Mitre day trip

I realised the other day that I had never actually climbed the highest peak in the Tararuas.

This will appear barely credible given my unhealthy obsession with spot heights, but let me explain. For years I thought I had been over Mitre (1571) in the course of a northern crossing with some school mates. However, Richard maintains that we took a different route. Normally I would be the first to cast nasturtiums on the reliability of Richard's grey matter, but in the absence of any firm memories on my part I'm going to have to go with his notoriously tenuous grasp on reality.

I reckon I can knock it off in a day trip so I dust off the trail runners and plan a Sunday sortie.


What:   Day trip up Mitre
When:  Sunday 17 Feb 2019
Where: Tararuas - The Pines road end
Who:     Solo
Map

There's a few cars in the park as I leave the car and start trotting up the gravel road at about 7.15am. There's a nice new DOC shelter although not really designed to sleep in, it would provide protection from the elements whilst waiting for a pickup.

It's an overcast and mild morning and the first couple of Kms are along farm roads so I can trot along. After that there's a foot trail which leads to the bush edge. From there it is the ubiquitous Tararua sidle track. Up and down and in and out of wee creeks and spurs with the river somewhere below.

There's nothing to report of the trip in apart from a brief sortie off the track due to inattention. A bit under 1hr 40 later I arrive at Mitre Flats Hut.

Waingawa swing bridge South Mitre Stream opposite

A couple from Wellington are in residence and having a leisurely morning - they are tenting with their dog for a couple of days and doing local day trips. I fill in the log (checking to see if my previous entries are still there - they are), top up my water and head for the track up the hill.

Mitre Flats

I'm not fit enough to run 1200m up a mountain so just try to keep a steady pace. Just on the bushline I catch up with a couple from Masterton who have full weekend packs and are heading through to Tarn Ridge or Dorset huts. We have a good yarn about this and that - they are spending their holidays at home this year and picking up some local tramps.

I head on up as clouds start to gather around the ridge.

On the way up - looking back down the Waingawa valley

Starting to clag in

At 1045 I'm at the top - it's cooled down, there's a little breeze and the clag has come in. As I sit and have a bite to eat there's a few spots of rain. I drag my jacket on send a few texts in recognition of the momentous occasion. With no view and my body temperature starting to drop I turn for the long trot out.

Not much of a view

The second couple are nearing the top and I stop to chat again. I suspect they are slightly demoralised by our relative rates of travel - but you can hardly expect to compare someone in running shoes and day pack with full tramping kit. We are all kitted up now and although not really raining the clag is so soggy that the ground and tussock is getting quite damp.

The visibility is reduced enough that I'm wary of wandering off the side of the spur. The trail is mostly pretty easy to follow with the odd cairn, but in a couple of spots I have to cast around a bit - no recourse to the map and compass needed though.

Back in the bush a few spots of rain start coming through and continue pretty much all the way down.

Part way down I bump into couple number one who have decided to totter up the hill avec chien. I disabuse them of any hope off a view and leave them to it. An hour 22 after arriving at the top I reach the flats and pop back to the hut. Not sure how long I spent at the top but probably 15-20 minutes.

I note my exit in the log and start heading out. 

The swing bridge is a couple of minutes from the hut and (as I always do) I pause to look at the slip that I spent an uncomfortable night on during a Boys Brigade trip so long ago.

Slip just down stream of the hut - not recommended for camping

The trip out is as uneventful as the trip in apart from having to give way to a party of five coming in. It's about an hour 10 from the bridge to the park boundary, then another 24 minutes to the car.




I note a bunch of markers about 15 minutes from the boundary that could indicate a track up onto Blue Range. I dropped off the range in the dark a bit further back up the track from here after a bit of an epic day trip sometime back. The markers could be something interesting (for someone else) to investigate.

Park boundary

The rain doesn't seem to have got out of the foot hills and the road is dry as I trot back to the car. It's just on 2pm - making the whole trip 6hr 45.

Postscript

Another one down and 19 to go.

I haven't done any jogging recently so was happy that I could keep a reasonable albeit not competitive pace throughout. I have no idea about distance although I think I saw a sign that said 8km to the hut so, allowing say 4km to the top that would be about 24km all up. A good wee day trip.