Geoff Warne has a prosthetic leg and says e-bikes give him confidence to tackle challenging rides.
Just a few years ago the conversation about e-bikes was largely one of suspicion. Were they a form of cheating? Would they tear up the tracks that trampers and careful mountain bikers had fought to protect?
Those debates haven’t entirely disappeared, but they’ve been largely overridden. According to Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails, e-bike riders are becoming the predominant users of trails.
Writer Kathy Young talks with four riders who are benefiting from the switch to e-bikes.
Missed yesterday’s feature? On the topo map, the Tin Range seems to beckon with an inviting finger. But when writer Anna Watson started to read into routes on the range, it became clear that the wild tales only grew wings.
Quiz
You are standing on the track. Which map below is the above picture from?
Scroll to the bottom of this email for the answer…
Current Issue - July/August 2026
Shine a light on Cape Brett - Northland’s best weekend walk, discover winter magic in the high country, embark on a loop of Rakiura’s untamed south-west, six mapped trip reports, gear guides and dozens more articles!
The impact of rain on rivers and waterways
Rain can be a real spoiler for a tramp. But how much rain will it take to affect your trip?
Heather Grady from Outdoor Training New Zealand covers what you need to do to research the crossings, find a safe place to cross and evaluate the speed of the water’s rise in this week’s Skills Check.
Featured Book
Under the Weather
This must-read book untangles how we know what the future holds and why it matters to our everyday lives. It looks at NZ’s increasingly frequent natural disasters, warming and acidifying waters, the creep of rising sea levels, and the ways that the changing weather will affect our agriculture, lifestyle, food security and economy.
Subscribers get a 10% discount.
Tramping calendar
See our list of upcoming tramping events and activities across the motu. Have an event you want to feature? Email us the details!
Various dates across April, May & June: Banff Mountain Film Festival
Location: Across the motu
The Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour — the biggest annual fundraiser for the New Zealand Alpine Club — is back until July 2026.
Ski big mountain lines in Norway after losing a leg. Attempt a daring first descent of Mount Robson's legendary South Face. Journey by packraft through Alaska's Brooks Range in search of an Arctic mystery. Follow two fathers dragging their two-year-olds through the Swiss Alps on mountain bikes and more. Find tickets at banff.nz
25 June: Backcountry Awareness Night
Location: BSpace, Wānaka
Join IFMGA mountain guide and athlete Will Rowntree for a free community evening focused on trip planning, smart decision-making and real-world experience in the mountains. More info.
27 June: Mahoe-nui Winter Planting
Location: Sumner / Evans Pass, Christchurch, 9–11:30am
Community native planting day on the Port Hills. Includes steep terrain restoration work and post-event refreshments. More info.
28 June: Stories behind some of Aoteaora’s most interesting plants
Location: Otari Visitors Centre, 2pm
Why is speargrass so sharp? Why does the parapara have such sticky seeds (hint, little birds beware). Join Te Papa science researcher and evolutionary biologist Lara Shepherd on an exploration around Ōtari’s plant collection, she’ll reveal all sorts of fascinating facts about our native species. More info.
2 July: Outdoor Training New Zealand Auckland Branch meeting
Location: Point Chevalier Tennis Club, Auckland
The Auckland branch of OTNZ has an active committee, a manageable course schedule, and holds two monthly evening meetings to introduce new topics of interest and engage with the wider membership. More info.
2 July: Winter Hiking and Staying Safe in the Outdoors
Location: MD Outdoors, Nelson, 5:30-7:30pm
Special guest, Gideon, is a full-time practical risk management trainer with over 25 years spent operating in remote and demanding conditions.
The evening's discussion will leave you more confident, better prepared, and ready to take on winter backcountry travel. More info.
4-5 July: Outdoor Training NZ Survival Confidence
Location: Waitakere Ranges Regional Park
This two-day practical course is designed to provide participants with basic bushcraft survival skills (what you would need if you become lost in the New Zealand bush), including survival priorities and how to build a bivvy. More info.
17-18 July: MD Outdoors Nelson Film Festival
Location: Nelson
The film festival will be filled with door prizes, giveaways, competitions and epic films to inspire you and your family. Saturday night screening includes the awards night to announce the winners of this year's competition!
21 July: State of the Snowpack #1
Location: Further Faster, Christchurch, 6:30-8:30
State of the Snowpack Aotearoa is several evenings over winter, of honest, practical avalanche intelligence from people who spend their winters digging pits, reading terrain and keeping others safe. Local professionals will break down what's happening in the Craigieburns, Arthur's Pass and surrounding Canterbury ranges — not in textbook terms, but in the kind of plain language that helps you make better decisions when you're standing at the top of a slope. More info.
Quiz
Answer B
Want to receive fewer emails? Did you know you can select the days of the week you receive the Wilderness Daily email? Update your preferences here.
