Section Event
Kopuwai Snowshoeing
Saturday, August 17 2024 — Sunday, August 18 2024
| The Basics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Event type: | Tramping | ||
| Start date: | Saturday, August 17 2024 | ||
| End Date: | Sunday, August 18 2024 | ||
| Registration cut-off | Monday, August 12 2024 11:00 PM | ||
| Trip organizers |
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| Cost | You can share fuel costs if you end up carpooling with someone else. The hut is free. Expect to contribute $5 - 10 for fuel for 4WD if you travel with me. | ||
| Participant Information | |||
| Who's invited | Members and guests | ||
| Attendee screening | Attendees are pre-screened | ||
| Maximum number of participants | 5 | ||
| Total number registered | 3 | ||
| Who's registered | You must be logged in to view participant list | ||
Description
Want a little taste of Antarctica...look no further than the exposed tops of the Kopuwai Conservation Area!With pretty good snow cover on the tops at the moment (no guarantees it will stay this way!) the plan is to visit some of the little huts in the area for a true back to basics winter snowshoe trip. Drive up Symes Road, Fruitlands near Alexandra as far as we can on Saturday morning then hike to the snowline before donning snowshoes and heading for Nicholsons Hut. We may either carry on to Boundary Hut or do an afternoon explore of the area from Nicholsons depending on time and conditions. On Sunday we'd plan to loop back to Symes Road via either the Sisters Track to Obelisk or via Hyde Rock.
According to local intel, the conditions are not super great for skiing up there currently (firm, icy snow more suited for snowshoeing) but if you wish to take skis then that is also an option. Although this is not a particularly technical trip or long route, it is not suited to absolute beginner trampers as the conditions up there can be very exposed and we will need to be prepared to tent in the snow if other parties are using the small huts. The ability to manage your personal safety in very cold conditions and have appropriate winter tramping/camping gear is essential.
Getting There
We will meet at Symes Road, Fruitlands at 8am on Saturday 17th August. Those travelling from out of town are welcome to stay at my place in Earnscleugh, near Alexandra on Friday night. I have plenty of spare beds.I have access to a 4WD that can seat 5 people but another 4WD could be useful too. Conditions on Symes Road are really changeable depending on current weather but you can usually drive a decent way up in 2WD so we can always take packs at least in 4WD depending on size of group.
What to Expect
You can expect very cold conditions over night (-10 or colder) due to the heavy frosts Central Otago is currently experiencing. During the day it can be quite decent if there is low wind and sunshine but bare in mind that the Kopuwai tops have little to no vegetation cover so any wind results in pretty insane wind chill. We wouldn't go ahead with the trip in strong winds but be prepared for chilly winter tops conditions (lots of clothing layers are essential).Expect to walk 2 - 4km (600 - 800m elevation gain) to the top of Symes Road depending on how far we can drive. This will be a mix of road walking and snowshoe travel. It is then 2.7km to Nicholsons Hut (1 - 2 hours). Nicholsons Hut is a very basic corrugated iron shelter with 5 bunks. But it has had some TLC over the years to maintain basic and tidy conditions. It's gonna be a squeeze but we can probably fit 1 - 2 people on mats on the floor if needed but we will take tents for everyone anyway to be prepared in case of meeting another party.
If we make good time to Nicholsons, we will consider carrying on 7km (some off track) to Boundary Hut. This is a smaller hut (3 bunks) but quite tidy and we could use it as a base for cooking if some of us tent.
If we make it to Boundary Hut, on Sunday we would leave early and walk out via Sisters Track to Obelisk before looping back to Symes Road. For the Nicholsons Hut option we'd plan to loop back via 4WD road to Hyde Rock. Either way expect 14 - 18km of snowshoe travel on Sunday.
Possible Hazards
Cold temps/wind chill carry a very real risk of hypothermia. This can be avoided by wearing/carrying appropriate winter clothing and equipment such as down jackets, wind proof layers and a good winter tent and sleeping bag. We will also make sure to have regular stops to refuel with hot drink or snacks.Lack of fitness/exhaustion - trip participants need to have a decent level of fitness to cope with sustained climb up the hill at the start and the hard work of travelling through snow. Even with snowshoes it is much harder walking than normal tramping. We will check in regularly with trip participants to ensure that the pace is appropriate and we have the shorter and longer trip options available that we can adapt depending on our travel times.
Avalanche risk is reasonably low given the low angle terrain however isolated terrain features may still carry a risk. We will decide if avalanche transceivers ect. are necessary closer to the time given snow conditions but in any case will chose appropriate routes such as staying on broad flat ridgelines and away from higher risk areas.
Personal medical conditions - please inform trip leader of any prior medical conditions or health concerns. Take appropriate personal medications if needed.
Gear
- Snowshoes (these can be hired from NZAC at Hunting & Fishing in Dunedin). I also may have a pair from a friend that is available for someone in Central to borrow.
- Walking poles
- Backpack
- Water bottle (at least 2L as there will be no running water once we hit the tops...we will need to melt snow for day 2)
- Clothing and equipment for 2 days in an outdoor environment that can have extreme weather including snow and crazy wind chill.
- Overtrousers and waterproof/windproof jacket plus warm layer (down jacket), mid layers (fleece), base layers (polyprop or merino top/bottoms), hat/gloves/buff, wool socks and decent waterproof tramping boots.
- You should have at least one set of warm clothing for walking and a spare set of warm layers for when we get to camp.
- Camping gear for tenting (we hope to stay in hut but need to be prepared for if this is full) 4 season tent, sleeping mat, winter sleeping bag (a thermal liner is also recommended given how cold it will likely be in the huts/tents).
- We can share cookers/tents to save weight (will arrange this after sign up). To keep things easy we will do our own dinner on Saturday night but plan something that requires minimal cooking as we will be sharing cookers (dehy or hot water only is best so that we don't have to take lots of fuel). Bring plenty of snacks for two days in cold conditions, lunch for 2 days, 1 dinner and 1 breakfast. Hot drink materials such as soup, hot choc or hot Raro are good idea for warming up during the day and evening.
- Emergency gear - I will have a PLB and FA kit but I'd also encourage anyone else who has one to carry PLB and a small personal FA kit.
Registration
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For screened events, the trip leader may contact you for further information about your experience and skills.
The start date for this event has passed.