in the right spot to have<br />
the most fun. If not staying at the pension<br />
it pays to get a surf guide, there are many!<br />
Tahiti is a ‘PADDLE NATION’ on any given<br />
day on any lagoon you will see locals<br />
paddling, mostly va’a (same as our waka<br />
ama) or paddleboards and even sea<br />
kayaks. There are numerous places to<br />
hire from and a lot of the hotels offer free<br />
use of equipment. Some hire places do<br />
offer sea kayaks but it’s not sea kayaking<br />
as we know it in New Zealand, there are<br />
options for sea kayaking excursions on<br />
the other islands. Word to the wise if you<br />
are going to hire a paddleboard, kayak or<br />
a va’a, stay away from the surf and stay<br />
away from the pass in the lagoon (the<br />
gap in the reef). The tide rips out through<br />
these passes, on an outgoing tide and<br />
you would not be able to paddle against<br />
the amount of water heading out to sea,<br />
so where it goes you go!<br />
Not all activities in Tahiti are on or in the<br />
water there are some breathtaking and<br />
historical sites and adventure that lie<br />
inland; Waterfalls, mountain peaks, lush<br />
valleys, and ancient ruins, there is a lot to<br />
be explored, on foot, HIKING.<br />
There are guidebooks available, and<br />
most hotels will have an information desk<br />
you can ask or simply hunt online. But<br />
as always, it’s best to get a guide. A lot<br />
of the tracks are hard to find, some you<br />
need a permit for and some on custom or<br />
private land. Most guides will offer a 4x4<br />
option to get you to the right start point<br />
so that you can get the most out of your<br />
on-foot experience. For a taste of what is<br />
available go to https://tahititourisme.com/<br />
en-us/tahiti-activities/outdoors/hiking-intahiti/<br />
The paradigm that Tahiti is expensive and<br />
for weddings and honeymooners, is a<br />
concept of the past. There are affordable<br />
places to stay, to eat, and to fully<br />
experience what Tahiti and her islands<br />
has to offer.<br />
To see what is available visit<br />
www.tahititourisme.nz/en-nz/<br />
84//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//85
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t r a v e l<br />
RAROTONGA<br />
YOUR ADVENTURE AWAITS<br />
Are you dreaming of holiday with the perfect balance of<br />
relaxation and water sports action? Then the Cook Islands is<br />
calling your name. Rarotonga, the country’s capital, is a Mecca<br />
for water sports activities.<br />
Snorkeling, kayaking and paddle boarding are the most<br />
accessible and most popular activities that you can do with<br />
in an hour after landing in Rarotonga. There are many great<br />
spots located directly out your front door, but be sure to check<br />
for any safety concerns or warning signage around passages.<br />
You can hire all your snorkeling and paddling equipment from<br />
various businesses such as KiteSUP, <strong>Adventure</strong> Cook Islands<br />
and Captain Tamaʼs. If you want a special and unique paddling<br />
experience try a guided night paddle tour or paddle board yoga<br />
class.<br />
Guided snorkeling trips are recommended for 1st time snorkels<br />
or for the more experienced snorkeler wanting to venture into<br />
open, deep water. There are many companies to choose from,<br />
some even offering sea scooters.<br />
For the adrenaline seeking traveler you have kitesurfing and<br />
wing surfing lessons, diving courses or game fishing charters to<br />
choose from.<br />
Head over to the East side of the island of Muri Beach for<br />
the best spot to pick up the ever growing sport of kitesurfing<br />
and wing surfing. What is wing surfing? Wing surfing is best<br />
described as the greatest aspects of windsurfing and kitesurfing<br />
combined together. Think of a kite sail without strings and the
Above: Rarotonga offers world-class diving<br />
Left top to bottom: Wing surfing is perect with the Rarotongan trade<br />
winds - Image courtesy of KiteSup<br />
Night time paddleboarding<br />
Rarotonga is the perfect place to learn a new water sport.<br />
Rarotonga’s Original<br />
<strong>Adventure</strong> Water Sports Centre<br />
Multi<br />
Award<br />
Winner<br />
wind surf sail without the mast. Wing surfing is not supposed to<br />
replace windsurfing, kiteboarding or surfing. It's a complement,<br />
an addition and an alternative. Wing surfing is very easy to get<br />
