Peak

There's still a few spot-heights I need to see to around the Mangahao dams. One of these is the somewhat tersely named 'Peak.'  I had to abort a previous attempt and the idea is to polish it, plus a few other randoms off on a weekend that is promising to be a bit miserable.

The Olde Beach Bakery in Waikanae supplies an excellent scone and pain au raisin that keeps me happy for the rest of the drive to Shannon.  Leaving the plains, the gravel road over the ridge rapidly disappears into thick cloud requiring cautious driving. 

The first three spot-heights for the day are close to the road between reservoirs two and three. After that I'll be heading for Peak and, if all goes well, may find a camp site and have a nosy around Te Araroa trail tomorrow.


What:     Navigation day trip bush bash
Where:   Mangahao - Peak
When:    16 June 2018
Who:      Solo
Map:

A few random spots to get things started

The forest park boundary is a bit of a weird shape and it takes in a few spot-heights that are pretty pointless really. However, I park the car and wander along a 4WD track to pt 409 (about 8am). There's a survey point with recent tyre prints indicating it's still used for something. No view today but on a clear day you might be looking over reservoir 3 and could follow the track down to the water.

Pt 409

The next spot is off the side off a nondescript bend on a windy section of road in unremarkable bush. It takes a bit to find the right bend and there's no track but it's pretty straight forward.

The final starter (590) is on the ridge above reservoir 2. A 4WD track leads up from the corner to a power line then it's a question of following your nose to the high point. It's all in tall forest and despite one piece of pink tape there is no real sign of people. Tick the box and head back to the car.

The main event sees me parking at reservoir 2 again a bit before 10am. The reservoir is spilling over one half of the top of the dam - even higher than last time and the Mangahao is looking definitely river like.

A couple and dog come out of the bush as I wander across the dam. They've just been in a short way and must be local as it's a long way to go to take Rover for a walk.

I duck into the bush, crossing an old terrace and bricks before bashing up the steep side of the spur. I'm hopeful that as this is a strong spur and an obvious way to head up to Peak it might have a good trail.

Peak - blue line is a previous trip

It's a slippery climb during which I come across plastic cups tacked to trees - they probably once held possum lure as there are one or two old leg hold traps left behind.

On the spur there is indeed a nice wee trail and white and pink tape markers. The canopy is high and life is good.

I lose the trail before the scrub starts below 797 - no idea where it wandered off to as there is no sign of it from there on up. There's an initial scrubby knob and then another one and very little visibility. I follow the compass and try to find an easy way through. No sign of human tracks but animal sign aplenty.

There's a bit of bush but soon after the climb up to 866 it's pretty much scrub. It's slow and the cloud holds in tight. As I get higher it gets steadily colder. It seems to take a very long time to get from 866 to Peak at 890 at 12.50 - about 2 hours from the bottom.

It's very nice to get there but I can't see much sign that anyone comes up from any direction and the view leaves a little to be desired. 

Peak

or 890

It's wet with a cold wind rising so I don't hang about. Hopes that the spur down is well traveled are soon dashed. It's mixed scrub and still clagged in. At one point I manage to describe a circle trying to find where the spur branches. The canopy starts lifting after this so at least the going is easier.

It's quite complex navigation with the face of the spur often weakly defined. I'm planning to duck off the side of the spur to drop west to a stream - in the event I just miss the top of the steep side spur but there is a patch of rock in a gully that provides enough view to get back on line. From there it is steep but straightforward.

A brief view

Joining the stream I slip my way down valley to join the track by the Mangahao River (it really is past time to get boots with some tread). It's easy travel with few scrambles. Towards the bottom there are some old red tape markers, I assume marking some old possum line or other pest control activities.

By the time I get back to the dam (3.45pm) and thawed out somewhat, I'm saturated and my appetite for heading for Te Araroa trail and mopping up a few more spot-heights before finding a soggy campsite is strangely lacking.

Wet gear stashed in rubbish bags in the boot, I head for home - a warm bath, cold beer, undehydrated dinner, and a dry bed.  Seven spot heights knocked off for the day which is not so bad - and the day pretty much confirms that the scrub in this neck of the woods is often best avoided.

My advice is that if you must climb Peak - pick a nice day and don't come through the saddle in the southeast.  You could follow the spur I took, but expect a bit of work to get through the scrub - I think one of the two branches of the spur from the north is probably better though. Hopefully you'll get better views than I did.