What to do with human waste

November 2025

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November 2025

Toni Torepe (left) and climber Lydia Bradey took part in the week-long exchange of knowledge programme. Photo: Chris North
A research project involving mountaineers and mana whenua is tackling the issue of human waste in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. Climbers are being encouraged to pack out their poo this alpine season, and to consider the implications of not doing so. Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury researchers and partners have created a […]
Leigh Hopkinson

About the author

Leigh Hopkinson

Wilderness deputy editor Leigh Hopkinson spends the weekends in the hills with her whānau and weekdays as a journalist and editor. She has a Graduate Diploma of Journalism from the University of Canterbury. A keen tramper, rock climber and newbie mountaineer, she has written for magazines and newspapers on both sides of the Tasman. She’s originally from the West Coast and now lives in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

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