Your Low-Waste Adventure Guide with Wānaka Mountain Guides

Tucked into the big wide wilderness we know and dearly love, Wānaka is the unofficial home of wilderness adventuring in New Zealand. Bungee jumping, luging and ziplining might be fun – but give us the bush, a hiking pack, a tent and a cooker, and we’ll take our adventures the natural way every time.

Whether hiking through Mount Aspiring National Park, watching the sunset from the top of Sentinel Peak, biking around the lake or rock climbing after work, locals and visitors alike have long been drawn to this beautiful region for the enormous variety of outdoor adventures on nature’s doorstep. But while exploring Wānaka’s majestic landscapes is both a privilege and a rite of passage, it also comes with a responsibility to preserve and protect the environment for future generations.

Keeping your adventures low-waste is just one way to ensure our stunning surrounds stay that way – and there’s no one better equipped in that area than the adventure experts at Wānaka Mountain Guides. Read on for Owner and Chief Guide Tim Steward’s insights on how to be a more conscious explorer, how to keep your adventuring low waste, and how to protect the natural beauty of our region for generations to come.

This one’s a given in the world of backcountry hiking, tenting or wilderness camping, and it’s as simple as it is important. You bring it in, you take it out. Whether your empty gas canisters, your orange peels, that bit of cheese you couldn’t quite finish or the champagne bottle that was absolutely worth the hike in, it’s your responsibility to ensure you don’t leave anything behind when out and about in nature.

This is a big one for Tim. With an increasing number of outdoor enthusiasts heading out to play in the mountains, he’s also seen a rise in unnecessary items left behind in backcountry huts. Things like perishable foods, nearly empty gas canisters, and glass or plastic bottles are often left behind in communal spaces. And while you might think you’re doing the next guy a favour by leaving supplies, your goodwill might be doing more harm than good. Huts often accumulate more than enough staples, and leaving open food items or the last sip of your Whiskey is really just adding to the clutter.

So, no matter the good intentions, don’t forget the golden rule: you pack it in, you pack it out.

One of the most important considerations for your outdoor adventures is ensuring you’ve got the gear that will go the distance. From rain jackets to good shoes to tenting or hiking equipment, there’s a fair amount of gear involved in keeping you safe, dry, and protected on your adventure, and making mindful choices in this area is the first step to reducing your environmental impact before you even hit the trails.

Many manufacturers are now prioritising sustainability by incorporating recycled materials into their manufacturing or offering repair services to products that find the bad end of wear and tear. Choosing gear from these providers means you’re supporting sustainable practices – which is why Wānaka Mountain Guides almost always reach for Rab clothing, thanks to their commitment to sustainable practices. Tim also keeps a collection of repair materials and spare pieces he’s accumulated over the years, ensuring that clothing and equipment remain in serviceable condition for as long as possible.

Ps, double points for supporting our local sports and adventure shops in town when kitting yourself out with adventure gear.

Preparing food for your trips can be a big undertaking. Whether you’re a Radix fiend or the dehydrated home-cooked meal type, the key is to minimise your packaging wherever possible. For Wānaka Mountain Guides, this means buying in bulk and having a selection of reusable containers and bags for storing and transporting food. And don’t forget the first rule of hike club – whatever you pack in, you pack out.

Managing waste right from the start of your adventure makes recycling and disposal even easier when you get home. Tim’s top tip is to clean and separate your waste right from the trail, making sure your general waste, recyclables and compostables stay in their respective lanes for easy disposal at the other end. Trust us, your future weary self will thank you. Back at base, Wānaka Mountain Guides have established systems for responsibly disposing of items like batteries, soft plastics, and compostable materials.

Tim’s top tip times two? Say no sir to single-use plastic bags, and instead use heavy-duty dry bags for carrying out your rubbish.

Want to do more for local environmental action? Consider supporting, volunteering or donating to charitable organisations like Love Wānaka who are dedicated to protecting our region’s environment.  

Wānaka Mountain Guides is a proud supporter of Love Wānaka, a community initiative dedicated to raising funds for local climate, conservation, and biodiversity projects. As an Impact Partner, they commit 1% of their business proceeds to support these environmental efforts. This means that every time you book a trip or course with them, you’re contributing to the protection and regeneration of the environment at the heart of their home.

“We believe that investing in the well-being of our community and sustainably managing the landscapes and environment that we share with our guests is vital in protecting these formative experiences for future generations,” says Tim. “This aligns with our values, enabling us to give back to the place we call home and that has resonated with so many of those passing through.”