Otukota - and there abouts

Taking the Friday before Labour weekend gives a good four days to get into a less accessible corner of the Ruahine Forest Park.  The aim is to cross the range to explore the area around Otukota and Iron Bark Huts. 

The map promises a fair amount of time in some biggish looking rivers so I keep an eye on the forecast and check the water level gauges. Things are looking good.    

The plan is to drive up Friday morning and head over the Waipawa Saddle and down the Waikamaka River, climb west onto the ridge and up to Rongotea to follow the broad top of the Mokai Patea Range and drop to Otukota Hut.  It looks a bit ambitious so I suspect I'll be kipping out on the tops somewhere. The next day follow the Maropea River to Iron Bark Hut then climb to the Ohutu Ridge and along to where the Waikatore Biv is no longer, then follow the ridge track and drop down from Potae to Colenso Hut. From there, climb the Papakiakuta Ridge to Remutopu to pick up the track down to Maropea Forks Hut. And on the last day climb the ridge behind the hut to the Main Range and follow back to Sunrise Hut and the road end. 

It's a great plan. But I suspect I'm being wildly optimistic about the conditions, the terrain and my fitness so there's plenty of contingencies identified on my intentions sheet.

What:   Four day nav trip
Where: North Western Ruahine Forest Park
When:  23-26 October 2020
Who:    Solo

I follow a couple of cars up through the farm to an almost chocker carpark.  Fortunately there is only one other driver that has continued to the few parking spots at the end of the 2WD road. 

He wanders over to say hello as I finish getting ready and we chat in the sun.  David turns out to work with a GPS systems company (In Reach) and has been involved in arranging or participating in various multisport events as well as youth outdoor development organisations. It's good to talk to someone with a good knowledge of the hills and we head out together up the Waipawa River.   

We immediately bump into a hunter and a tramper coming out, then, just as the valley widens another walker stops to ask if she will be able to get out down the river. 

I'm somewhat dumbfounded by the crowds until David points out that it's Hawkes Bay Anniversary day.  We pass another tramper who turns out to be on her first trip with the Napier Tramping Club group who are a short way up valley - they have a series of short days; Waikamaka Hut, today, down river to Wakelings tomorrow, over to Maropea Forks and up to Top Maropea Sunday and out Monday.  

David is planning to head to Waterfall Hut today, up Trig Stream to the Hikorangi Range and along to McKinnon then Crow Hut for the night, over to Wakelings then Maropea Forks and out via Top Maropea on the Sunday and Monday picking up Te Atuaoparapara as a side trip on the way out. 

It's such a beautiful day - Te Atuaoparapara is crystal clear against a blue sky.  I suggest he might want to divert there today as he won't get better conditions than this. 

Having come through a few times now I'm getting better at spotting where the best foot trail runs and make reasonable time up the valley.  David, noting how far I'm intending to go for the day says not to wait.  

Waipawa Valley

Climbing towards the saddle there's some healthy spaniard to look out for and the yellow flowers of the Mountain Buttercup (Korikori?) are out in force.

At 11.30 it has taken about 2 hour 10 to get to the saddle. The track into the headwaters of the Waikamaka is a little rough down a crumbling wee spur with a drop into an erosion chute on the right, and a stream on the left. 

Headwater stream

Once in the stream it's an easy and pretty amble down valley. This section is like walking through an alpine garden.  About half an hour from the saddle I arrive at the obvious junction with the stream from Rangi Saddle and the Waikamaka Hut perched above the river.  

This hut gets reasonable use.  I was last through in mid Jan and there have been 22 parties through since then.  It feels a bit early for lunch so after 10 minutes I'm on the way down river. 

I haven't been along this stretch but expect it to be similar to the lower reaches.  The river is pretty small up here and, on a sunny afternoon it's a really nice walk. The water is clear and tinged green with trout in many of the pools.  Like most of the rivers around here there is a bit of brown algae that requires attention to your footing.  It's mostly barely knee deep.

A bit over half an hour down stream a large stream off Te Atuaoparapara joins from the right.  There's a waterfall marked on the map about 400m up but I'm watching the clock and reluctantly keep going.  A few minutes later there's a wee waterfall just off the river on the true left.

Another 10 minutes and the slip marked on the map turns out to be the widest part of the valley with rocky battlements shedding scree.

