The waterfall is also near where the old Schormann's track ran up a spur to Kareti. This track was apparently cut by a local farmer forming a link to the tops and inevitably becoming the starting point for the famous SK (Schormann's - Kaitoke), a challenging end-to-end weekend traverse of the range for those of a masochistic bent. Putara hut was on the spur but it mysteriously burnt down and access to the track was denied in 1977 - the track is no longer marked but you can still see it on the old maps.
As if these features not enough reason for a trip, I also have my eye on Haukura Ridge. This is a lumpy complicated system running south off the main range at East Peak. The hillsides are quite spectacular in the area - steep and heavily eroded. To the west of the ridge is Chamberlain creek - probably the most extensive real canyon in the ranges. There is an old Biv site on the ridge and various trip reports on the web (which, regrettably I neglected reading until afterwards).
What: Navigation and spot-heighting
Where: Roaring stag area, Tararuas
When: 17-18 February
Who: Solo
Map:
A little after 7.20am I leave the carpark, casting a jaundice eye at the cloud swathed ridges. A few minutes later a spray of rata beside the swing-bridge is a cheerful counterpoint to the gloom overhead. On the other side I start looking for a way up the hill to pt 655. Not too close to the bridge as there is a bush edge marked on the map which could be a bit scrubby.Just up the track there is a wee shingle slip with a tiny stream that has wiped out the track. It provides a good enough point to start working up the hill. It's pretty open going a bit of undercanopy and, as expected, saplings and scrub towards the north. The top is broad and flat with tall rimu, matai and miro.
There are old tape markers and ground trails in places but these are easily lost so I just follow the compass. The high canopy gives no views.
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| Uncinia leptostachya Bastard grass |
Occasional skiffs of rain make it to the forest floor but not enough to warrant a rain coat given that it's still pretty warm (par for the course for the morning).
I emerge off the hill onto a grassy flat beside what will become the Mangatainoka River. This would be a great wee spot to camp but at 8.45 it's still a little bit early.
The bush margins have very healthy clumps of bastard grass which, despite the fact that my legs are not very hairy, liberally entrust their progeny to my tender care.
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| Grassy flats looking up stream |
The falls are marked in various places depending on the age of your map. It doesn't really matter - the stream twists and turns so it is pretty hard to be exact. The valley narrows and steepens but is easy travel. Shortly before the falls there is a large boulder between rocky bluffs with a deepish pool. Two people would probably help each other up - I just jamb my walking stick to into the stream to form a foot hold and scramble up the meter or so required. The drizzle gets a little more determined over the next couple of hours but is hardly noticeable at the falls themselves (about 30 minutes from the flats). There is the usual thunder, spray and cold wind associated with a stream dropping through a slot, maybe 10m into a pool. There's a large rocky alcove and it's mossy and slippery in the narrow gully. It takes about 10 minutes to take some inadequate photos and see my fill before turning down stream looking for a way up the true left valley side.I idly wander about the source of the Maori place names in the area (there are quite a few) but have no ideas - even afterwards the best I can manage is that Ruapae may refer to two ranges of hills. In this area there is a peak with the name, the falls and a stream (not the stream with the falls).
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| A few of the old markers remain |
With some reliance on the altimeter and one false start I leave the old track to find the spur dropping south towards the flats from earlier (at about 740m). There is a bit of ground trail but it comes and goes and I end up dropping off at some point to hit the stream a little earlier than intended. I'm back at the flats around 11.45am.
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| River flats below Ruapae falls (again). |
Less than 15 minutes downstream is a rocky creek entering from the true right - I figure this will be an easy route up to the saddle below Herepai Hut (the old maps show a route up the spur on the true right of the creek but I don't find this out until later). The best description is that the creek is 'aggressively eroding'. It's bouldery but mostly pretty open and all the log chokes are navigable. It gets a little bit messy near the top but I'm in the saddle a little after 12.30.
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| Unnamed creek from saddle bellow Herepai Hut |
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| Looking down the Maungatainoka from the creek mouth Hill with pt 655 on left |
It's a little odd to find a perfectly good track and cross it perpendicularly to drop down a gully. My route down follows a trickle through forest at first but soon breaks into an active erosion gully. I just follow the trickle as it becomes a creek rather than try to break onto a spur.
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| Looking back up towards the saddle - a bit messy |
At 1pm I'm on river flats beside Ruapae stream. Time to turn upstream but also make a mental note that the bottom of the opposite spur doesn't look too bad - I may be emerging here later on and want to check I won't get bluffed.
