Approaching Whitehorn Pass. Photo: Christopher Tuffley

The trail of the tenacious

May 2026

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May 2026

Taking a leaf out of the book of historic female climbers, Hazel Phillips ignores the naysayers and tramps the legendary Three Passes route solo.

(Listen to Hazel read her story with a follow-up Q&A about the trip with our editor.) I was warned not to attempt the Three Passes route solo, and for 10 years I listened. But after too many false starts – bad weather, work deadlines, lack of tramping buddies – I gave up waiting and went […]
May 2026

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May 2026

Hazel Phillips

About the author

Hazel Phillips

Hazel Phillips is an alpine adventurer and the author of Fire & Ice, Solo, and Great Hearts. A firm believer that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’, she’s passionate about representation in the outdoors. She is a self-confessed Ruapehu addict, and she’s never met a topo map she didn’t get along with.

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