In winter, Te Atuaoparapara offers an exciting ridge traverse. Photo: Sam Harrison

Thrills and spills on Te Atuaoparapara

Off the Beaten Track

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Sam Harrison

Sam Harrison is a chocolate addict who tramps on the side and can’t resist a bit of type II fun.

By Sam Harrison

The popular summer circuit that takes in Sunrise Hut and Te Atuaoparapara makes for a thrilling ridge traverse when attempted in winter.

Knees trembling, I look down at the runout below while balancing nervously on frozen scree. Somewhere on the side of survivable, I think. But let’s rewind to the previous night where this story really begins. We were five trampers happily starting up the track to Sunrise Hut in Ruahine Forest Park, thoughts firmly fixed on […]

About the author

Sam Harrison

Sam Harrison is a chocolate addict who tramps on the side. When he’s not in the bush he can be found pushing paper for a government department in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Sam graduated from the University of Otago in 2021 with a Bachelor of Law, a Bachelor of Arts, a large student loan and a love of all things tramping. He is easily identified in the hills by his oversized camera and his distinctive knack for finding type II fun.