Another HUGE thank you to the lovely ladies (Sue & Wendy) from Turangi Ski Hire for delivering their old ski poles.
Most TRM units now have ski poles hanging up outside the entrance. These serve an important dual purpose.
Firstly, as TRM is predominantly providing accommodation targeting anglers fishing the Tongariro River, an attraction for fishos are all the other little ‘extras’ and numerous additional items provided – such as bikes to assist access to the upper river pools, landing nets, commercial smoke house, rod racks in all units, rafts for Lake O. etc. and wading poles.
These are provided free of charge as they are essential to assist safe wading. Indeed, they should be compulsory.
Most trout pools, more particularly in the upper river, are hazardous for wading due to the large slippery stones along the edges.
At the time of posting this, the forecast is rain for a couple of days. The Tongariro needs a good flood to roll all these stones to remove the greasy moss.
When the Tongariro is in flood many stones get swept down river and eventually over the years get ground into smaller stones to pebbles and sand.
That may be why the lower river pools are more popular with older wiser anglers?
We know of one elderly frail inmate who has now had four ankle replacements and reconstructions – it must be a NZ record – due to continual sprains from rolling ankles on slippery river stones. He now relies completely on wading poles for him to continue river fishing forever!.
The wading poles are like a third leg for ambitious anglers navigating the upper river pools and make crossings possible without a ‘dunking’ – where, without a wading pole, it would be very difficult and soggy.
Anglers use a cord, like a dog leash, to hang the poles around their necks while casting and then they are easily retrievable when they hook up and need to follow the trout or patiently play them back to the banks.
On left is a fishing guide leading his clients back across the swift swollen current in the Tongariro River – note his reliance on a wading pole – without which it is doubtful if they would have made it…
TRM strongly recommend the use of wading poles.
i.e. On right is an ‘anon’ angler slowly nervously crossing Vera’s Pool in August 2013. We were anxiously watching his hesitant progress and were debating who was going to have to go in to save him if he slipped over. It was not the depth or the current, but the slippery stones that made it so difficult.
A wading pole would have made it so much easier and safer…
The second reason the old ski poles are popular during summer months is for use as “walking poles” on the Tongariro Crossing.
Most TRM units have a few poles hanging up outside the units.
If they are missing, you know what happened to them…
So to provide for this, there are spare poles at reception and more are hanging up outside the office for inmates to help themselves.
Often the excited trampers, about to finally realise their bucket list walk, only remember to ask for poles about 5 am before they leave to meet the shuttle bus – so this is to encourage them to help themselves instead of buzzing for me. OK?
They make a huge difference to assist stability on the track where the surface of loose scoria and pumice can get quite slippery. Refer image of keen TRM inmate (Hi Wendy) tramping the Tongariro Alpine Crossing – note the walking poles…
