Author Archives: David Newstead

My father called the other night. He had heard through the Hersey grapevine about my recent close call in the mountains. I braced myself for another of those talks, but it never came. Instead he sympathised with my ‘go for it’ attitude, before going on to discuss his latest plans for chasing wild horses againContinue reading “My Friend My Helmet (or how to break the new New Zealand Mountaineer of the Year in less than a week)”

At about this point I have a profound thought: ‘Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.’Glancing at Zim, intimately trussed up next to me in the back seat of what could best be described as the Russian version of a Unimog, I can tell he’s thinking roughly the same thing. Zim’s normally aContinue reading “Blast From The Past – Kyrgyzstan 2008”

Life continues – as it must. At least there’s no need for an alarm clock these days, with early morning aftershocks doing the trick. This morning’s effort sends houses into more funky jigs, and pets scurrying for their hidey holes. All across Christchurch, residents lie in bed in the half light, trying to find motivationContinue reading “ESCAPING THE AFTERSHOCKS”

Someone recently asked me what my favourite books were – a loaded question to say the least! I think I replied: ‘anything by Cormac McCarthy’, an offhand response that saved me having to think too much…or decide. But think I did, sitting in front of my book shelves one morning, scanning titles and authors and remembering theContinue reading “MY FAVOURITE BOOKS? – A LOADED QUESTION”

Rock fall in the mountains sounds like gunshot. There’s a whirring as each projectile flies by, and then a crack when it ricochets off the cliff I am clinging to. It’s easy to imagine that this is what coming under enemy fire must be like, a sickening feeling. I hunch into as small a targetContinue reading “‘On The Edge’ – Article In New Zealand Geographic”

I’m not good with gory bits in movies. Often, I end up watching my wife Shelley while she reacts to them. At the very least, one hand covers my face as I pretend to peek through protective fingers. So, after reading some early reviews of 127 hours, and the gut-wrenching scenes that reportedly had viewersContinue reading “‘127 Hours’ – Movie Review in Climber Magazine”

English outdoor giant Berghaus recently introduced its high end Mtn Haus range of clothing and gear. Developed with nutbar Brit climber Leo Houlding, the Mtn Haus ‘Extrem’ range is purportedly focussed towards the technical user – without all the overhyped wicking-this, pit zip-that bells and whistles the mainstream market seems to feed off these days.Continue reading “Mount Asgard Smock – Gear Review in Climber Magazine”

The following is a summary of a talk I gave a while back on this topic: I have always had a strong interest in books and in words. My grandfather had quite a collection which I inherited a chunk of, and I’ve managed to add to the collection also. Amazon.com loves me.As a reader IContinue reading “WHAT MAKES GOOD CLIMBING LITERATURE?”

It’s been two weeks since the 6.3 earthquake that devastated Christchurch, but this is the first time I’ve felt capable of putting my experiences and thoughts into words. Recently, I had been working every Tuesday at the outdoor store Bivouac on Colombo Street – partly to be able to buy cheap climbing gear, but moreContinue reading “FEBRUARY 22: THE DAY CHRISTCHURCH SHOOK (AGAIN)”

As a nation, Aotearoa New Zealand prides itself on its outdoor-based give-it-a-go attitude. Along with our natural environment, this is seen as a major contributor to our national identity. Many of this country’s iconic figures (including Sir Edmund Hillary, Graeme Dingle and Sir Peter Blake) were adventurers. Yet, with each new generation, fewer people seemContinue reading “BACKYARD AND BEYOND”