I'm stepping onto a large boulder to climb the river bank at one point when the whole thing comes loose.  It tips me backwards into the river as I frantically try to avoid having it roll onto my legs. As the cursing and splashing subside a quick assessment indicates a few bruises and nothing else - fortunately although getting a good dunking it just got up to the bottom of the chest pocket with my cellphone. 

After a pause for lunch I reach what I reckon is the side stream I'm after - about 3-400m upstream of where I joined the river when I dropped down a spur from Te Atuaoparapara.

Stream from pt 1420

I've chosen this point to climb to the ridge leading to Rongotea.  There's a few other potential spots but this seems to offer reasonable options on the map. It's a bit after 2pm so I'm still aiming to reach Otukota Hut.  

The stream is small and a bit choked up so after a bit of scrambling I decide to cut diagonally back and up the spur on the true right.  It's a bit of a scramble but once on the spur it's a reasonable route up.  

pt 1420 from near top of spur

I'm expecting the ridge to be well travelled but at the top can't find much sign that it is.  I'm soon in scrub as I drop to the saddle and start the struggle up towards 1420.  I generally aim to keep close to the erosion faces and occasionally track across the top of one as the path of least resistance.   

About 3.55 I'm at the top of pt 1420, it's taken an hour 50 from the river - a lot longer than anticipated.  I wouldn't recommend the route I took as the saddle south of pt 1420 is aggravating - I'd be inclined to head further down stream and climb a spur north of pt 1420. 

Although conscious of the time it's impossible not to stop to look at the view.  South east I can trace the route I took down from Te Atuaoparapara one claggy day. The ridge I'm on zigzags south to Rangioteatua - I know it's traversable (yes Jean!) but if there is any more scrub like that saddle I would prefer to follow one of the rivers - the Waikamaka on the east side or the Kawhatau on the west. 

Across the Kawhatau valley is the Hikurangi range and I can see the tiny white dot of McKinnon Hut.  I trace the route I took down a few weeks back and am again a bit surprised that I ended up on target.  

The going is more open now but there are few slower bits and the knob I thought was the top turns out to be a little over halfway there. 

View back - Te Atuaoparapara on horizon towards left
my ridge on right 

It's pretty much bang on 5pm as I plod up to the waratah marking the top of Rongotea.  There's a cloud ceiling at about 1700m now but patches of sun are getting through and I can see considerably more than last time ...

South from Rongotea

North west along the Mokai Patea Range

The same view last time through

This is one of those points where the nature of the terrain changes completely.  The tops here are tussock with quite a bit of spaniard and shortly after Rongotea they broaden to a wide, rolling top like walking along a mountain top prairie.  

Being able to see the waratahs is a bonus compared to the last trip.  The foot trail however is quite overgrown and easy to lose.  I leave the poles where they peel left for the spur to Crow Hut and continue through tussock and herb fields.

It's nice to be navigating by looking at features rather than the compass - it would be a bit of a nightmare in bad weather.  A distinctive spur top west of pt 1532, Pt 1414 and Colenso (1408) are distinctive features that mean I can potter along at a steady but not fast pace, without needing to check the map.

About 6.30 I reckon I'm getting close to the spur to the hut and take bearings on Colenso and pt 1414 to confirm.  There's a distinctive wrinkle across the ridge top where a stream forms to flow NNE across the ridge to drop to the Waikamaka.  It's marked as an island contour at 1400m on the map and would be distinctive enough to find in clag.

The wrinkle 

I drop into the head of the gully and climb the other side, expecting to see a foot trail to/from Colenso at any moment (it never really eventuates).  With the sharply cut stream on my right I follow along the wrinkle towards a cluster of posts - these must mark where the track heads down the spur.

They don't and they do.  They are not markers but an old fenced enclosure which turns out to be the perfect point to take a bearing and roll gradually over the edge of a wide tussock face that reveals the spur beyond. 

Southish - past enclosure posts and across the wrinkle

The correct spur

I've read that you just follow the edge of the trees down the spur - this proves to be as good advice as any, although around 1100m the trees wander off to your right a bit and you will want to head a bit more north to follow the spur. 

There is some foot trail at times but it's easy to wander off and the only other sign of people is a white post around pt 1247 that turns out to be a rain gauge. 

