Letter of the month

A word worth preserving

I love tramping as an activity and I also love the word ‘tramping’: it’s a word unique to New Zealand.

During the past decade or so, the words ‘hiking’ and ‘trekking’ have  crept into the New Zealand vernacular. I have noticed retailers and articles about tramping now often just use   the word hiking. Even the Department of Conservation and Wilderness magazine regularly use hiking over tramping.

I realise most non-New Zealanders will be familiar with hiking and trekking, and may not know what tramping refers to. But it will be a shame if the word tramping is used less – or even disappears from everyday use in Aotearoa.

For me, when I do a long tramp in the wilds of Te Wahipounamu South Westland or Fiordland, I really am tramping. Hiking sounds too gentle a word for real tramps. Could you imagine if the Tararua Tramping Club changed its name to the Tararua Hiking Club?

Just like the use of Te Reo, New Zealanders need to use tramping as much as possible, otherwise this term unique to us will be lost. So let us not only go tramping regularly, but also refer to it always as tramping.

– Tom Hu

– Tom receives three pairs of Norsewear Adventure Micro Crew merino socks worth $30/pair from www.norsewear.co.nz). Readers, send your letter to the editor for a chance to win.

A spring in your step

What a treat to go with the Canterbury Tramping Club to Woolshed Hill in Arthur’s Pass National Park after a dump of spring snow.

We had hardly entered the bush before   we were trudging through the white stuff. 

A quick tramp (8km return) turned into a slog, as we climbed ever higher. Just past the treeline you could see Woolshed Tops. Luckily we had some ‘quick’ peeps who were willing to plug through, creating thigh-high steps for the rest of us to follow. 

You could not ask for better views from   the summit – braided rivers to the left and right, and snowy mountain tops. 

Wet feet meant we stayed just long enough for lunch. We  almost skied down  the mountainside on melting snow, bum sliding some of it. 

What a way to spend the day!

– Carol Armstrong

– Carol receives a meal from Real Meals. Readers, when you do a trip that has been published in Wilderness, let us know to receive your prize, too.

Changing the colour culture

Allan Sheppard’s survey of tramping jackets (Pigeon Post, September 2024) is a reminder of how bright colours are  less popular.

When a student at a rural school, I was forced to wear a bright yellow raincoat –  my pragmatic mother’s choice in rainwear – rather than a black oilskin like everyone else.

We avoid conspicuous safety choices for different reasons. I am an ocean swimmer and used to view the fluorescent-coloured tow floats as visually polluting the natural seascape; I would only use one in particularly choppy conditions or when jet skis were around. Over time, though, I have come to value them – it is much easier to spot and count swimming mates, even in rough seas. It has become as natural as clicking on my seatbelt.

Let’s hope that good sales of brightly coloured tramping gear changes the mix,   so it’s easier to choose more visible options.

 – Claire McDonald

Thanks for Walk1200

I reached 1000km a few days ago, very exciting! A mix of walking, running and football.

So far this year, I’ve run three half marathons and I’m signed up for a fourth in December. (Before this year, the furthest I had run was 10km, so I’m stoked at what I’ve achieved.)

I’ve also run to work, walked with my kids, friends, the dog and played football. I’ve explored in Northland, Auckland, Christchurch, Tauranga and Central North Island and got outside in sunshine, rain, wind and hail. 

Walk1200km has been fantastic motivation to get out and move! It was harder in winter, with shorter hours, juggling work and kids. But overall, I’ve done more exercise this year than at any time in the past.

Thank you so much for organising this!

– Bex Charteris

Credit where credit’s due

I read in Wilderness (Wild Trips, November 2024) about the track to Ōmaru Hut and Mt Humphries: ‘In 2021 the Backcountry Trust, in collaboration with DOC, engaged a team from Ruapehu WorX to restore the track, which was becoming overgrown. It is now in excellent condition, although some sections can get muddy.’

Ruapehu WorX mainly reformed a section of the track past Mt Humphries to mountain bike standard. The track to Ōmaru Hut and the summit of Mt Humphries was recut by volunteers of the Greater Wellington Backcountry Network. The Backcountry Trust funded helicopter transport for this.

Our group had previously finished recutting the track from Puketotara Hut   to Mt Humphries Clearing, funded by DOC Whanganui. It took six volunteers 16 days to complete both track-clearing jobs. Approximately 40km of the previously overgrown Matemateāonga Track were cleared. Back in the 1960s/70s two of our team had previously opened up the Matemateaonga Track.

– Derrick Field, GWBN