Photo: Ales Krivec, CC 0
A 16-year-old hiker who asked artificial intelligence for directions up a Canadian mountain was rescued after the route Anthropic's Claude chatbot set him on led to a steep rock face - a 518m wall in British Columbia that requires ropes, cams and a clear plan for ascent. The trek typically takes about eight hours, and hiking guides warn it is not suitable for beginners.
North Shore Rescue manager Paul Markey said the boy was reasonably well prepared for the hike but not for rock climbing. "In this particular case, the boy had a headlamp, good clothing, a good pair of boots, a spare battery and spare food. He was pretty well equipped for hiking and scrambling, but he was certainly not prepared or equipped for rock climbing," he said.
Also in this week’s outdoor news: New podcast ‘Te Araroa Tales’ released last month, watch an elk destroy a tent in the USA, nine potential NZ World Heritage sites announced and and more!
Missed yesterday’s feature? We looked at 20 outstanding tents for your summer adventures.
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Top reads
Take a look at this week's most read articles at wildernessmag.co.nz.
Featured Book
Women of the Catlins
Award-winning writer Diana Noonan and photographer Cris Antona collaborate to capture the thoughts and feelings of 26 women from this remote outpost.
Subscribers get a 10% discount.
What we’re reading: Caring for Kahurangi
Caring for Kahurangi is the story of one of the most successful community-led conservation projects in New Zealand, and is as beautiful as it is inspiring. For the last 25 years, the volunteer group Friends of Flora (FOF) has been trapping predators, translocating birds, surveying and monitoring, determined to restore the biodiversity of Flora, on the eastern edge of Kahurangi National Park.
Caring for Kahurangi won the mountain and adventure heritage book award at this year’s NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival. It is available in the Wilderness bookstore; subscribers receive a 10% discount!
Current Issue - Nov 2026
Discover this stunning 47km stretch of TA, 10 films to avoid before your next trip, a rugged, three-day tramp into the remote Tara Tama Range, the nightmare of being lost, the pros and cons of a smartwatch and dozens more stories in our latest issue.
Hut of the week 🏡
Photo: Michal Klajban, CC 4.0
Fenella Hut, Kahurangi National Park
This serviced 12-bunk hut can be found in the Cobb Valley of Kahurangi National Park. The walk the hut is straightforward and relatively easy along the valley floor. As a bonus during the winter months, the woodstove is known for packing a punch.
Wilderness writer, Sarah Inglewood wrote in our February 2021 issue that, “The hut offers a level of comfort and luxury not often found in the backcountry, including a gas stove and an impressive array of kitchen utensils. The toilet is just as fancy, with a stained glass window in the door.”
The hut was built in 1979 by Tony and Helen Druce as a memorial to their daughter, Fenella, a 25-year old climber who was killed in 1977 when 'Three Johns Hut' in Aoraki/Mt Cook NP was blown over a ridge.
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