As I head down, the sun is starting to set and is picking out the best colours in the tussock.  Behind on the ridge, a bank of evening cloud is forming and starting to reach down slope, but never quite covers the sun. It's beautiful but I'm conscious of the clock.

    

The final drop is through more mixed scrub and flax with a large orange triangle visible below.  It disappears behind scrub as I draw close but I'm soon at a sign promising an hour to the hut (7.37pm).  I'm still hopeful of getting there in daylight.

The track is steep but wide cut as usual, it gets a bit harder to follow in places as the light dims.

It's about 10 minutes after when I should have cracked my head torch out when I drop into the hut clearing. Just before 8.10pm - half an hour from the bushline and 10 hours 50 on the go.

The evening is calm and mild. The sound of the river drifts up from below and the odd ruru calls across the valley.  It's been a long day and a relief to sit and peel boots and socks from battered feet. 

Taking stock - the hut is standard; a bit rough around the edges and I note a hole chewed through the floor. It'll do fine.    

The log shows 8 parties since the start of the year.  One of which was DOC contractors clearing wilding pines.  They noted their activities each day they were there, starting from cleaning the hut to Covid level 2 standards at the start, to sanitising the pen on the way out. In between is a catalogue of pine clearing, loo repairing, wood cutting, and track clearing. 

When you're a bit less than fit and do a longish day with rivers, scrub and hills - the body needs all night to sort out how it's going to be feeling in the morning.  Waking at midnight you feel certain that the plan tomorrow is going to need to be curtailed, but by morning, with luck the aches have subsided. 

In the morning I can inspect the surroundings and discover that the hut is perched on a wee terrace 30m above the river. It's as battered on the outside as it is inside.  

A bit after 7.20 I follow the track as it drops steeply to the river from the edge of the clearing.

I'm feeling like I've done some work but can face some more today. The plan is to head down river to Iron Bark Hut and see how I feel about continuing to Ohutu Ridge.  The river gauges have been good for the last few days so I won't be needing to take the bypass track. The map shows this as requiring a river crossing followed by a 400m climb and descent back to the river and a swing bridge then pretty much the same climb and drop on the other side. Seems a bit mad, so the river it is.

I'm a bit nervous about this bit. The catchment area is large encompassing the Maropea and Waikamaka, so there will be a lot of water in the river.  It looks like it could be a bit gorgy in places and the hut info panel carries the usual DOC warnings about experienced trampers only.  

It's a different proposition to the Waikamaka from yesterday but I'm soon pottering along.  More care is needed on the frequent crossings and it is knee to thigh deep in places.  There are also signs that the water level really comes up at times. There's a few wee scrambles and deepish wades but nothing particularly daunting. 

The sun creeps down the side of the valley and I relax into the walk.  I think I only saw two whio in this stretch that take to the wing before I get too close. 

Something metallic catches my eye wedged into rocks next to the river. It's a walking pole which is seized up and battered but functional.  I stick it in my pack to leave at the next hut.

I'm not paying attention to progress knowing that the swingbridge will turn up in due course. About an hour 20 from the hut I see it above a shingle flat angling down from the right to left banks

Straight after the bridge there is a true right side stream with a wooden bridge just up stream.  Hold on - that is not what the map says.  Dragging the map out, sure enough, there shouldn't be a side stream here - let alone one requiring a bridge.  

I figure that the tracks have been reconfigured to locate the bridge closer to the hut and negate the need for the ridiculous zigzag described on the map. And that's the case as the hut turns out to be less than 200m away. 

Iron Bark bridge - looking up stream

I can't quite believe how lucky I've been - the slightly dreaded stretch of river has taken an hour 25 and the morning is still young.   

The hut is really tidy - it's one of those places that has a good feel as soon as you open the door.  It could be the morning sun, or the fact that it is well lined, and that people have been looking after it.  

I grab the log book and sit on the deck.  8 parties since the start of the year.  The last person through was a few days ago and noted that the river was a bit tough - I wonder if water levels were a little higher.  The wilding pine clearing contractors have stayed for a week here also. They had some pretty mixed weather and raised river levels so did a lot of work around the hut as well as checking traps. 

