New Zealand Trekking: Milford, Kepler and Mt. Cook
Andrea Deaton Christensen/Jon Christensen
SUMMARY OF TRIP INFORMATION
New Zealand Trekking: Milford, Kepler and Mt. Cook
Leader Andrea Deaton Christensen
Co-leader Jon Christensen
New Zealand
February 11-25, 2017
Total # of days 15
Backpacking
Bicycling-Mountain
Bicycling-Road
Title of trip
Leadership
Location(s)
Dates
Type of trip
check all that apply
Camping
Cultural
Family
Hiking
Paddling-Canoeing
Paddling-Sea-Kayaking
Skiing-CrossSkiing-Downhill
Snorkeling
Country (Nordic)
(Alpine)
Trekking (e.g., hutWalking
Other – please describe
to-hut)
Trekking (e.g., hut-to-hut)
Select one of those checked above.
Minimum 8
Maximum 10
Primary type of trip
Number of participants
(excluding leaders)
Advertised cost
Airfare range if not included
When should the trip notice be
published in AMC Outdoors?
Do you wish to have your trip
listed online before it is
published in AMC Outdoors?
Smaller trips and leader
subsidization
$ $4450 incl
Does it include airfare? Yes
No
airfare
$ included ($2100 Will leaders assist participants with flights? Yes
No
group rate for 10
persons)
First Appearance: Month Sept
Year 2015
Last Appearance: Month Nov/Dec
Year 2016
Note: AMC Outdoors is only published in Jan., March, May, July, Sept., Nov.
Yes
No If yes, please list the approximate month and year when it should
be posted on line. August 2015
Is this proposal for a small group trip – i.e., less than 14 participants and 2
leaders or 7 participants and 1 leader? Yes
No
If yes, why is a small group proposed? it is a backpacking style trip in the
backcountry
If a participant fee increase of more than 15% is proposed, please explain why?
For safety in the backcountry.
LEADER AND CO-LEADER INFORMATION
Leader name
Leader address
Leader email
Leader phone
Wilderness first aid
training
CPR training
Prior leading experience
Form Revised February 2014
Andrea Christensen
PO Box 180310, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718
andrea.deaton@gmail.com
Home 267-738-8048
Work
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: 6/2016
Cell 267-738-8048
CPR
BLS
Expiration: 6/2016, will renew before trip
If this is your first Adventure Travel trip as a Leader you must be present at the AMCATC meeting at which the trip proposal is considered.
Please list the last three longer (5+ day) trips you have led for the AMC including
destination, type of trip, dates and number of participants. Feel free to list additional
trips you have led, particularly if they demonstrate experience related to the trip you are
proposing.
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 1 of 5
New Zealand Trekking: Milford, Kepler and Mt. Cook
Trip one
Trip two
Trip three
Other related trip
experience
Andrea Deaton Christensen/Jon Christensen
Patagonia/Torres del Paine Hiking and Trekking, co-leader, Feb-Mar 2015, 12
participants
Thailand: Culture, Coral and Cooking, Janaury 2015, 6 participants
Nepal Annapurna Trekking, Nov-Dec 2011, 13 participants
Costa Rica, hiking, April 2011, 9 participants; Hawai'i Backpacking Dec. 2010, 8
participants;Patagonia backpacking Dec/Jan 2008-09, New Zealand backpacking Dec/Jan
2007-08; Yosemite NP backpacking August 2007; Kilimanjaro summit & safari Dec/Jan
2006-07; Colorado Maroon Bells backpack Aug 2006; Belize Multi-Sport March 2006;
Wyoming (Grand Teton/Y;stone) backpacking August 2005; Tuscany cycling Sept 2004 .
Co-leader name
Co-leader address
Co-leader email
Co-leader phone
Wilderness first aid training
CPR training*
Prior leading experience
Trip one
Trip two
Trip three
Other related trip experience
Scouting
Have either of you led this trip
before or traveled to this area?
Languages
Does either the co-leader or
leader speak the local language?
