Need for speed
Josh Gale talks biting the dust, broken bones and the thrill of speed with up and coming downhill racer Oscar Tatom Sitting on a mountain bike at the top of...
Josh Gale
Kiwi in Kamchatka
Josh Gale meets a young explorer mixing it with the world’s best Exertion in subzero conditions don’t seem a natural fit for blond and jagged-haired Hayden Cockburn who lives near...
Survival skill #2 – Backcountry earthquakes
Get off the slopes, check bridges, be extra careful around waterways and inspect gas lines and stoves in huts Most earthquake-related injuries and deaths result from falling debris, flying glass...
Survival skill #1 – Make fire
Making a fire in a desperate situation will do more than warm you; it will lift spirits and offer hope – two essential ingredients for any successful survival situation Tinder...
Stranded in deepest Fiordland
The forces of nature conspired against wild man David Guise, writes Josh Gale After nearly being killed in a dramatic flood in Fiordland, 72-year-old David Guise’s wife has said no...
Searchers confront demons
Flashbacks, mood swings and disturbed sleep are all part of the emotional toll search and rescue volunteers pay, writes Josh Gale Search and rescue operations can take a heavy toll...
Six days lost
An English tourist contemplates life and things left unsaid during a six day ordeal lost in Kahurangi National Park, by Josh Gale James Esbester planned on going for a leisurely...
Lost on Lomond
Lucky find saves a cold and wet day tripper from an uncomfortable night out, by Josh Gale For a person at risk of hypothermia, Silvia Horniakova acted with surprising calm....
Going the distance
In a quest to find out who she is, Lisa Tamati runs insane distances, by Josh Gale Lisa Tamati has seen emperor penguins in the desert. They watched her...
Clubs rally around after quake
The devastating earthquake in Christchurch on February 22 may have ruined the city, but it also brought out the best in members of local tramping clubs. Alan Ross, a member...
Tea with the Taliban
Travels in Afghanistan By Ian Robinson Bateman Publishing, $29.95 When most of us think of Afghanistan all we picture is “death and destruction”. But travel writer Ian Robinson says while...
The long path of a Chapple
Rabble-rouser, visionary, patriot, writer and advocate. Geoff Chapple believes with patience and a little support a good idea can alter the landscape of society. If proof were needed, the 3000km...
First to the top
Australian climber and award winning author Greg Child is the headline act at the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival Greg Child’s reputation stands out in the climbing world like the...
DOC gives conservation land to ski field developer
A decision all but made by DOC’s Director-General Al Morrison to give 198ha of conservation land in Crystal Valley freehold to Australian ski field company Blackfish is being criticised by...
Wulf
By Hamish Clayton Penguin, $30 Wulf is a fact-based novel about the great Maori chief Te Rauparaha. It’s told like a fireside tale by two English sailors manning an historic...
Tramping clubs 2.0
In the fast-moving digital age, traditional tramping clubs are struggling to adapt and recruit new and younger members. Josh Gale looks at what they’re up against in the wired world...
Falls! Drownings! Exposure!
Josh Gale finds injury and worse awaits many who venture into our most popular tramping grounds Every year at least a couple of hundred trampers get into strife while exploring...
Trail runner 'runs the beast' twice in one go
For ordinary mortals the 70km Hillary Trail in the Waitakere Ranges takes between three to four days to complete. Trail runner Shaun Collins “ran the beast” twice in 29 and...
New plan for the ‘home of the big tramp’
A new management plan for Mount Aspiring National Park that is seven years overdue has finally been approved after compromises were reached, some positive, but others uneasy. Last month the...
Outdoor education in the 21st century
Thrills and skills are all well and good, but outdoor ed is also about learning about the environment, writes Josh Gale Outdoor educators Dave Irwin and Liz Thevenard want to...
Secondary schools give kids balanced education
When he was 14-years-old and in the bush on a 48-hour solo trip, Chris Wynn set up some candles and wrote about his dream job. “My goal was to become...
The highs and lows of going hard and how to push through
Going from overnight hikes and multiday tramps to expedition-length trips takes a mindset able to push through the inevitable challenges. Josh Gale discovers the mental powers required to be an...