I take the time to check the old info poster in the hut - it reckons 5-6 hours to waikatore Biv via Ohutu Ridge.  The sign outside says 8.  This is a bit longer than I anticipated but I'm feeling a bit cocky after halving the river time this morning so figure that if I do it in 5 hours I'll be ok.  I start wondering about dropping down the Waikatore stream rather than following the ridge track to Potae.  That should shave some time to Colenso Hut and the valley doesn't look steep.  

Getting away about 9.05 it's a short way down stream to a massive slip feeding broken rock into the river.  There's a bit of white water but it's easy enough to pick a way across the sharp boulders.

25 minutes from the hut the river narrows just before the Mangatera joins from the right. This is the river that runs past Lake Kokopunui and Colenso hut. 

About 50m upstream and opposite a rock face, a barely visible DOC triangle marks where no discernible track heads up the steep side of the spur. A pause to top up water and I start scrambling up at about 9.35.

It's been cleared in recent months but the first 20-30m is pretty messy before there's enough scrub and trees for reasonable handholds.  The track starts a relentless grind upwards.  

I pop out of the trees onto a grassy clearing next to a massive slip gnawing into the hill. The track follows the edge for a while before climbing in bush again.  I find that I'm needing a few breathers.  

The track is sometimes in forest but there's also a long wide section through scrub. Eventually I reach a blissfully flat section through gnarled forest. It's taken all of 2 hours to climb about 800m.  

The top of the ridge is mostly scrub and tussock but with patches of bush. It's not beautiful although there are some views out towards Aorangi - it's a flat topped hill surrounded by cliffs that looks intriguing on the map. I had wondered about pottering out that way at some point, but looking at the vegetation and the cliffs I don't think I will.

 

There's cell phone reception so I have a sit down and text my changed intentions to the support crew.  

At the junction to drop to Waikatore a sign indicates that the track to the edge of the park from here is no longer maintained (subtext - no access across the private land so no point maintaining the track).  

I turn right and follow as the track rolls gently at first then plunges off the edge of the ridge.  There's traps all through here and I clear and reset five that have caught rats.

The map marks a ladder at the bottom of the hill and I'm intrigued to see it - I suspect it is not quite as dramatic as the Tararua version so am not surprised when it turns out to be a steep staircase.

Once at the bottom the stream can be heard dropping over falls but the track sidles above it just below some impressive bluffs. 

It's mostly pretty scrappy going as the track heads down valley but, rounding a corner there is the reward of a waterfall's cool water-laden breath in your face. 

The valley is basking in the sun at 1.30 when the track finally drops and crosses the stream to the old Biv site - about 20 minutes down valley from the ladder. 

The stream is larger than I'm expecting - and slippery.  But it looks like reasonable going.

Until 10 minutes later when I reach the first cascade.  It turns out that high cliffs means lots of big rocks falling off and creating cascades that are slow to navigate.  There are stretches of river between with plants trailing down high cliffs and fossils, but I lose count of the scrambles and sidles. 

At one stretch a whistle signals a couple of whio in a pool.  They keep on calling as they glide closer to keep an eye on me.  One hops onto a rock about 5m away.

Many of the sidles are on slippery, slumping slopes - but my inevitable slip is off a wee shelf about 2m above the stream. A quick check determines that although soaked with a few more bruises there's no damage. 

I make the mistake of trying a high sidle near the junction with Mangatera and have to abort it - only to find that the river was in fact navigable. It's a bit frustrating and I'm a little out of sorts when I arrive at the Mangatera River - 3 hours 10 from the biv site, way longer than anticipated.

Mangatera junction

Any hopes for an easy wander up the valley are quickly dashed.  Pretty soon there's a narrow section requiring a chest deep wade and clamber up a rock. Then more boulders, cascades and sidles. 

An hour five up from the junction there's a huge flat topped boulder in the river.  A few minutes further on the river flows out of a jumble of massive boulders.  

It's very impressive but the only way forward seems to be another chest deep wade where the water flows out.  

Once into the rocks I discover the river comes out of an impassable chamber of white water. Nearby there is an open area where I manage to chimney out of the jumble.  There are more huge blocks ahead.  After a few false starts it starts to rain, I'm not game to leap across the gaps so leave the river and grovel up a slumping slope on the true right.  Avoiding most of the nettles, it's rough going and a bit of work to find a way down the other side.

