The Tramping Report

Weetbix on the Motatapu Track

I can't imagine a lot of people are busting to walk the "Motatapu Track". I put it in quotes because it isn't really a track, even in the loose NZ context, but rather just a roughly sketched route through some high-ish tussocky hills between Wanaka and Arrowtown. It isn't even in the Motatapu valley, only near it.

Sadly, a young Australian woman decided to give it a go. I don't want to add to the poor thing's misfortune so I won't dwell on why or if she should have, or her subsequent situation.

But I suspect that all the publicity this "arduous" track has had will probably lure a good number of NZ trampers to "test themselves" up against its "challenging difficulties".

NZ has so much to offer, this "track" doesn't merit getting onto the front page of anyone's wish list.

But you can decide for yourself.

Here's a link to a slide show of an Otago Tramping & Mountaineering Club trip through it:

http://otmc.co.nz/archives/images/Motatapu2008/index.html

This is a link to a Department of Conservation brochure:

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/otago/wanaka-area/motatapu-track/

And here's a link to some info about it on Matthew Walker's Tramping.co.nz website:

http://tramper.co.nz/?2795

Oops, not the real Mottram Peaks

I laughed when I saw Graham Kates' pic of the "Mottram Peaks" on his Arthurs Pass Mountaineering website.

The real Mottrams, of course, are on the ridge on the south side of the upper Waimakariri valley between the AntiCrow River and Greenlaw Creek. Both the 1789 m and the 1751 m summits are fantastic viewpoints.

They can be climbed as a day trip from the Klondyke Corner carpark just past the Waimakariri River bridge on SH73. Just go up the AntiCrow to its head and ascend the scree direct to the ridge (Take care in winter and spring as that slope would be avalanche suspect if loaded with snow from the nor'west).

But when I saw Graham's photo I knew instantly he'd got it wrong. I think I'd be able to place most summer ridgeline photos taken in the park fairly quickly and most, like this one, without consulting the map.

Have a look for yourself.

It's easy to recognise the terrain in the photo on the map of the western side of the Jordan Stream valley.

But I am a bit puzzled how Graham could have been confused about what he was looking at because he seems to have been right about where he said he was when he took the photo (above Jordan Saddle).

I'm delighted to have this opportunity though, especially when I think of all the people who've suffered misfortune in the Arthurs Pass area and had it added to by one of Graham's public kickings.

Should we pay to be rescued?

At least once a year, usually around this time, NZ newspapers run a story about the costs of rescuing trampers and mountain climbers. The Timaru Herald was first off the blocks with the topic this holiday season with the headline: "Mt Cook search costs to remain public".

The item is well balanced and the reporters did a good job in getting all the information together. Probably the only thing missing was a comment from the Federated Mountain Clubs.

However it did prompt the usual set of responses from people who write like angry drunks.

If you scrolled on past them you would come to my contribution:

"So many cases of people injured or overdue from tramping or climbing in the back country achieve sensational treatment in the news media. If you forgot the huge numbers of New Zealanders that enjoy outdoor recreation, you might think it was a common occurrence.

People involved with search and rescue like the publicity too, as they enjoy the rare kudos from what they do and want to ensure politicians keep making funding available.

However this publicity does generate public concern.

I wonder how this would change if the same reporting was given to incidents of similar severity that occurred working around the home, or on the sports field.

ACC statistics I've seen list rugby, soccer, netball, motorsport and snowsports as the top five for recreation accident expense. And I do often read of DIY and urban based recreation tragedies in Coroner's reports, that never gained headlines at the time."

It would be nice if the Timaru Herald did publish it. HoweverI don't think Timaru is a very big town for mountain recreation even if it is the city closest to Mt Cook/Aoraki National Park, so I don't expect it to change a lot of minds there.