Couples
Do the leader and co-leader
have a significant personal
relationship?
Private trips Do either of you
lead trips that are private - not
sponsored by the AMC?
Jon Christensen
PO Box 180310, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718
jlcnpsla@netscape.net
Home
Work
Cell 808-217-2333
WFA
AWFA
WFR
Expiration: 5/2015
CPR
BLS
Expiration: 5/2015 retaking before May 2016
If you are a new co-leader you must submit an application to be an Adventure Travel
leader or co-leader prior to submitting this application. Also, it is strongly
recommended that you be present at the AMC-ATC meeting at which the trip proposal
is considered.
Please list the last three longer (5+ day) trips you have led for the AMC including
destination, type of trip, dates and number of participants. Please indicate if you were
the leader or co-leader.
Thailand: Culture, Coral and Cooking, Jan 2015, 6 participants, co-leader
White Mountain Hut to Hut trip June 2012, 15 participants, co-leader with Andrea,
Yellowstone trip, August 2012, helped with trip leading for 3 days with Roger Scholl
and Barb Dyer who were trip leaders. 16 participants
Grand Teton family trip, July 2012, helped with trip leading for 3 days with Heather &
Steve DePaola; 12 Adult plus Child participants; trips planned: Amsterdam biking
May 2016
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below:
Andrea led 3 Great Walks "backpack style" tracks in 2007 (Milford was one of them),
but has never done the Kepler or the Mt. Cook area.
Co-leader: Yes
No
Leader: Yes
No
Not applicable:
Yes
No
If yes, please list who has agreed to be your back-up in case one or
both of you need to drop out. This is required for approval!
Joan Wu has offered to serve as our backup leader for this trip.
Yes
No
If yes, please note that you cannot advertise AMC and private
trips together unless there is a clear distinction between the two in any materials
you send out.
LOGISTICAL DETAILS OF TRIP
Summary
Please provide a description
of the trip and the activities
planned. If available, please
include or attach an itinerary.
Accommodations
Please describe your plans for
Form Revised February 2014
We will explore two of New Zealand's Great Walks, both on the South Island in
Fiordland National Park: Kepler and Milford. We will take a half day to kayak, or for
those who don't wish to kayak, to take a boat cruise around Milford Sound. We will then
venture to Mt. Cook to hike at higher altitude to the Mueller Hut before checking out the
phenomenal night sky viewing at Mt. John Observatory at Lake Takepo before heading
to Christchurch to return to the US.
We will be staying in Youth Hostel Association hostels that are quite nice hostels
compare to US standards, backcountry national park huts that include stoves and fuel.
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 2 of 5
New Zealand Trekking: Milford, Kepler and Mt. Cook
accommodation(s)
Meals: Please describe your
plans for providing meals. If
the budget includes any funds
for leader meals not shared
with the group please justify.
Local Transportation
Please describe your plans for
local transportation
Will leaders or participants be
drivers of motor vehicles?
Permits or permissions
Does the trip require special
permits or permissions?
(required on many U.S.
federal lands and national
parks)
Special equipment
Does the trip require special
equipment?
Special experience
Does the trip require special
skills on the part of the
participant?
Andrea Deaton Christensen/Jon Christensen
We will carry our sleeping bags and food.
Our meals in the backcountry will be purchased at grocery stores and prepared in the
huts. We will provide all breakfasts either at the hostels or at the huts. Participants will
be responsible for their own lunches each day, as well as eating at restaurants for dinner
while in towns. The only in-town dinner that is included will be the farewell dinner.
We will be hiring shuttle buses, park service concessionaire transportation (TrackNet),
and public buses throughout the trip.
Will leaders be drivers?
Will volunteer participants be drivers?
If so, MVR checks will be needed. See Appendix S1.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what you will need to do to obtain them:
If no, please describe the process you went through to find out that they were not
required:
There are no special permits required other than the requirement to book your lodging
ahead of time. DOC has substantial information on their website, and more recent AMC
leaders who have been to NZ have also been consulted (John Lisker and Sam Jamke).
