CUTC trips are led by volunteer club members meaning that ultimately all trip participants are responsible for their own safety and that of others. As a member you should be familiar with our Risk Register and Code of Conduct. The club is made up of members with a whole range of experience levels and fitness, and a key part of safety is choosing trips that are within your abilities and carrying the appropriate gear.
CUTC Supports Safe Tramping by:
- Providing a Risk Register and Code of Conduct to help leaders and participants understand their responsibilities and outline risks faced in the back-country and how they can be managed
- Monitoring a BASE intentions form for club trips and member’s private trips. The safety officer will contact the police (search and rescue) if a trip is overdue. If friends or family are concerned about the state of a trip then they can contact or alert the safety officer, who holds a copy of the intentions – including participant/membership details. All club trips are required to submit a BASE form. Additionally, all trips must carry a PLB if the trip will be outside of cell phone coverage.
- Running Beginner and Instruction trips to provide a safe learning environment for our members to upskill.
- We are committed to providing an environment free from all forms of harassment and bullying and will address complaints in a timely manner. Harassment and bullying of any kind is regarded as unacceptable.
Any Problems? Get in Touch:
- If you have any issues on a club-run trip please let us know – we value your feedback so that we can make our trips better in the future
- If you are unsure about anything please talk to the safety officer (safety@cutc.org.nz) or any other committee member. We can help out with all parts of the tramping process from leading trips and route selection through to what to bring for a first trip.
- If urgent rescue is needed contact the police who can start a search and rescue operation. You can make contact via:
- Phone 111 (note that cellphone coverage in the NZ outdoors is very limited)
- Activate a personal locator beacon (PLB)
- DOC hut radio
- Send several (at least two) party members to find help
Additional Information:
- Mountain Safety Council has a bunch of great resources, especially if you have never tramped in NZ. In particular, take a look at the outdoor safety code.
- Wilderlife has lots of great information about skills you’ll need for tramping.