Welcome to Taupo Tramping Club

The Taupo Tramping Club’s sphere of operation is the Central Volcanic Plateau of the North Island encompassing the Tongariro and Urewera National Parks plus the Kaimanawa, Whirinaki, Kaimai-Mamaku and Pureora Forest Parks. This region probably provides the most widely diverse year-round tramping available in New Zealand.  All the parks are within easy driving distance of Taupo. The Club does regularly operate outside this area with outings to many North and South Island venues as well as to outlying islands.  Current membership is around 130.

The climate is mainly cool to temperate with average rainfall being medium to low by NZ standards and only the higher levels of the volcanic peaks of the Tongariro National Park make tramping impossible for some of the winter season. These higher levels are ideal and popular for many above-snowline pursuits.  The remainder of the parks provide excellent year-round tramping except during occasional extreme weather conditions.

Topography and terrain ranges from precipitous to rugged mountain and valley systems with volcanic or greywacke rock down through large gently sloping, open alpine vegetated wilderness areas to beech and podocarp forest on lower slopes and in valleys. The parks are generally well served with Department of Conservation serviced track systems and huts.  Some of the tracks, such as the Tongariro Crossing, are hugely popular with tourists.

There is extensive expertise within the Club with members having had, or currently engaged in, service to organizations such as the Federated Mountain Clubs  (FMC) of New Zealand committee, Forest Parks advisory committees and conservation boards, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, Flora and Fauna, Above Snowline Pursuits, Tongariro Natural History Society, navigation, Mountain Safety and River Crossing techniques, First Aid etc. The Club maintains active links with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Search and Rescue organisations including providing regular personnel assistance.

The Club owns a modern 12-seater bus and on most trips the bus is full or nearly full.  The regular tramping programme is three day-tramps a week; Wednesday, Thursdays and on alternate Saturdays or Sundays. There is one “overnight” tramp per month and one evening meeting with guest speaker per month. The quarterly Newsletter sent to members contains information on tramp venues with difficulty grading, leader with contacts, departure time, minimum essential gear, leaders’ procedures, President’s, Committee and some tramp reports.