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what type of equipment and how you
will ensure that people know how to use it:
Just sleeping bags, backpacks and normal backpack gear.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what type of experience? Also describe
how you will ensure that the participant has this experience?
We will require that participants have backpacked before--at least been on a hut to hut
trip. All participants must be comfortable with their gear and with hiking multiple days
in a row with a heavy backpack.We will require this before accepting them on the trip, or
accept them contingent upon their successful completion of an AMC backpacking or
trekking trip prior to the NZ trip.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe below what you will do:
We will encourage participants to try to get together on their own prior to our trip, but
we will not require it.
Pre-trip activities
Do you plan to get your group
together before the trip for an
activity or social event?
Conservation, education and
recreation
How will this AMC-AT trip meet the
mission of the AMC?
www.outdoors.org/about/mission.cfm
We will experience the unique flora and fauna of NZ, while enjoying the
country's outstanding trail and hut system. Being an island nation, NZ has unique
issues with invasive species that we will learn more about.
TOUR OPERATOR AND GUIDE SERVICE INFORMATION
This section should be completed if the trip will be using a tour operator, outfitter, guide service, travel agency or
other such company or person(s) for a significant part of the trip or for the entire trip. Any person(s) or companies
that are handling a significant portion of trip funds or arrangements need to be vetted. If there is more than one
tour operator please provide this information about each such entity.
Will this trip require a tour
Yes
No
operator or guide service
Please describe their services. If you are using a tour operator for the entire trip,
during part of or for the
please describe why you will be using them rather than doing this trip on your own:
Only for the 1/2 day kayaking trip on Milford Sound.
entire trip?
Name of tour operator/guide Rosco's Milford Kayaks
service
http://www.roscosmilfordkayaks.com/
Tour operator website
Not sure. I haven't asked since I don't know if they need to be vetted since it's just a halfSafety record
Please provide information
day outing. Am waiting to hear back from Nancy Holland.
about their safety record.
Form Revised February 2014
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 3 of 5
New Zealand Trekking: Milford, Kepler and Mt. Cook
Insurance
Do they have liability
insurance?
Emergency response
Please describe the outfitters’
response plan in the case of an
emergency.
Andrea Deaton Christensen/Jon Christensen
Liability? Yes
No
Are they willing to list AMC as an
additional insured?
Maximum amt: $
Yes
No
RISK ASSESSMENT
Please assess the risks and hazards of your trip. Carefully consider each area of risk and how it may affect your trip.
Devise a plan to prevent each hazard and to respond to it if it becomes necessary. Please be very specific for each section
if applicable.
Trail conditions, river crossings, weather, wildlife (bears, snakes, etc.)
Climate/terrain
Potential hazards
There is a slight chance of flash floods or other inclement weather on the treks.
Response
The huts have managers and do not allow the trampers to leave a hut on the Milford
Track until they have cleared the trails for hiking. We will adhere to all park
requirements. While hiking up to the Mueller Hut will pay attention to the weather and
be prepared for colder and harsher environs, if necessary.
Political concerns, crime, language translation, terrorism
Foreign Country
Potential hazards
NZ is English speaking and very safe country.
Response
Normal travel concerns will be taken--watching our valuables, etc.
Road conditions, drivers, insurance
Transportation
Potential hazards
They drive on the opposite side of the road as us, but we will be using commercial
transport and not driving.
Response
Take care to remind participants to LOOK RIGHT when crossing the street.
Level of fitness, screening concerns, experience with equipment or activity
Participants
Potential hazards
Participants need to be fit and able to backpack for multiple days; pace will be moderate.
Response
Careful screening will be done.
Conditions unique to this type of trip
Other
Potential hazards
Kea birds can be a nuisance and eat your boots if you leave them outside of your hut.
Response
Remind participants to always bring boots and socks inside the hut.
EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN
Please describe your plans for dealing with emergencies. Give as much detail as possible and list any special
communications equipment you may need to ensure the safety of your participants. DO NOT LEAVE THIS BLANK
All huts have resident rangers who have radios; when we are off the trail, we are in urban
Emergency communication
Phone contacts, language,
areas (Mt. Cook, Te Anau and Queenstown) that have medical and emergency facilities
documentation, distance from
and personnel.
emergency services
We will likely carry our two-way radios with us on the trip, and each leader will carry
Emergency equipment
What sort of emergency first
one. We will also have significant first aid kits and know how to use them.
aid or communication
equipment (satellite phone,
two-way radios) do you plan
to use, if any?
We would work with rangers and park staff.
Evacuation
Please describe your plan for
evacuation from the
backcountry location if
applicable?
Each city we are staying is has medical facilities, and the hostels can provide that info if
Medical care
Please describe the medical
needed. Country-wide emergency services phone number is 111. Leader and CL will
care available in the area(s)
carry full first aid kits, and the rangers in the huts are also trained in wilderness first aid.
where you will be traveling
Form Revised February 2014
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 4 of 5
New Zealand Trekking: Milford, Kepler and Mt. Cook
Andrea Deaton Christensen/Jon Christensen
and list names and telephone
numbers for these facilities.
COST AND BUDGET DETAILS
As of 5/30/15, the New Zealand dollar is worth about $0.71 USD; our
budget assumes $0.85 USD/NZD. All accommodations, food, and
transportation will be paid in NZD, sometimes in advance from the US.
We expect to be able to use charge cards and ATM machines for
everything we need to pay there, rather than having to carry cash into
the country. Backpacking in NZ can be done quite economically. We
not only have planned for a variance in the exchange rate, but have a
6% contingency built in and have conservatively rounded up for most of
the price quotes as well as the total amounts for the budget.
Air New Zealand requires a deposit of $100 per seat at the time we make our
reservation. The NZ Department of Conservation (DOC) requires payment in full for
the Great Walks huts when we make the reservations as early as spring 2016. If any
payments must be made before enough participant deposits have been received, the
leaders will advance the necessary funds.
Deposits paid to Air New Zealand are fully refundable until 60 days before departure.
Hut payments to the DOC are 75% refundable until 10 days before the start date of the
stay.
Foreign currencies
For int’l trips list each foreign currency, the
current $US dollar exchange rate and what
contingencies you have if that rate changes. If
a tour operator or agent is being used, what
currency is the agent to be paid in?
Group Trip Deposits
What deposits will be required
from you by airlines, hotels, tour
operators, etc., and when?
Group Trip Refunds
What is the latest date you can
cancel and still receive a full
refund of any deposits?
Participant deposits
What are the initial deposit and
your schedule of payments by
participants to you?
Cancellation policy
What will be your cancellation
policy for the participants?
Minimum numbers
Will you still run the trip if you
do not get the minimum number?
Reference web links:
AMC-ATC Home Page:
Forms:
Deadlines:
E-Mail Addresses:
Club House:
AMC-ATC Chair:
Form Revised February 2014
Initial deposit of $500 is due with application. Second payment of $1,500 is due two
weeks after acceptance. Final balance of $2,450 is due November 1, 2016. Deposit
checks from wait listed applicants will not be cashed unless and until we accept them
and they confirm continued interest.
Cancellation will not be allowed to raise the cost to the other leaders or to the
participants. If a replacement participant is found after a participant cancels, the
cancelling partcipant will be refunded their full amount paid minus $25 administration
fee. If no replacement is found, the participant will be expected to pay all costs/ fees
that would be required to not raise the cost of the trip for the other participants.
Participants will be encouraged to take our trip insurance to cover cancellations due to
emergencies.
Yes
No
If yes, please describe conditions:
Don't know, but probably won't run with less than 8 participants.
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/application/
http://snebulos.mit.edu/orgs/amc/committee/proposals/
nholland@outdoors.org
mikebarry657@mac.com
Adventure Travel Trip Proposal Form, page 5 of 5