into and ideal for light winds when kitesurfing is not possible.<br />
Although it was conceived to be used with a foil board, it can<br />
also be for riding stand-up paddle boards (SUP), windsurf and<br />
kiteboards, and even skateboards and snowboards.<br />
Most people require at least 3 lessons of kitesurfing or wing<br />
surfing to go from zero to hero so be sure to book in at the<br />
start of your holiday. Lessons are constructed in 2 hour time<br />
blocks over three days so you can plan other activities around<br />
your lessons. Muri is the ideal learning spot with its clear,<br />
shallow, and warm waters and reliable S.E. Tradewinds from<br />
May-October. Gear hire is also available for experienced kiters/<br />
wingers.<br />
Dive Centres offer introduction courses for the beginners well<br />
as 2 tank dives for certified divers. All deep sea diving trips are<br />
boat-based and most of the dive sites are just ten minutes from<br />
the departure point. There are plenty of options for the beginner<br />
to advanced including drop offs, coral gardens, night dives,<br />
lagoon dives and family diving experiences (8 years and older).<br />
Up to 60 meter visibility, 73 types of live coral, and hundreds of<br />
fish species, Rarotonga is an ideal place to experience diving.<br />
Don’t leave it for your last day as you can’t dive with in 24hr<br />
of flying. Diving is good year round, but for an added highlight<br />
humpback whale migration season is July-September.<br />
est 2010<br />
KITESURF & WINGSURF LESSONS - NIGHT PADDLE<br />
SUPYOGA - SNORKEL TOURS - GEAR HIRE<br />
PH: 27877 info@kitesup.co www.kitesup.co
t r a v e l<br />
VANUATU<br />
THE SURVIVAL OF KASTOM AND CULTURE<br />
Kastom and culture forms Vanuatu’s identity. Its why Ni-Vanuatu are present in the now. It’s<br />
why they are grounded and content. A cultural experience is on offer to any travellers. It can<br />
be felt in an interaction in a local food market or a visit to a kava bar, right through to wandering<br />
through a village in a remote outer island.<br />
As raw as it is diverse, Vanuatu’s culture (known as ‘kastom’ in Bislama, the language spoken<br />
in Vanuatu) can be experienced through your everyday interactions. It’s the lifeblood of the<br />
country, and the further you go from the trail, the more diverse the range of cultures you’ll<br />
experience. Whether you’re looking to visit a cultural village on one of the main islands, or stay<br />
in a village bungalow on one of the outer islands, sharing a meal with locals or marvelling at<br />
Naghol, you’ll find yourself coming face to face with a rich culture which is in many cases, still<br />
rather unaffected by the outside world.<br />
" It’s the<br />
lifeblood of the<br />
country, and the<br />
further you go<br />
from the trail,<br />
the more diverse<br />
the range of<br />
cultures you’ll<br />
experience."<br />
SAND DRAWING -<br />
Sand drawing (or sandroing in<br />
Bislama) is a ni-Vanuatu artistic<br />
and ritual tradition and practice,<br />
recognised by UNESCO as a<br />
Masterpiece of the Oral and<br />
Intangible Heritage of Humanity.<br />
If you want to know everything<br />
about sandroing, the best person<br />
to learn from is Edgar Hinge at<br />
the National Museum in Port Vila.<br />
Passionate about the artform, he<br />
can initiate you in this challenging<br />
art. Children enjoy it as much as<br />
adults.<br />
Sandroing is deeply rooted in<br />
many of Vanuatu’s cultures. Epi,<br />
Paama, Malekula, Ambrym,<br />
Pentecost, Ambae, Maevo and<br />
Mota Lava all have their very own<br />
ways of practicing sandroing. It<br />
is considered to be an ancient<br />
way of sharing information. For<br />
centuries, it has been an efficient<br />
way to communicate messages<br />
between communities – and to<br />
leave messages behind. But<br />
there is much more to it. Great<br />
dexterity is needed to perform a<br />
sandroing in a single, continuous<br />
gesture. Mistakes are not<br />
allowed, and you must redo the<br />
entire drawing if you make one.<br />
Each drawing is symmetrical,<br />
leading some to consider<br />
sandroing to be a genuine<br />
method of mathematical training.<br />
There are a number of wellknown<br />
designs such as the<br />
turtle. But each sandroing often<br />
also hold several meanings at<br />
once, and can symbolize deeper<br />
meanings as well: life, death and<br />