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| Ruapae Stream |
10 minutes upstream are the forks and my intended spur running due east up to East Peak. I take the chance for a sit down and a water refill before tackling the climb.
The first task is to find a way to scramble up the steep foot of the spur then there's a steady climb up through good bush. As with most spurs - there could be a ground trail but it's probably mainly from animals. After an hour there are some openings and some views out. About ENE the orange roof of Herepai Hut sticks out on the ridge up to Herepai and Ruapae. This is the route up to the tops and the modern start of the North-South Traverse of the Tararuas. It's too far to see if there are people about.
The view also indicates the tops are still hidden in cloud with just the occasional steep erosion chute plunging out of the clag. I recall looking across at this ridge and noting how rugged it looks near the top. The forecast is for gale-force winds - and although it's not bad now it could get a bit interesting. To the south, I can examine the ridge I intend to come down later - it's covered in scrub.
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| East - Herepai hut is a dot where the ridge climbs steeply on the left |
And scrub is what I am destined to be thrashing through very soon. The forest gives up (the map says around 900m so well below the normal bushline) for cedar and lots of leatherwood and dracophyllum. I can't find any coherent trail but there are sporadic animal tracks so you just piece it together as best you can and accept it is going to be slow and painful.
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| Pahautea - NZ Cedar |
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| Looking up into the head of the valley between East Peak and Ruapae |
The scrub becomes a bit lower and I angle around to the north face of the spur to pick up more tussocky country and easier going. A stronger ground trail develops and there is a lot of animal sign. A shot gun cartridge is the only incontrovertible evidence of people. The threatened wind starts to pick up as I ascend into the clag at about 1200m.
The slope rounds off onto the unnamed knob ESE of East Peak (1380m). There's a marshy slot in the middle where I shelter to check compass and map. Visibility is about 20 meters and the wind is smashing into the slope from the west.
Accepting that the compass knows what it's doing, I select the windward side of the ridge and follow the bearing south to pt 1332. It's difficult keeping upright but it's mostly scree and low vegetation on this side - a brief foray to the lee side sees me bowled over on the ridge line and the veg on the other side is not so easy. Glasses are relegated to a pocket for fear of having them whipped away.
At 1332 I now have the tricky job of finding the spur leading to the saddle and pt 1127. It would be a doddle in clear conditions but now it is interesting. At least the ridge provides some shelter (for now) and the first couple of 100m down is relatively open. Then the scrub starts again and it is back to trying to find any route through. The last 50 or so vertical meters to the saddle are particularly trying.
There is apparently an old route around here somewhere and an old bivvy site - I think I find some traces but discover later that other people have followed the creek bed to the right of the spur. My legs are starting to get shredded and very tender from the scrub treatment - particularly as those bloody gators have had to be removed as they are wearing holes in my legs again.
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| Dropping out of the clag and first view of the saddle Old bivvy site down to the right somewhere |
Once through the saddle there's another scrubby scramble but the vegetation is a little less hostile. The top of 1127 is dropping in and out of the clag and the wind is making itself known again. As the cloud lifts, views open over the intervening ranks of hills towards the sunny Wairarapa.
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| From 1127, looking back at the spur and saddle - creek is on left |
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| Someone's getting some sun |
At 4.40pm I have a decision to make. Head SW to pick up pt 912 and suffer more scrub torture plus be virtually guaranteed to be caught out by the dark. Or cut losses and leave 912 for another day. I decide I can cope with a late night but I will be kicking myself if I leave that spot height behind.
The cloud keeps coming and going but there is enough view that navigation is mainly by eye.
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| And the cloud comes in again |
The knob is clearly visible steeply down the spur - as is the intervening scrub. The last 100m or so is once again through low and then higher scrub. The knob itself has some good healthy 2m scrub. I manage to find a few spots to take photos
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| Down spur towards 912 - Ruamahanga on left |
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| SE from 912 towards Tawhero - foot of Cattle Ridge dropping from right |
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| Dome hidden in cloud to left - Chamberlain Creek between spurs on right |
At 5.20 it's taken 40 minutes from 1127. Now the tough job of getting back. The north face of the spur is slightly easier going and it's 45 minutes back to 1127, so not so bad.
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| And the cloud comes again ... |
This time the cloud lifts enough to show the Ruamahanga far below as it and the Ruapae meander inevitably together. The hidden lake is visible as a brown spot just above where the Ruamahanga river becomes visible - no time to visit today I'm afraid. I think I briefly see the orange roof of Roaring Stag Lodge. Unfortunately I have to go a long way in the opposite direction to pick up one more spot height before I'll be down there.
