Waitatapia circumnavigation

One of the unexpected pleasures in life is discovering that you still have half a cup of coffee left that hasn't gone cold. This is akin to the feeling you get from the realisation on Wednesday that, for a change, there are no commitments in the weekend that prevent a sortie into the hills.  It leaves relatively little time to work out what and where, but I have a ridge in mind and something can surely be made to work.
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What: Solo overnight tramp
Where: Waitatapia catchment in from Otaki forks
When: 10 September 2016
Why: Navigation practice, check out the ridge for a possible future trip,
trial new sleeping bag, check out detour on Waitewaewae track,
check out new road across gorge road slip.
Map: Link
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The Waitatapia stream catchment lies near Otaki Forks and stands out on the map for its symmetry; laid out like a leaf blade pointing north. The ridge of interest is on the true right and runs north east then swings north passes through Tangata Maunga, past Mick and eventually onto Thompson. The reason I am interested is that I've figured that one day I should be able to join it up to Waiopehu. But not this weekend and not before I have a bit more navigation practice under the belt.

Usually when I find a spot that looks interesting on the map there are a number of trip reports to be found from various tramping clubs and invariably something useful from the Tararua Tramping Club. TTC have some almost useful material in Tararua Footprints (link) but not for what I have in mind. Other reports relate trips from Waitohu Quarry up to Mick and Tangata Maunga but nothing on the south end of the Tangata-Thompson Ridge.

Hopefully there isn't a good reason why people don't seem to frequent the area. I suspect most people that come into the Forks area are intent on stampeding up Judd Ridge to Field hut or along the Te Araroa route to Waitewaewae (YTYY).

Although my intention sheet describes the trip I think I might be doing, the plan is still not fully settled by the time I arrive at the Otaki gorge road slip and home command has been informed of two options. I park-up and look across the river to the ridge up: possibly a bit scrubby in places but should be doable.

Ideally I would cross the river at the bridge just short of the gorge road slip (marked on the map) and take one of the prominent spurs or grass clearings to the ridge but the bridge is not sign posted; I assume it is private so head to the Forks car park.

After a miserably cold week the weekend weather is for some showers on Saturday and improving on Sunday, not too bad. There is one ute in the park at 7.30 as I head for the Waitewaewae track in dull conditions. The owners of the ute are taking a break with their dogs at the swingbridge over the Otaki river before hunting the flats where I am heading. They aren't concerned that I might frighten anything off. Probably after pigs.

I wander across the somewhat soggy flats aiming to hit the Waitatapia stream somewhere with a prospect of climbing to the opposite ridge. There are a few bits of pink tape which lead me slightly unexpectedly to an old steam boiler with bogie wheels. I have heard this called saw mill flat and the track up to Waitewaewae follows an old bush tramway. This must have been quite industrious when they were hacking out the podocarp forests.

Sawmill flats

Same engine, Judd Ridge in the background

The 'track' dives off the edge of the terrace with a bit of a scramble down to the stream. Any thoughts of crossing with dry feet are soon dispelled, a bit annoying when it's the only water crossing for the day. I start up the 'spur' I've selected (BP33 890 735) and quickly find myself in amongst it: steep and covered in supplejack and kiekie. It's a bit of a struggle for a start but eventually it opens up a bit for a clamber up to the ridge. There's a bit of a ground trail on the ridge line so I suspect there is a better route up from lower down (possibly from the grassy terrace on the true right below the forks).

The ridgeline is generally pretty easy to follow and for a start the trail pops in and out of the bush with a few grassy tracts on the west side. Soon there is cell phone reception to confirm travel intentions and views across to the slip on the gorge road. The road marks a hairline fracture across the scarp and looks ridiculously vulnerable. Behind is the cleared forest of the spur where the bypass track runs.

Looking south to the terrace above Otaki Forks and Judd Ridge

Gorge Road slip

The ground trail is pretty good and Mr Pink-tape man has been through.  At either 655 or 650 (the latter I think), the ground trail splits and some pink tape leads off to the left, it doesn't feel right and I note that one is marked "Wallow Ridge" I assume this is the local (and fair) name for the main ridge and this is a marker for trappers coming up a spur. A quick back track and I'm on the right line again. There are a few other spots where map and compass are required but the ridge pretty much runs south-north so it's hard to miss.

Around 700m patches of snow appear on the mossy ground beneath the canopy, it gets thicker further up and is present to a greater or lesser extent until I eventually drop off the ridge to Waitewaewae. The wind is whooshing through the tree tops and I am regretting the wet boots from the stream crossing as toes (and fingers) become somewhat numb. 

A bit chilly

Just before Tangata Maunga there is a clearing (looking suspiciously like it was created with a chainsaw) giving a good reason to pause to look out to the coast and Kapiti Island basking in sun that has been conspicuously absent. Shortly after I duck into a low snowy tunnel through leatherwood before popping into a clearing with no view but a trig. Tangata Maunga - just over five hours from the car park.

The sun breaks through and apart from the snow on the ground it's almost summery.

