DOC Taranaki's Assets team have been training at altitude - finishing some jobs high on the mountain before the first of this year's heavy snow falls.
First stop was the north ridge track to the summit where 24 new snow poles were installed to help climbers keep to the track
when the cloud rolls in. "There are a few spots up there where you can wander off the track," said Track Ranger and experienced mountain man Tim Weston. The new poles will help climbers find their way in an area that can fog over in a hurry. "
Another job was dismantling the rock walls people had built on the summit. "Climbers build them for shelter when they camp up there, said Dave Rogers, DOC's Visitors and Historic Assets Manager.
"Watching the sunset is popular but we're trying to minimise the impact on the summit and we get real problems with rubbish and toilet waste. We don't really want people camping up there. For Maori the summit is a sacred place – the head of an ancestor. It should be in pristine condition," he said.
Next stop was Syme Hut, the highest hut on the mountain at 1950 metres. It's a DOC hut operating on a ticket system and you get a mix of tourists and locals staying up there. It sleeps eight to 10 people. Perched on Panitahi or Fantham's Peak, it's about a 1½ hour climb to the summit on a zig zagged track.
Syme is a basic hut with insulation but no heating and over winter conditions are fairly extreme. The makeover included three new windows, a new stainless steel sink and repairs to the roof. "We replaced the cables too that hold down the toilet, "said DOC's Mike Johns. The winds are strong up there so it's a vital job."
Around on the ski field, the track to Tahurangi lodge has been cut and a gnarly section down to a stream has new swamp rafts to walk on.
A little lower down in the Pouakai Range the popular Mangorei Track continues to improve. New Plymouth Tramping Club members have been volunteering their time and DOC's Community Max team, organised through the Ministry of Social Development have been hard at work too.
Seasonal DOC staff have been tidying up the tracks around all the road ends, so trampers can take advantage of some good walks and climbs over the coming months.
DOC Taranaki's Assets team have been training at altitude - finishing some jobs high on the mountain before the first of this year's heavy snow falls.
First stop was the north ridge track to the summit where 24 new snow poles were installed to help climbers keep to the track
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