Biking and tramping trip blogs: Northern main range

A couple of recent trips into the northern Tararuas remind me how little I know the area and prompt a bit of map gazing. With no wish to go anywhere near the camel backs again, a possible trip quickly coalesces; explore the main range south from where I left it on a trip to Burn Hut, follow south to Dundas and drop down Triangle Spur to follow the valley down to Mangahao hut and out the next day. And that's pretty much what happened ... apart from a wee diversion.

What: Navigation trip picking up some unvisited sections of the main range
Where: Loop from Mangahao Dam 1.
Who: Solo
When: 10 June 2017
Map: Map - see also route maps at bottom.

It's a 2 hour drive from home to the Dam and still dark when I start up the long gravel road behind Shannon. We've just brought a new old car so I'm thinking that this may well be the last time that the Mighty Red Gallant does road end duties. I sing a Blind Boys of Alabama song as we bump along beneath a howling wolf full moon.

It's light enough to travel without a torch but slow going as I head across the dam at 0720. Half an hour later Baber forks marks where I dive up the spur that we came down last time.

It starts with a steep scramble but it's pretty easy to follow the well defined spur with just the occasional spot where the trail wanders away from me. Towards the top the trail is quite overgrown so I'm soon pretty wet but happy enough to be standing on the ridge just before 0900.

This is now unknown territory. Someone, many years ago, has tunneled a way through the leatherwood and scrub leaving a swathe that is reasonably easy to find - often just off to the west of the ridge top. In many places though it is quite overgrown so you have to expend a bit of energy pushing through scrub.

To the west, Island ridge slowly drops behind and I'm looking out for a view of the camel backs behind. Ahead, cloud periodically shrouds Ngapuketurua and the weather all around looks like a bit of a mixed bag.

The scrub thins out on the way up to Ngapuketurua but if you keep your eyes peeled there are cut branches which mark where the trail trends left below the top. At the long flat top I finally get to see south and the peaks for the first half of the day. I'll be following the ridge line to the left around the top of the Harris Creek catchment.

From Ngapuketurua - East Peak, saddle and West Peak on horizon

From Ngapuketurua to Massey knob is relatively straight forward - the scrub is mostly low and although the ground trail comes and goes it's pretty good. The day now becomes a succession of high points, many of which I don't even try to identify.

Off to the west it's looking like a good day and I can pick out the Camel Backs and the lumpy southern ridge leading up to Tawirikohukohu (won't be doing that one again). To the north however clag is gathering and it is starting to look ominous.

Travel is still reasonable to Kareti then there's a few bits where a trail is hard to find up to Hines (which I sidle to the west) and a slower scramble through the saddle and eventually up to Ruapae.

Looking West - Ngapuketurua off to right,
Tawirikohukohu and Camel Backs on horizon between clouds near middle

Near Kareti - looking north to Massey Knob - Ngapuketurua to left

Emerging from the saddle onto Ruapai at 1210, I stumble onto the strong ground trail that marks the route of the main range traverse. And no more scrub ... for a while. The wind has switched to the south and it is cold although not too strong.

From Ruapae East Peak on left, saddle then West Peak on right

From East Peak - ridge to Ruapai and route dropping to Herepai to right,
Hines behind to left and rounded top of Ngapuketurua just behind below horizon

The top of East Peak gives a reasonable view as the cloud ceiling lifts a little, including the saddle 200m below and the grind back up to West Peak. Oh well.

Saddle to West Peak - Walker next peak to left

At 1315 the clag has closed in around West Peak and that's pretty much it for views for a while. I hardly bother with the compass and just count the bumps until the rocky top of Pukemoremore and the turn off down to Dundas Hut.

10 minutes there, 15 minutes back - I'll keep going thanks

This is now new territory or me. However, it looks pretty much like the familiar clagged in territory I have just been across, so I fail to get excited.

Logan is next at 1500m and is the highest point for the day. Then another saddle and up to Dundas which must feel slightly aggrieved at coming in at only 1499m. It does however have a suitably atmospheric marker at the top.

Dundas - and a brief glimpse of horizon

Now for the compass. I have to find the spur that leaves the main range just below Dundas and drops to a saddle rather than any false leads that bluff out. Mercifully, despite the clag I have worked my way down the correct one and pop out of the cloud to see the climb up Triangle Knob ahead. At the top the around 1630, the cloud is left behind on the tops and the last of the sun is trying to break through banks of clouds in the west.

Looking south - Arete hard left, down to Pukematawai in mist

While I'm standing on Triangle Knob the sun breaks through and despite the approaching dark I stop to watch as the landscape changes completely.

Dundas - my spur on right; a steepish scramble down

I am almost treated to the Spectre of the Brocken but the cloud doesn't quite get close enough.

Spectre of the almost-but-not-quite

South - Main range running from left to Arete and Pukematawai on right

A wrong spur - Pt 1378 to north of Dundas

The moment of golden light fades and I follow a bit of a foot trail to Little Triangle, then Pt 1153. Based on the map I would follow the spur north-northwest but previous reports indicate a trail on the spur that runs west. The ground trail confirms this.

Dark is falling fast but I can see a slot in the scrub and follow it to the tree line. Then the torch is required.

A couple of bits of pink tape and a reasonable ground trail keep me on the right line for a while but eventually I blunder off in the dark and pick up the wrong spur. This deposits me into the creek to the north of my spur. Gritting my teeth I grovel through tree falls and down waterfalls in the pitch black.

Eventually the slope eases and the wider bed means fewer tree falls to scramble through. And finally an orange triangle marks the track and much easier progress.

There's a slip to navigate but otherwise just a walk in the dark compared to the last few hours. A full moon peeps over the ridge above and occasionally filters through the trees. At 2035 the hut is very welcome.

Empty - I peel of sodden kit and settle in - i.e a billy of vitafresh, slices of raisin bed for dinner then crawl into my pit wearing all available dry layers. It takes a good long while to thaw out and it's a pretty disturbed sleep with sore twitching muscles.

A peek outside in the early hours reveals moonlight washed, frosty flats. In the morning it's 4 degrees in the hut so I'm a little slow to get up.

The trip down valley is a lot quicker than my last trip up. Sun spills through the canopy, the river is clear with deep green pools and the mud isn't too deep. This time I take the river short cut rather than navigate over the slip - much quicker albeit wet to the middle. Then it's a question of milestones: first bridge, second bridge (Harris Creek), slot waterfall, bridge (Mangahao), the stream I stumbled down last trip, last bridge, view of lake and, 2:45 after leaving the hut - the dam.

Mangahao Dam 1 - Far horizon is the ridge up to Ngapuketurua

Once again the car hasn't been set fire to - she's a little reluctant to start in the cold but we're soon bucketing down the gorge - next stop - Shannon for bacon and egg pie, iced coffee and ginger beer.

This may be the last time ...

Post script

The trip is achievable in a day, but best in summer when daylight will make Triangle Spur hard to miss. But water is scarce on the tops.

I was pretty sore after the first day - a shorter option would be to spend a night at Dundas hut. And there are various possible spurs to drop down to the Mangahao valley - plenty of scope for more exploring.

The ridge to Ngapuketurua is not too bad, it's a little trickier from Kareti to Ruapae. The main range is well traversed. Getting to Triangle Knob was OK in clag although the ground trail is not always easy to see. Triangle to Little Triangle is steep in places then a reasonably good trail to the bush line to Triangle Spur. I suspect the Triangle Spur itself will be easy in daylight. The upper reaches of the stream are blocked with fallen trees and short waterfalls so is not recommended. Lower reaches are fine.