Blog

Every spring I look forward to getting in a few good snow climbs on Taranaki. This year the snow seems to be melting off much faster with a much lower snow base than past years. I've been wanting to make a climb for a few weeks but the weather or other events have always got in the way.  I was also a bit nervous about my fitness as I haven't been doing any tramping recently. On Saturday morning the mountian was clear though there was a bit of cloud around. I decided this was my opportu …

I am constantly drawn to the beauty of Taranaki. This mountain dominates the Taranaki landscape and has always been a major presence in my life. Not only did I grow up in its shadow but have also had the great privilege to have spent much of my life exploring its slopes. My father was a keen climber and took my brother and I on many climbs and tramps on all sides of the mountain from a young age. In many ways, this mountain, Taranaki, is my spiritual home. It is the place I go to feel close to m …

I was determined to get in one last snow climb of Taranaki before the snow was all melted as summer set in so I set off to Dawson Falls on new years day.  When climbing in summer I was always set off early for a couple of reasons.1. So I complete much of the climb in the cool of dawn2. So I can watch the sunrise from high up on the mountain.So for this climb I left home soon after 3:00am and set of on my climb from Dawson Falls by torch light at around 4:15am. I climbed steadily in the dark …

I've been wanting to get some photos of Taranaki towering over the mist filled valleys for Otoraoa Rd for a while but the weather hasn't been too favourable until it suddenly cleared this week with a few fine cold clear mornings. Ideal for thick mist to settle in the river valleys and for the mountain to stand out clearly with a full covering of snow.I had to do a morning site visit to McKee production station on Thursday so set off a couple of hours early hoping that I would get the right condi …

With some fresh snow falling overnight and what like like a clear cold winter morning I headed out to Otaraoa Rd to see if I could get some dawn shots of Taranaki catching the first light from the morning sun.Unfortunately, though the mountain was clear, there was too much cloud on th eastern horizon lrgely obscuring the sunrise though it do break through briefly and illuminate the summit before disappearing behind the cloud. The temperature was 3degC, so not quite cold enough for a frost but pl …