Orongorongo - McKerrow loop run

Orongorongo: Catchpool - McKerrow loop

Saturday 19 May, 2012

Solo


Another training run for the Abel Tasman.  And again a track that I had wanted to pick off at some point.

Summary

15km, about 2½ hr. Start elevation about 50m; maximum 706m. Definitely cool southerly; cloudy with occasional showers.

Depart Catchpool car park 2.30pm. 1/2 hr trot along Orongorongo track to McKerrow track. An hour to the top (with a short overshoot due to misreading the map; quickly rectified – it always pays to double check!). A bit under an hour down Clay Ridge and 1.8Km back to the car park along Five Mile Loop track (not Middle Ridge) by 4.55. Although there are cars in the car park the only other people to be seen are two workers with a digger on the Orongorongo track and a woman with two children.

The trip

The Orongorongo and Five Mile Loop tracks are highways; McKerrow more of a tramping track. It’s a steepish scramble in places but has trottable sections particularly above 500m. Rooty footing; lots of leaf humus so a bit slippery. There are boggy patches towards and at the top. Clay Ridge track joins from the west near the top (wooden post in middle of track). The top is unremarkable; a short steel post in the track under a high canopy. If you keep going, the track starts dropping with some clearings which give a view Northish over Wainuiomata (just visible through the rain and cloud).

Returning from the top, turn right to Clay Ridge; a largely gentle; joggable descent. Near the top a view West and North across Wellington harbour opens up: from the south coast to the Hutt hills. The southerly is pushing rain up the Wainui Valley and the sun breaking through over Wellington back-lights the scene. Later on the sun comes in under the cloud lighting up the Catchpool hills and throwing up a rainbow. Clay Ridge’s name isn’t explained until lower down where the typical yellow Wellington clay shows through.

All tracks are generally well cleared, sign posted and easy to follow – there are a few downed trees on Mt McKerrow and a couple of points where a marker isn’t readily visible; but generally it is pretty obvious.

Gear notes

UnderArmour tights, light merino top, off-road runners, cap. Marginal at top during showers. Camel back: 1 gel, 1 OSM, balaclava, gloves, jacket, poly jersey, over trou, emergency kit, headlight, cash, cellphone. Didn’t check cellphone for most of the trip but had good coverage at the top and got a text part way down Clay Ridge. Some calf cramps after the top were held at bay most of the way to the car park by a gel.

Useful Information

Watch the closing times on the park gates.

Map:
http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-41.331147,174.959759&z=14

DoC track description:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/wellington-kapiti/wellington/mt-mckerrow/