This weekend, I have two days available so look for a trip that will knock enough off that it might even be worth starting some form of a count down. There are eight near Holdsworth which, with a bit of creativity, I string together into an interesting looking excursion.
What: Weekend navigation trip and spot-heighting
Where: Holdsworth / High Ridge
When: 15-16 September 2018
Who: Solo
Map:
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| Large scale view |
It's promising to be a fine day as I leave the car at dawn (6.50am) to head up past the recycling center. I blundered onto a formed track one night around here and am hoping that it leads up Winzenberg Hill. I'm confident that a hill of modest proportions with such a distinctive name located above a busy camp ground will have a well beaten track to the summit. I carefully don't think about my last excursion in the area or a diverting trip report I read some time ago from SWTC.
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| The hill they call Winzenberg |
I assume the name is from an early family - a half-hearted search unearths references to an old building of that name in Masterton and a local photographer from early last century; Albert Winzenberg.
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| Winzenberg and 535 |
The access road stops at a shed and the cut path continues to follow the stream. It's all as I remember, up until the water intake where the track runs out. My recollection of it disappearing up the hill has proven to be unreliable. The forest looks pretty open so I happily potter up the spur on the true left of the side stream. The forest rapidly turns into scrub. I struggle up an old fence line telling myself that where my spur meets the main spur there will surely be a track. Wrong.
It's mixed going up to a saddle and clearing at 670m where it's a little more open and there are some signs of old trails, but nothing you would call a track. At the top (729m and 8.45am) there are clearings among the scrub but again nothing obvious in the way of tracks. It seems that the summer crowds have little curiosity. Almost 2 hours to get to the top - definitely not easy going.
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| Looking back down the spur - note the absence of tracks 535 in middle distance |
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| From the top looking up the Waingawa - Mitre with snow on horizon |
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| Selfy balanced in gorse bush at top of Winzenberg |
The chances of finding a better route down are high (on the grounds that it would be hard to find anything much worse). My theory is that there will be higher canopy in the stream gully, so I drop north west along the ridge into a saddle before striking down slope. It's much easier going, quickly dropping out of the scrub.
The view from the top confirmed that my next hill (535) has a scrubby east face so I follow further up the main stream to what looks like better forest up valley. The stream is pretty enough and easy going. And sure enough, the route up, whilst steep is open. I leave the creek a little before 10am.
At the top there is a pest control trail with A24 traps which takes me tidily to the top (no view) then all the way back down to the camp ground. As I emerge from the bush a handful of kamikaze tui barrel past at head height oblivious to all but their fierce competition. It's 10.50am as I potter back to the car.
The day is well hot now. I exchange my day pack for an overnighter and head for the foot bridge. A sharp left off track - over a high bank with the Gentle Annie Creek beyond, cut deeply between its banks. I join a track that runs above it - follow it down and across then strike straight up hill and soon have to lose my shirt with the heat.
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| Holdsworth to Gentle Annie, Carrington Creek and over to 496 |
There is an old track around here somewhere but I miss it and can't really swear to being on a track again until about 600m. From here there is a strongly worn path with even an occasional orange triangle. It's used for trapping but is so strong I would have expected to see it on the old maps (it isn't).
Over 670 and I expect to have to do some navigation but the trail is obvious and there are even little signs in places that take me unerringly to Gentle Annie Saddle at 12.45pm.
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| "Towards Gentle Annie Saddle" |
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| Markers dissuading you from heading down spur to 637 |
As soon as I hit the saddle I hang a left and wade down through ground ferns as trickles join to become a large stream. It's a relatively gentle stream valley with a few terraces and generally on the wide side. A couple of times I find old sawn branches in a log jam and the odd bit of tape. Lower down a path develops and follows the true right. Fresh boot prints indicate recent use.
I sidle around the ridge into Carrington Creek and follow it up until it turns north and a stream on an old shingle fan joins from the true right. This marks my point to start climbing. There's no trail to follow and the lower slopes are steep with some areas of kiekie and supplejack. Eventually it opens for a solid climb to 550m (about 3.20pm), then a gentler climb to 728m.
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| 550 - still hot |
728 is one of those points which is just off a ridge top so, on an earlier trip I blithely wandered past without even thinking to pop across to it. There's no view so I bag it and head on to the ridge where I know there is an informal track.
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| Solid track on the ridge top |
It's five to four so I'm not pressed for daylight but I need to find just the right spot to drop onto the misshapen spur leading down to 496. I overshoot deliberately and come back - but don't see any obvious markings. The ridge top rolls gently off and I can't see far enough to detect any spur forming. It will be very easy to end up in the wrong place. In the end I 'aim off' - dropping deliberately early and angling down slope to climb onto the spur from the side when it starts forming. It works a treat and I potter down rather chuffed with myself.
496 is spot number six for the day - I don't bask long though as I want to be on the valley floor with plenty of daylight to find a spot to camp. A bearing takes me to the strongest looking spur down (NWish from 496). This drops to the track (5.10pm) near the bridge for a scramble down beside the stream (definitely not in it - too steep) to Totara Creek.
