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Exploring the Annette Plateau & Metelille Glacier
The Annette Plateau and Metelille Glacier are truly magical alpine destinations. One of my all-time favourite tramping moments is sitting on the summit of Mt Annette, watching the sunrise illuminate Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Sefton after a night of camping on the Annette Plateau. The plateau offers a profound sense of isolation, leaving you completely…
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Mt Izard & Mt Cloudsley: Winter Alpine Tramping Guides | Craigieburn
Craigieburn Forest Park offers some of Canterbury’s finest winter alpine day trips. If you want the joys of snow and strapping on crampons to summit peaks over 2,000 meters—all while returning to a hot shower and a warm bed by nightfall—these two classic routes climbing up Mt Izard & Mt Cloudsley are for you. While…
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Craigieburn Forest: Nervous Knob & Hamilton Peak Loop
The Nervous Knob & Hamilton Peak Loop in Craigieburn Forest Park in Canterbury offers a rewarding shorter day trip complete with sweeping ridgeline views and a fantastic scree run. Other fantastic day trips in the Craigieburn Range are trips climbing Mt Izard & Mt Cloudsley; or the multi-day Cass-Lagoon Saddle Track. Or in the nearby…
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Mt Potts: A Winter Loop in Hakatere Conservation Area
If you are looking for an incredible winter backcountry mission near Christchurch, tramping Mt Potts in the Hakatere Conservation Park should be right at the top of your list. When an airline luggage mishap leaves you stranded at the airport without your alpine gear, this stunning 4-day loop via Mystery Lake, Potts Hut, and Boundary…
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A Snowy Mt Oxford & Lower Salmon Creek Biv Loop
The Canterbury Foothills such as Mt Oxford, Mt Thomas and Mt Somers offer some of the best front-country tramping in New Zealand, especially when a sudden winter storm turns the ridges into a magical winter wonderland. After spotting a perfect weather window paired with cheap flights to Christchurch, I jumped at the opportunity for a…
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Climbing Paretetaitonga: A Winter Mission on Mt Ruapehu
Paretetaitonga (2,751 metres) is widely recognized as the second-highest peak on Mt Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park. It sits just below Tahurangi (2,797m). While Point 2,757 further south, known informally as Te Ātaahua, is technically higher, it is not officially recognised as one of Ruapehu’s peaks. The name Paretetaitonga translates to ‘a wall or parapet, on…
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Climbing Mt Gladwish: The Uniquely Cheerful Gem in the Ahuriri Valley
Mt Gladwish (1,861m) is a peak with a uniquely cheerful name nestled in the rugged Ahuriri Valley. While it hasn’t been climbed particularly often in the past, its inclusion in the newly published New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC) book The High Pathways by Paul and Shelley Hersey is rightly putting it on the radar for…
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Climbing Te Ātaahua: Reaching the “Shark’s Tooth” on Mt Ruapehu
Identifying the Forgotten Highpoint: Point 2757 While Paretetaitonga is widely recognized as the second-highest peak on Mt Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park, a higher point on the summit ridge often goes unnoticed. Located further south lies Point 2757, informally known as Te Ātaahua—meaning “the beauty.” To those looking up from the Turoa skifield, this sharp…
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The Princess Bath: A Winter Transformation on Mt Princess
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Climbing Mt Adams: A Gateway to the Adams Wilderness Area
Climbing Mt Adams: The Ultimate Warm-up for the Garden of Eden There’s no better way to prepare for a Garden of Eden traverse than by climbing the 2,000-metre peak that shares its name with the wilderness area. Situated on the edge of the Adams Wilderness Area in the Southern Alps/Kā Tiritiri o te Moana, Mt…
