Back in March I finally headed off on a trip into the central Paparoa that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. With my good friend and regular adventure accomplice Jack, and his brother Tom, we traversed Mt Uriah from the Buller Gorge, via the Ohikanui, and out to Maimai in the Grey Valley, via Mt Stevenson. You can read the details in the September 2014 issue of Wilderness Magazine.

Two trampers looking at the north ridge of Mt. Uriah, in the central Paparoa Ranges.

The Paparoa Range and it’s Wilderness Area are incredibly special, and right in my back yard. They aren’t high, and occupy a compact area, but they are rugged and challenging. The terrain and the coastal position make for difficult travel and conditions. The objective of the trip was to attempt a new rock climbing route up the granite buttresses of the south aspect of Uriah. We weren’t able to make that attempt because it took us a lot longer than we anticipated to get to the base of the climb. We are planning to return this March for another crack.