Chris Gardner on Pirongia
New Zealand Outdoor Instructors’ Association bush leader and senior writer Chris Gardner continues his outdoor series by discussing the seven principles of Leave No Trace.
Chris Gardner demonstrates how to plan ahead and prepare as he shows how to set or orientate a map before heading into the bush on Mount Pirongia.
Every walker and tramper knows to take only pictures and leave only footprints, but it is just one of seven principles that encourages us to minimise our environmental impact.
Plan ahead and prepare is the first Principle of Leave No Trace. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” the founder of Scouting, Sir Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Lord Baden-Powell of Gillwell, once said. Today we use the five Ps to say the same thing. Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Either way they are great reminders that we should never step on the track without a plan.
We’ve talked at great length, in these columns, about the NZ Mountain Safety Council’s minimum gear list. You should always be prepared to overnight, even if you are planning a short walk. The media is full of reports of walkers or trampers who were not prepared. Making a mistake here can be fatal.
Travel and camp on durable ground is the second principle of Leave No Trace. Walking on unstable ground could damage flora and fauna, dislodge soil and rock, and lead to slips, trips, and falls.
Dispose of waste properly is the third principle. Or pack it in, pack it out, as I prefer to say. I follow this to the point that I will avoid using rubbish bins on the trail. Rubbish attracts pests like possums and rats who negatively impact our environment, and you never know when the bin will next be emptied.
This principle also covers toileting. I always use the toilet before starting a track to minimize my chances of having to dig a bush toilet otherwise known as a cat hole. Before considering toileting off track, check whether it’s appropriate as in many places it is culturally inappropriate.
Cat holes should be dug between 15 and 20 cm deep in organic soil between 50 and 70 metres from campsites, huts, tracks, and water. I always carry a tramping trowel, but a tramping boot can also do the job. Once you’ve finished, dispose of your waste properly by burying it so vermin cannot get at it.
Leave what you find is the fourth and simplest principle.
Minimise the effects of fire is the fifth principal. I always prefer to cook with a gas stove and cannister. It’s quick, cheap, and works in any weather. I might light a fire at a campsite at night for warmth if there is a firepit and it is allowed. Many Department of Conservation campsites have a permanent fire ban or, at least, a fire ban in the summer. Fire and Emergency New Zealand run a simple, three step, tool at www.checkitsalright.nz, which tells you whether you can light a fire and whether you need a permit. I carry aluminium foil to save having to dig a pit if I do light a fire.
The sixth principle is respect wildlife and farm animals. Wildlife and farm animals should be given a wide berth by walkers and trampers. If your presence is impacting their behaviour, then move away to a place where it is not.
The seventh is to be considerate of others. For me this extends to caring for other track users. I may ask how they’re going, where they are off too, and if I can offer any help. This could be useful if, further down the track they fail to check in. My intelligence could help police.
Chris Gardner on Pirongia
