Turk News #34 – Winter is coming

Opening event with the Antarctic Heritage Trust

I’m excited to announce a partnership with the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Inspiring Explorers Programme to have an opening expedition for young New Zealanders to complete the first official Mahu Whenua ski traverse.

The AHT has two purposes – one is the restoration of the historic Antarctic huts such as those left by Scott, Shackleton, and Borschgrevink. The other goal is inspiring young people to get out and live an adventurous life. Over the years they’ve done some damn cool stuff, like a crossing of Greenland, sea kayaking around the Antarctic Peninsula, and they even did a repeat of Shackleton’s route over South Georgia. It is great to work with them and inspire the next generation – so if you or anyone you know fit the criteria below, get amongst it!

Here are the details:  Mahu Whenua Traverse 31 July – 7 August 2021

• Open to 18-30 year olds
• Must be confident skiers (black diamond run competent)
• Click here to join: Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ Mahu Whenua Traverse | Antarctic Heritage Trust (nzaht.org)
• Applications close on the 19 May 2021

Donation from Sargood Bequest

The club has received a $5000 donation from the Sargood Bequest. The Trust’s history extends back to the gold mining days in Otago and it is great to have their support.

Getting organised for winter

Keep either of these dates reserved for a fun evening filled with Turk talk:

• Wanaka – 8th June, 7pm at b.Social
• Queenstown – 10th June, 7pm at Cargo Brewery Gantleys – Arthurs Point (also the AGM)

With the Club’s first financial year complete I need to share the news that everything is going really well. At the events I will tell the story so far with the help of some pretty pictures, explain the financial situation, have a few points worth discussing and enjoy having a good chat with club members.

Here is the plan for managing the Turks over winter:

• The Turks will be available for per night/individual bookings until the end of July (current system).
• From 1 August to 12 September the 5 Turks of the traverse will be booked in a per-week/traverse basis with a maximum of 3 groups per week. This means (for regular members)  that for $100 per person you have 7 nights (8 days) to find the weather window to complete the traverse.
• The Crown Basin Turk (not part of the traverse) will be bookable on a night/individual basis throughout this period.
• Depending on traverse bookings I will free-up individual night spaces on the traverse Turks.

The reservation system is set up for bookings. I will add a 3rd departure for each week once I have worked through the plans with founding/family members. The traverse weeks start on a Saturday and continue through and including the following Friday. Find the booking page here.

Gas, coffee and toilet paper

Bill Day has offered to fly us around the Turks sometime before the snow arrives so we can drop off cooking gas and toilet paper so people don’t need to carry so much.

If somebody wants to donate some coffee making equipment for membership then we will fly that in as well.