View to Kapiti Island - a nice day out there!

View down - (another feet shot for Angela)

Tangata Maunga Trig - 912m

Leatherwood, Dracophyllum and trig with beech

There is quite a reasonable track through the scrub if you cast around which leads, in a bit over five minutes, to a weather station and view up to the next lump and my point of departure from the ridge: Mick.

Hydrology station just past Tangata Maunga

The route ducks back into the bush to drop gently then climb gently. When it starts dropping again I figure I must have just passed Mick, I'm about to stop to check compass and map when I pop into scrub and discover that I have already left the main ridge and am on course east around the top of the catchment.  About 2pm and time for a spot of lunch.

South down Waitatapia Stream catchment.
Tangata Maunga on right, heading for ridge on left. 

There is pretty much a track now, it clambers over a wee knob into bush again and past a well made bivvy site then back into scrub in thick snow. There are signs of scrub having been cut making the travel somewhat easier. To the east is mostly clag at about 1000m but with tantalising glimpses of beautifully snowy ridges.

Last sight of Kapiti - still in sun

The day is starting to get on a little and a bit of fatigue is setting in so time to get on with the slog through the snow. As the route swings south the track becomes a lot less pronounced, I wonder if hunters use this as a commuting route, pealing off to the Waitewaewae catchment at Island forks via spot height 872.

The ridge is quite easy to follow although the trail comes and goes. The only thing is to work out how far along the ridge I have traveled and which of the various knobs is next. I think I have it worked out but a break in the trees provides an opportunity to confirm by taking a bearing on Tangata Maunga.

At 875 pink tape appears again but heads off right, possibly an interesting route down into Waitatapia but not where I want to go. Shortly after the trail takes a marked left kink which means my departure spur is near. On the map it looks reasonably well formed and should take me down to a point where I can drop onto the track about a kilometer from the hut.

There are a couple of points where you can drift off the spur but it's generally good travel and easy to get back on again, in the end I pick a point and drop south off the spur and through increasingly gloomy bush down and down, keeping the sound of a stream to the right. Eventually it levels into a bit of a boggy patch and then suddenly; the track.  Whew.

The track surface is refreshingly solid and the surrounding trees don't break when you lean on them. A little of the weariness drains away but it's a fairly slow meander to the hut arriving just before 6.30 in the dark. All up a little under 11 hours from the forks.

The hut is empty so I hang up wet gear, have a bite and crawl in to my new sleeping bag (MacPac Epic 800). It is more than up to the task of warming up cold extremities. I'm sound asleep when a couple turn up after 9 but they are mercifully quiet so it's a great night's sleep.

The whistling trill of a warbler drifts into the hut as I lie in bed and watch a patch of sun creep along the skylight. For some reason the warbler has always been a sound associated with hot summer air and cicadas; this morning the air is decidedly cold and my bag is decidedly warm so its after 9:00 when I finally figure I wont wait any longer for the others to stir. I sneak out of the hut and pack in a wee corner of sun that is cruising across the deck.

Waitewaewae in the morning

Wet gear is never the nicest but the sun is starting to warm the air and soon enough I stop to shed layers.  The track is positively teeming with people (three); I run into a chap coming down Arapito stream - he says he camped on the way in and has left his tent to pick up after popping into the hut. The track ambles up the stream gully then levels on to the plateau for a pleasant wander through sunny bush. Just where the track used to plunge down Saddle Creek there is a large orange triangle pointing to the bypass track (about 1hr 25 from YTYY hut). I briefly consider the slope to the right which leads (eventually) up to the ridge I came down yesterday; it would be an interesting option to close the loop on another day.

Can't miss the bypass

Bottom end of the bypass

The bypass track doesn't have the solid base of an established track and there are lots of little roots and supplejack to trip the unwary - the sort of stuff that gets trodden down on an established track. It meanders along and up with occasional views across to my ridge of yesterday basking in bright sun. As it starts to drop I come across a bright orange tent pitched on a flat spot on the track smaller than a coffin. Poor bugger - if he'd traveled another 20 minutes there are some beautiful camping spots on the plateau. Another chap is coming in with a day pack and we exchange a few words to estimate our respective remaining travel times. The track is a bit rough in places with a spectacular tree fall to clamber through. It drops reasonably gently for quite a while and it takes a bit longer than I expect (a bit over an hour) to finally level out onto the original track on the tramway platform; lovely, wide and flat. The turn off is just as well marked as the top end.

It's plain sailing now just stopping for a few photos, say hello to another day walker and look at the view. Eventually the swingbridge over the deep waters flowing from the Otaki Gorge hoves into view for the second time in two days and it's a short jaunt across the terrace back to the carpark.

Waitatapia Stream - Otaki Forks and Sawmill Flat in the distance

Sawmill Flat - the target ridge running up to the right

Otaki River

About 3hr 20 after leaving the hut I sling my pack into the boot and leave a full carpark to head out along a busy road. Otaki Forks is back to its busy best and I'm quietly chuffed with a good we nav trip.