Students put best foot forward in tramping event

Tai Poutini Polytechnic Outdoor Education students put their training on trial at the May 2015 Canterbury University Tramping Club TWALK orienteering event.

TWALK is a 24-hour orienteering event, split in to five legs of around 15-20 kilometres long and following a series of mystery clues. A team of TPP Certificate in Outdoor Education students travelled to the 9 May 2015 Canterbury weekend event to test the skills they had learned.

Sponsored by TPP to attend and take part in the weekend event, the students say they learned a lot over the course of the tramp.

Student Steffan Rolfe says it was “an amazing opportunity for us to put the navigational skills we have been practicing at TPP into practice. This was the first 24 hour rogaine, or competitive team cross-country navigation, for most of our team members (Zhane Harvey, James McLean and Sarah Chadderton), and for some it was their first rogaine ever. It was an awesome experience for all of us.”

The students all left with great impressions of the event, which James described as offering “a friendly environment to learn navigation, for all skills levels”. 

They all said the event had added to their overall experience and were excited to put their training to the test.

Head of Department - Outdoor and Emergency Management Dave Ritchie says the Polytechnic encourages students to get involved in events and develop the skills they are learning.

“This is exactly what outdoor education is all about – we want our students to be keen and motivated to join events and get involved in the outdoor recreation community. We teach them the skills and understanding they need to make a career in the outdoors, and their knowledge grows with each new experience they undertake.”