Tag Archives: mountain safety council

Media fanning the flames of regulation

Posted on 29 June, 2017 by Mike McGavin

Details are still thin, but it’s sad to learn of another death on Mt Taranaki. Not much detail has yet been released, except that an accident appears to have occurred somewhere in the vicinity of Ambury Bluff and Humphries Castle … Continue reading →

Posted in musing | Tagged accident, egmont national park, media, mountain safety council, taranaki | Leave a comment

One Way Communication

Posted on 7 September, 2016 by Mike McGavin

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There was a report a couple of days back of some people being rescued in Kahurangi National Park, having activated a personal locator beacon. The three women […] had been tramping on the Leslie-Karamean track when they became stranded on … Continue reading →

Posted in musing | Tagged media, mountain safety council, musing, plb, police, rccnz, search and rescue | 12 Comments

A New Era for Outdoor Safety Training

Posted on 5 April, 2015 by Mike McGavin

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In February I wrote about the structural changes in the Mountain Safety Council, with an expression of concern. A reference which I’d included if I’d known of it was the the MSC’s own explanation of the changes, which is buried … Continue reading →

Posted in musing | Tagged courses, federated mountain clubs, mountain safety council, musing, outdoor training new zealand | 1 Comment

What’s up with the Mountain Safety Council?

Posted on 12 February, 2015 by Mike McGavin

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From this morning’s news, it sounds as if the Mountain Safety Council is going more professional, doing away with amateur instructors and, for the most part, even training people at all. I’ve never been a direct member of the Mountain … Continue reading →

Posted in musing | Tagged courses, federated mountain clubs, mountain safety council, musing | Leave a comment

An update on that “inappropriate PLB activation” incident

Posted on 12 June, 2013 by Mike McGavin

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In February I wrote a lengthy post based on a major media incident where a man was reported to have activated a Personal Locater Beacon (PLB) because he was “running late”. This wasn’t just out-of-control media, however. It was sparked … Continue reading →

Posted in musing | Tagged government policies, media, mountain safety council, plb, rccnz, search and rescue, update | 8 Comments

Clarity on not charging for Search and Rescue in New Zealand

Posted on 18 February, 2013 by Mike McGavin

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This incident occurred just over a week ago, but I’ve avoided posting until now. I was annoyed when I first saw it, and still am, but not for the same reason as most other people who have expressed their brief … Continue reading →

Posted in article | Tagged article, government policies, media, mountain safety council, plb, police, rccnz, search and rescue | 22 Comments

Feather-weight safety protocols

Posted on 1 January, 2013 by Mike McGavin

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As I was writing that previous post about how PLBs aren’t automatically everything that they’re sometimes made out to be, an incident was unfolding in the Tararua Range where a PLB would probably have been really really useful. Fortunately things … Continue reading →

Posted in musing | Tagged media, mountain running, mountain safety council, musing, plb, search and rescue, tararuas | 10 Comments

PLBs and Media

Posted on 30 December, 2012 by Mike McGavin

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Lately there’s been an obvious promotional push from Police, the RCCNZ and SAR officials to tell people to carry PLBs (Personal Locator Beacon) when they visit the outdoors. This makes sense as a progressive way to be able to indicate … Continue reading →

Posted in musing | Tagged government policies, media, mountain safety council, musing, plb, police, rccnz, search and rescue | 35 Comments

Rivers and Ropes and Mutual Support

Posted on 22 December, 2011 by Mike McGavin

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I’ve written a little about river crossing techniques in the past, and I’m about to do so again. Before continuing, I’d like to stress that this post is not meant to be instructional in any way, so much as commenting … Continue reading →

Posted in musing | Tagged federated mountain clubs, mountain safety council, musing, review, rivers | 8 Comments

Rising hut fees, the price of being honest

Posted on 5 July, 2010 by Mike McGavin

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I woke on Saturday morning to the Radio NZ news that back-country hut pass fees are to rise, or more to the point that they’ve already risen as of last Friday when the announcement was made. The base cost of … Continue reading →