Wilderness

Each issue of Wilderness takes its readers to the most beautiful areas in New Zealand, whether by foot, mountain bike, sea kayak, raft, pony or dream.

AI FOR TRIP PLANNING HAS BENEFITS AND FLAWS

Wilderness

LETTER of the MONTH

YOUR TRIPS, YOUR PIX • What did you get up to last weekend?

OPINION: KEEP OUTDOOR EDUCATION WHERE IT BELONGS

SEARCH AND RESCUE TECHNOLOGY A NEW ZEALAND FIRST

THE POLL RESULTS ARE IN

1000 HUTS - AND COUNTING

FOUR DECADES OF SHELTER • Toaroha Saddle Bivouac, Central Westland

HOW WALKING CAN CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE • One of the benefits of walking is the opportunity it provides for deep reflection. We asked the Walk1200km community to share a time when walking had changed their perspective on something. Here are some of their responses.

GEAR TO HELP YOU WALK MORE THIS MONTH

#microchallenge 19-21 winners! • Complete the #microchallenges, as these Walk1200km participants have done, and receive an exclusive, can’t-be-bought Walk1200km badge. The best effort in each challenge also receives a special prize from our partners!

November 2025 #microchallenges • In each issue, three new #microchallenges are set to add interest and silliness to your kilometres.

CAN AI HELP TO PLAN TRAMPING TRIPS? GREAT QUESTION! • Curious to examine its route notes and preparation advice, we charged ChatGPT with planning two Canterbury tramps for us. Was it a great question?

WHAT TO DO WITH HUMAN WASTE • A research project involving mountaineers and mana whenua is tackling the issue of human waste in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

A LATTER-DAY SQUAWKZILLA • Like its kea and kākāpo cousins, the kākā uses its powerful bill as a third ‘foot’.

SIBERIA’S GLORIOUS GATEWAY • New Zealand’s version of Siberia is an ancient valley carved from glaciers and walled by cinematic mountains. There are a couple of ways to get there, the most awe-inspiring being the tramp over Gillespie Pass.

RUAPEHU’S OTHER SIDE • Tongariro National Park’s northern tracks typically teem with visitors. By contrast, the south-eastern slopes of Mt Ruapehu were quiet when Wilderness visited this starkly beautiful landscape last summer.

THE TRACKS LESS TRAVELLED • Following a post-pandemic surge in popularity, a number of private walks are becoming available on farms around the country. For walkers, they open up forests, beaches and mountains that few have experienced; for farmers, the benefits are more than just economic.

THE ALLURE OF PRIVATE WALKS • The emergence of private tracks is quietly transforming how some walkers experience the outdoors. Often crossing farmland or the estates of conservation-minded owners, the walks provide an alternative philosophy of tramping. And with walks at all budgets, they’re for everyone - from families with young children to retirees seeking a lighter load.

CLASSIC WALKS WITH HOME COMFORTS • There are dozens of private walks dotted around New Zealand. Use this ‘trip finder’ to discover those best suited to you.

THE SOCIAL TRAPPERS • Janet Wilson spearheads whio protection work in the Ruahine Range. She says community volunteer conservations has benefits wider than pest control, but she is worried about its future funding.

How to clean your sleeping bag • Improve your sleeping bag’s performance and lifespan with an annual wash.

How to treat A WASP STING • If you’re stung by a wasp when tramping, what should you do?

IS MSR’S NEW HD EDITION THE ULTIMATE ALL-ROUND HUBBA HUBBA? • The new Hubba Hubba HD offers increased weatherproofing and longer-life fabrics while keeping its weight well under control.

GEAR RADAR • New and interesting gear we’ve discovered this month

HIKING BOOTS

OMM CLASSIC 32...