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| SE from 1127 Ruapae/Ruamahanga forks |
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| The saddle again |
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| Looking down my spur |
The spur down points directly towards Herepai Hut. I have a sit down at the top to rest battered legs. The aim now is to get to the river before dark - which may be a bit earlier if the cloud drifts any further east. It's 6.15.
What to say? Scrub of diverse descriptions, scratches on scratches and bruises on bruises. It's tough and somewhat demoralising. Eventually, towards pt 853 I can stop pushing through scrub and drop below the canopy. It's taken 1:15 to travel a km or so down the spur. It's getting dim but just after 8pm I break onto the stream flats - I figure on an hour before needing a torch.
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| Spur up to East Peak in foreground |
I'm pretty sore but Ruapae stream is easy going. It just takes ages. A skiff of rain comes through periodically but otherwise it's just more stretches of water, more flats and more walking. At 9pm I give up and crack out the torch.
It turns out I'm a minute from the forks and from there just half an hour and four river crossings to the hut arriving just after 9.30pm - about 14 hours on the go.
There are no lights but three bodies on the deck indicating a full house. I decide not to wake everyone by making dinner so find a spot on the porch and munch on bread and cheese before dossing down.
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| Morning from Roaring Stag |
I ache myself awake - relieved that the rain hasn't driven in over night and pleased not to be stuck on a scrubby spur. It's still warm and the Ruamahanga is still on the cusp of the weather from the west.
A party of four women from Palmerston North TC get up early and head off down river. I'm next up and cook two breakfasts to make up for dinner. I take my time but no-one else gets up.
Another decision - head out or pick up some local spot heights. It's really tempting to just call it quits for a leisurely crawl out licking my wounds and nursing aging joints. I fill in the hut book and sneak out to climb the hill behind the hut.
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| Full house |
7.45 is a civilised hour - a 400m climb after yesterday - not so much. It takes an hour to get to the scrub then a 15 minute crawl and climb through it to the ridge (there might be an easy way through but I missed it). Parts of the ridge are clear, but not southwest to pt 650.
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| Down spur to Ruamahanga - 1127 in cloud |
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| Same view from a little further along |
On the map, the distance between 811 and 650 is not so much. It takes almost 2 hours. Sometimes crawling along pig trails with pack off, sometimes pushing through scrub, eventually dropping west to follow along below the crest under a higher canopy. Every now and again climbing a tree and taking a bearing off a landmark.
After yesterday it is now mentally tough as well as physically draining and painful.
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| 650 and lunch |
From 650 there is no obvious route so I just drop down slope looking for the path of least resistance. Finally it feels like a bit of progress. I've been along the river twice before but always on the opposite side. I'm surprised to find that there are pretty good terraces most of the way back to the hut from below 650. Arriving about midday to find it empty and very tidy.
In the spirit that I am not going to do anything the easy way this weekend I head up the track and leave it just before it starts climbing. I follow up beside the slightly slimy brown stream to a point where I reckon I'm near the spur north to pt 713 (a bit of farfing involved).
The spur is well defined, steepish at points with a lot of saplings - it's not easy travel so it is after 1:30 when I finally sit in dappled shade at the top. The track is less than 200m away but there is one final way to make this more difficult. I head NE scrambling down through bush to find a trickle then a creek then a stream.
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| 713 |
It looks straight forward on the map - a reasonably gently shelving stream - but I'm thoroughly sick of log jambs and slippery rocks by the time I get to the junction with the Mangatainoka 1 hour 40 later.
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| Mangatainoka River and the weather is looking up |
Half an hour later its 3.45 and I'm turning my pack inside out to find the car keys. The ginger beer has been sitting in the sun and pretty much explodes on opening but it gets me as far as Carterton New World and something cold.
So ...
Ruapae falls - check. Worth a visit, nice little starter navigation exercise - particularly taking in 655. Falls are not really beautiful but an unusual sight in the Tararuas.
Schormanns track - check. Still there and navigable - not sure if you can get in from the farmland - would need to ask permission - it would be pretty easy to get to from the flats below the falls.
Haukura Ridge - check. Tough in the wind and clag. Even on a good day that scrub will be a challenge. Maybe try the creek to the saddle? 912 - interesting views, the exit off the bottom of it looks challenging to say the least. 853 - that scrub section is a bugger. Lower sections not so bad.
Ruapae stream - check. Lovely stretch of water with lots of camping spots. Need to take some time to check out the lake at some point.
811 and 650 - check. Just that - check.
713 and stream out - check. Takes the tally to 9 spots for the weekend - not bad.
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