Totara Creek is sizable and, given the debris I've seen in it, I generally give it some respect. Today it is at moderate flow but I find a suitable spot and just manage to get across with dry feet (it would be aggravating to end up with wet boots right at the end before the climb in the morning).
The old track on the true right is still marked and well trodden. I wander up valley a short way and find a flat spot near the track to pitch the fly. As the light fades I sit at the stream edge munching on time expired Backcountry dehy and feeling every metre of climb from the day past.
It's mild with no rain forecast so I should have a solid sleep. But aching muscles mean I sleep like a rotisserie chicken - waking regularly to turn and find a more comfortable position. Still - 10 hours later I feel well rested. The stream is loud in the valley so I don't hear the sounds of the bush bar a nearby ruru in the early morning.
After porridge I strike camp and am heading down stream by 6.30am. I had thought to potter up Red Rock Creek a ways but on studying the map decide the valley sides are the sort of steep I can do without today. I drop down the steep bank to Red Rock Creek to fill my camelback then start climbing.
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| High Ridge |
The climb is steep and again there is little trail. It's relentless and I have soon lost the shirt again. The wind starts getting up.
Pt 834 at 8.10am is cause for celebration - in theory this is my 100th-to-last spot height. Really, it is a welcome flat spot for a long breather.
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| 834 - lots down and 100 to go |
The wind is decidedly cool now and the shirt is back on as I roll up and on to the wide flat ridge top. It's proper goblin forest up here - it looks like everything is wearing 1980's leg warmers; including the ground. It's quite a way across the top before I see what I am expecting to see - a piece of orange tape. At about 8.45am it has taken about 2 and a quarter hours to get here from my camp.
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| High Ridge - top |
There's no reason to stop so I turn left and try to follow the trail and the tape. Both come and go a bit but I'm relaxed so potter along til I find my way back onto the trail again. The norwester is barreling into the other side of the ridge and surging through the tree tops making a few creak and groan. The odd trunk moves a little more than you think would be healthy for a tree with an eye on longevity.
In a few spots there are some wonderful old-school markers attesting to the long standing use of this route.
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| From when trampers ate beans from really big tins |
There's a spot where the ridge turns south and it's not immediately apparent where the trail runs due to some tree fall - I remember it from last time so work around and quickly pick up the way again. Another piece of tape here would be helpful.
At Flaxy Knob (9.10am) someone has set the old sign up to point down the spur to Totara Flats. I suspect I would find the navigation a lot easier now than last time. However, I head past and SW to follow the spur down to 814. There is an old marker near the top and what seems to be an old trail - I'm a bit surprised as the spur doesn't look to have a good entry to the Waiohine river (which would be the only destination from here). It could be that people used to drop down to Hector Forks though. Worth an explore perhaps?
[A few weeks later I found that the route is marked on old maps as a way to Hector Forks]
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| The signed has been moved since 2 years back but same route |
The exertions from yesterday are taking their toll so I recline among the mossy roots of a tree and take stock - it's 0945 so there is plenty of day left but I am pretty knackered. The original plan had me dropping down the spur south from 1134 then heading up Totara Creek to climb a spur to Mountain House Shelter - about 800m down then 300m up. Heading up High Ridge towards Holdsworth on the other hand would be 200m up and 600m down - a no brainer then.
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| I think it's important that I sit here for a bit |
The main range to the west across the Waiohine has a dark cloud ceiling at about 1300m, to the east the Wairarapa is basking. Northwards the south faces of Isabella and Mt Holdsworth are snowy to below the bush line.
The trail remains good all the way up the ridge, just getting a little messy as it passes through a short scrubby band. This is the moment to hunker down and gain a few layers, plus balaclava and gloves. I've slowed down a lot so take a long break and have a bite to eat, it's after 12.10 so not fast progress.
The wind is strong across the ridge but it's pretty easy going through the tussock with a bit of a foot trail coming and going. To the right are some steep erosion chutes into the Totara catchment and the roof of Powell Hut soon comes into sight.
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| Down High Ridge (from west side of ridge) |
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| Isabella and Holdsworth |
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| Up ridge - Holdsworth on left |
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| Down ridge - Waiohine in distance |
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| From Powell. Pinnacle and Pinnacle Ridge in the mid-ground |
The hut is empty so I sign in, take a few photos and 10 minutes later head off down hill. The day gets hotter as I head away from the range down the well groomed track, arriving at the car a little under 1 hour 25 later.
Postscript
8 down and 99 to go - definitely a milestone weekend. A bitsy tramp in some ways but it filled in a gap around Gentle Annie Saddle and Carrington Creek - quite navigable and I suspect frequented by hunters and trappers. And a weekend cannot be regarded as wasted when it involves a mild night fly camping by a creek.
Winzenberg Hill I wouldn't get too excited about - nice enough views but easier and better to be had elsewhere. If I had to do it again I would go up the way I came down although there could be an easier route up the ridge from the east (with some marked farm tracks to get most of the climbing out of the way).
814 was pretty much a waste of time in that it was just a there and back - but it would be an interesting route to or from Hector Forks or even a hairy scramble to cross the river higher up to get to Middle Spur.
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