World Climbing: Rock Odyssey
World Climbing: Rock Odyssey By Simon Carter, Onsight Photography and Publishing $79.90 Simon Carter’s World Climbing: Rock Odyssey is more than a book of astonishing rock climbing photography. The 178 page...
The Huts that People Build
Josh Gale meets community groups building and maintaining their own backcountry huts Huts; even children love to make them. We start out with old boxes, furniture and blankets when we’re...
The heart of design
New and improved outdoor gear hits the racks nearly every season. Josh Gale talks to some of New Zealand’s outdoor brands about design, designers, innovation and fabric. It’s a fine...
Keeping boot buying simple
Josh Gale goes in search of the perfect pair of tramping boots Who would’ve thought buying a pair of boots could be so tough? With the numerous brands, price positions,...
Clueless Jafa to backcountry Jedi
Wilderness staff writer Josh Gale learns there’s more to going bush than knowing how to read a map Staring out across the river valley toward the snow capped Southern Alps,...
A misty journey to Auckland’s highest peak
Kohukohunui Peak, Waharau Regional Park, Auckland Respectable summits are in short supply in the Auckland region and when compared to peaks around the country the ones it does have seem...
The pilloried trail
Auckland’s Hillary Trail has come under fire for being too tough, poorly maintained and hardly ever walked. Josh Gale laces up his boots to find out what all the fuss...
Wind from a distant summit
The story of New Zealand’s leading woman mountaineer By Pat Deavoll Craig Potton Publishing $40.00 In many areas of life, the achievements of women often don’t get the same plaudits...
Escape the apocalypse!
Learning the skills of bush survival is spawning a new form of outdoor recreation discovers Josh Gale Growing up in the African desert, Ryan Hunt was stung by scorpions, bitten...
Battle against dieback intensifying
Trampers are thought to be the main vector for kauri dieback, so track closures in the Waitakere Ranges Regional Park are on the cards, reports Josh Gale They stand out...
Keeping fit and the forest alive
The swarm of introduced predators munching New Zealand’s native flora and fauna have inadvertently spawned what could be the country’s most patriotic form of outdoor recreation. Josh Gale talks with...
History and scenery close to Auckland
Incline Track, Waitakere Ranges Regional Park Only a 6km drive from Titirangi, the Slip-Pipeline-Incline Track loop offers an easy half day hike for city dwellers short on time. But beware,...
No trace found
Every year LandSAR personnel recover either the living or the dead from the wilderness, but sometimes no trace is ever found. Josh Gale investigates cases of trampers who’ve vanished into...
Oft ignored range close to cities
Hapuakohe Walkway (southern section), Hapuakohe Range While searching for a place to tramp with a pretence of altitude within coo-ee of Auckland, I fell upon the unusual Hapuakohe Range in...
Mud, sweat and madness
There’s a strange phenomenon occurring on tramping tracks throughout the country. Super fit men and women wearing bright shoes, skin-tight leggings and carrying skimpy packs are running New Zealand’s toughest...
Online intentions opportunity for backpacker lodges
DOC’s decision to remove its paper-based intention cards from visitor centres has caused a backlash of criticism, but could provide an additional income stream for backpacker hostels Backpacker hostels around...
The truth about avalanches
Avalanche fatalities in New Zealand are low compared to many other nations, but experts here say that is more down to luck than anything else Ending up in a wheelchair...
Winter hike in Wanaka
Fern Burn Hut, Motatapu Station Pastoral Lease It was my first visit to Wanaka and low cloud sat above the town shrouding the mountains. DOC visitor centre staff said residents...
Hard graft in the mountains
Taking people mountain climbing for a living may sound swell, but Josh Gale discovers New Zealand has a shortage of professional mountain guides for good reason Professional mountain guide Mike...
Good bacteria
Getting a protein fix in the hills is as simple as opening a dehy bag of food – but what if you want fresh meat? After a long day tramping...
From the way it was to the way it is
Wilderness is fortunate to have some subscribers who’ve been with the magazine from the very first issue. We caught up with five or our longest standing subscribers to see how...