even love.<br />
90//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
" In some parts of<br />
Malekula, young<br />
men who reach a<br />
certain age must<br />
go through a rite<br />
of passage in order<br />
to be recognized<br />
as a man by their<br />
community. "<br />
NEIMANGI-LEWEN, FESTIVAL,<br />
MALEKULA<br />
As on most islands of Vanuatu, in some<br />
parts of Malekula, young men who reach<br />
a certain age must go through a rite of<br />
passage in order to be recognized as a<br />
man by their community. The Neimangi-<br />
Lewen kastom is a rite of passage<br />
undertaken by seven clans on Malekula<br />
Island. Some of the clans taking part this<br />
year are the Botket clan, Neval, Tasbol,<br />
Nesiryen and Nepang.<br />
Originally, the Neimangi-Lewen lasted for<br />
one year, and during this time, the young<br />
men would go through ‘kastom training’ to<br />
master various skills in order to graduate<br />
as men in their society. These days, most<br />
young men are required to attend school<br />
in order to get an education. Because of<br />
this, the one year of hiding is no longer<br />
possible and instead, young boys are<br />
taught the kastom during school breaks.<br />
Once they are considered to be ready for<br />
the next step, they are sent into hiding for<br />
three months.<br />
During the three month long hiding period,<br />
the young men are first taught all the<br />
songs of the old kastom ways and stories.<br />
These songs have specific purposes and<br />
meanings for different occasions such as<br />
weddings and other kastom ceremonies<br />
that are part of life on Vanuatu’s second<br />
largest island. They are then taught bush<br />
knowledge: which trees are good for firemaking,<br />
when is the right time to plant<br />
different crops by watching the moon,<br />
how to study flower blooming patterns<br />
to predict the harvest ahead as well as<br />
seasons and also learn sand drawing<br />
as well as memorizing the songs that go<br />
along with them.<br />
Another important set of skills that are<br />
taught is bushcraft — how to survive in the<br />
bush alone by hunting and scavenging.<br />
Each young man must learn the art of<br />
bow and arrow making and master the<br />
weapon. Most importantly each boy<br />
becomes fluent in their local tongue along<br />
with all these other skills before the end<br />
of the training where communities and<br />
villages come together to celebrate in<br />
the Neimangi-Lewen kastom ceremony.<br />
Visitors are often invited to attend and<br />
take part in the cultural festivities. During<br />
the ceremony, feast making and custom<br />
dances take place throughout and visitors<br />
can even take part in the Nevinmatuo<br />
which is the bow and arrow competition.<br />
The Neimangi-Lewen kastom ceremony<br />
celebrations will be held this year in<br />
December near the village of Melken in<br />
southeast Malekula. From here, festival<br />
goers can also plan to hike the famous<br />
Manbush Trail.<br />
ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//91
NAGHOL, otherwise known as land<br />
diving, is a rite of passage for the men<br />
of Pentecost Island. It's the inspiration<br />
for modern-day bungee jumping and<br />
is what Pentecost is famous for. We’ve<br />
compiled a quick cheat sheet to help<br />
you with planning your trip, whether it<br />
be as a day trip or multi-day visit.<br />
Locals say that Naghol started from a<br />
time when a woman was running from<br />
her husband and was chased to the top<br />
of a coconut tree. She jumped off (with<br />
vines attached to her legs) and survived<br />
and he followed, yet did not survive.<br />
Naghol marks the start of the yam<br />
harvest season, with the better jumping<br />
resulting in better yams. It's not<br />
specifically a ceremony that occurs for<br />
tourists, though it draws visitors from<br />
around the world to witness the marvel<br />
that is Naghol.Tours to Pentecost Island<br />
to experience Naghol take place on<br />
Saturdays in the months of April to<br />
June. These day tours coincide with the<br />
rite of passage taking place (because<br />
the vines are strong for the ceremony to<br />
take place after the wet season).<br />
For more information go to www.vanuatu.travel<br />
92//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/<strong>#231</strong>
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