A wrap of the biggest stories and best writing about the outdoors from New Zealand and around the world.

An extraordinary wildlife encounter took place in California, US, when jogger Dutch Faro noticed movement out of the corner of his eye.

To his astonishment a mountain lion was running at him. After the sort of expletive we all might use in the same situation, Faro managed to scare the beast off by yelling and charging at it.

Mountain lions are common in the region, but normally avoid humans, which makes this incident, which Faro caught on camera, all the more astonishing.

You can see the video and full story for yourself on Backpacker.

Tararua Tramping Club says goodbye to three distinguished members

They are John Nankervis, Ian Baine and Hugh Barr, who have all recently died.

John Nankervis was an exceptional climber, who achieved 50 first ascents in New Zealand, and climbed in the Himalayas, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Norway and more. He was a friend of Sir Edmund Hillary, leading the New Zealand Alpine Club’s guard of honour at his funeral, and was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2010 for services to mountaineering.

Ian Baine maintained Baine-Iti hut, which was built by his father in the Remutaka Range. He built and restored other huts in the Tararuas too, and is also notable for first bringing Thermarest air mattresses to New Zealand.

Hugh Barr was a respected trip leader who recovered from breaking his back on a fall on Mt Ruapehu in 1999.

Read more about all three club members here.

Cooler winters expected after eruption

The colossal Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption could have effects on New Zealand’s climate. But they’re not expected to be as severe as the harsh winters following the Pinatubo eruption of 1991, says climate scientist Jim Salinger.

He predicts that the winter might be a little bit cooler than normal. But if trampers layer up and find good west-facing camping spots they might be treated to some spectacular purple sunsets.

Read the full story at RNZ.

Watch out for the wallabies

Not the rugby team (we’ve got nothing to worry about there!), but the marsupials that could cover a third of the country in 50 years, warns John Walsh from Biosecurity New Zealand.

Wallabies are regarded as a ‘silent pest’, and trampers are being urged to report any sightings of the animal, their droppings or their paw prints.

Walsh says the ultimate aim is to eradicate them from the country altogether.

The Otago Daily Times has more on this.

Dog saves man, then man saves dog

In a stunning rescue story, a dog lay on an injured hiker for 13 hours to keep him warm until first responders arrived.

The eight-month-old Alaskan Malamute is credited by the rescuers for keeping the hiker safe at high altitude in the Velebit mountain range in Croatia.

Humans returned the favour a few days later in Canada when a walker scared away a wolf who had their dog’s neck in its jaws. The owner heard the dog yelping after it had wandered off into some trees, so ran after it to discover what was going on.