Storm brewing over Milford
Is getting tourists to Milford Sound more quickly about creating a better visitor experience or turning a quick buck? Josh Gale investigates Department of Conservation Director-General Alistair Morrison received an...
Lake Hawea from above
Sawyer Burn Track, Kidds Bush Recreation Reserve Sawyer Burn Track looked steep and uninviting. Beech forest blocked the sinking afternoon sun, promising a chilly journey to Sawyer Burn Hut and...
Caring for huts the Coaster’s way
Disappointed with the state of a track or a hut? Instead of complaining about it, a group of West Coasters have decided to take action and pick up where DOC...
Leaving a trail in Wanaka
Linking small and isolated communities via networks of cycle tracks could be the key to revitalising them Never before had I been so grateful for a roaring fire. My nose...
Hutless in the north
The upper North Island is often touted as the winterless north, but trampers from the area say that’s not the case and more backcountry huts are needed. Leading a group...
A waterfall that won’t disappoint
Te Tapahoro Bay via Tarawera Falls, Lake Tarawera Scenic Reserve Waterfalls aren’t usually a part of the natural world I’m drawn to unless they’re big and powerful. I usually find...
New Zealand’s most endangered rivers
Is New Zealand really 100% Pure? Clean and Green? Many argue its not and point to the state of the country’s rivers as proof. Wilderness investigates five rivers that are...
Rakiura time
Josh Gale walks Rakiura Track on its 10th anniversary and finds much to celebrate, including an excuse to become as lazy and slow as he likes on the island of...
Alone in the wild
Every time someone dies alone in the backcountry media reports often blast solo tramping as dangerous and irresponsible. But going alone might be better for you than you think Heavy rain...
Jazz Bragg nails Te Araroa, nearly dies on river crossing
British ultra runner Jez Bragg has conquered New Zealand’s Te Araroa Trail in record time, but admits the trail came very close to breaking him. Bragg began running the 3054km...
The best long trail in the world
Wilderness meets the new CEO of the Te Araora Trail Trust and finds a man determined to make the long distance trail a household name The new CEO of Te Araroa...
Talking with the forest
During a 200km test of endurance and survival, adventurer Mark Jones received one critical lesson from the New Zealand bush: the forest was on his side. Spot number 1313 stood...
Winning shots
Chris Thompson provides an outlet for outdoor photographers to showcase their work. Driving past Lake Tekapo in pouring rain on a frigid winter day, Chris Thompson pulled over to snap...
Gulf island’s bright future
Home Bay, Motutapu Island, Hauraki Gulf Marine Reserve Camping at Home Bay on Motutapu Island on Auckland Anniversary Weekend made me wish I could live for 100 years. If the...
Voices from the cold
When the Department of Conservation announced it was planning to bin 140 positions, two affected staffers decided to speak out about the damage the cuts will do to DOC and...
Moving to the mountains
For outdoorsy people, living in a city far from the mountains is like a yachtie living in Mt Cook Village. Josh Gale finds out what it takes to up sticks...
Going the hard way
Marty Schmidt is quite possibly the best climber you’ve never heard of. Denali Schmidt has a big name to live up to. Not just in terms of the 6194m mountain...
New Zealand’s greatest challenge
Every year introduced predators kill an estimated 26 million native birds, yet ending their reign of terror might be easier than you think For the 850 residents of Great Barrier/Aotea...
The future of maps
Trampers can often be found drooling over maps as they search for the next big trip, but are paper maps becoming a thing of the past? Three months after the...
Land your dream job
Personality and life experience are the key ingredients for landing your dream outdoor job, discovers Josh Gale While New Zealand’s office workers sit stationary in front of computer screens for...
Finding their own way, together
As part of an historic Treaty of Waitangi settlement, Te Urewera is being returned to Tuhoe and its national park status removed. Josh Gale investigates what this means for Tuhoe...
A farewell trip to Central Whirinaki Forest Park
Central Whirinaki Hut, Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park Light rain was falling as we tramped on sodden earth through Whirinaki Forest. The track cuts close to Whirinaki River which was...