I'm utterly stuffed now and can't quite recall the order of events - I'm looking for a side stream on the left and a specific corner on the river where the track comes close. I identify a possible point but decide it can't be as I hadn't seen the stream.  In retrospect I missed the stream and it was the correct spot. 

Eventually I figure I must be near the lake and scramble up the bank. Pretty soon there is reasonably open forest and pest control markers - but not that easy to follow. I follow the lie of the land until I can see the the stream that runs past the hut and soon after that the hut loo.

6.55 pm and another empty hut.  The log book shows only 5 parties since I was last here in May.  One of the parties is the Director-General of DOC. Apparently a trip with Murray Oliver - one of the guys that built the hut while on annual leave. He is retiring and hadn't been there for 30 years.  

In terms of location this area might be one of my favourite parts of the Ruahine park. Maybe it's not so bad that access is a bit difficult.

Another mild night although it rains heavily at one point.  There are a few options for tomorrow but I leave that part of the log blank to see how the body recovers during the night.

In the morning I'm feeling ok so go with the initial plan to climb the ridge behind the hut.  Rather than going off track from the hut, at 7.35 I head off on the longer route along the track and up the foot of the ridge until the track starts to drop towards Unknown Campsite. 

On the way I discover that the point on the river I decided wasn't near the track was in fact just 30m away - ah well.

 

From the track to the river - there's a bend just to the left

It's steep grind up but the odd view spot is pretty. This time I can see the lake and expanding circles of ripples as birds disturb the surface.

About 8.40 I leave the track to climb further up the ridge.  There's no discernable trail although I have seen a section of track marked on old maps. In a few places there are notches in the limestone to negotiate and I'm a bit careful about how close I get to the edge.  

The understory is pretty busy with lots of ferns and rotting trunks - nice forest but slow going.

NZFS survey line - 'not a track'

Somewhere in the saddles past pt 1065 a trail of blue ribbons crosses the ridge - it looks like there is a pest control route coming up from the stream half a K up from the hut - probably a better route than the one I picked.  There's some old NZFS study markers too - but any ground trail looks more animal than human in origin. 

The forest floor gets a bit easier higher up - more open with expanses of grass.  Towards pt 1240 the ridge flattens and it's a little trickier finding a route through stunted forest and long grass - but nose and compass soon have me lined up for the climb to the bush edge.   

There's a bit of a scrub band marked on the map so for the final assault I veer left towards the edge of the marked slip. It turns out to be not too bad - some scrub and steep but mostly ok - an old cut branch indicates previous passage this way.  I'm soon climbing through tussock and reach Waiakamaka at 12.10. The tops here are tussocky and wide with a tarn nearby.

At four and a half hours it's been slow going and there's still a fair way to go along what could be a roughish ridge with scrub and slips.  It's a nice day though.

Near Waikamaka 

A little over half an hour from Wakamaka pt 1424 gives a view of a crumbling section of ridge ahead with slip faces on both sides. Studying it for a few minutes doesn't illicit any options other than straight up the guts.  It's not too bad - there's a few mildly sketchy bits where it's easiest to cross the bare bits but it's soon out of the way and by 1.40pm I'm skirting north and east around Remutupo (1529m).

Last climb to Remutupo

Looking back down the ridge towards Waikamaka

I don't bother climbing over the top, electing for a bit of shelter from the wind in the eastern lee of the top where there's a bit of a dell below some nice rocky faces. 

Remutupo from the east

From here, Te Atua Mahuru is a K and a half away on the Ruahine Range to the east.  It's good to sit and pick where the route runs down beside a big slip face to the valley floor and (eventually) the river route to Colenso Hut. There is apparently a route down from near here but there's an awful lot of leatherwood and some steep crumbly gullies if you pick the wrong spot.

There's more ground trail now and, although the map shows scrub, the next saddle is easy going.  I'm well placed for daylight so I take my time and admire the view under the 1600m cloud ceiling.  The top of the next knob (2.20) is where I leave the Papakiakuta Ridge and join the well trodden route to Maropea Forks Hut. 

Back towards Remutupo

Shortly after pt 1450 there's a view down into the Maropea River Valley and I can make out the bend where the hut is.  The track down is wide cut and well marked and there's no time pressure.

Near the bottom I think I catch a whiff of wood smoke but dismiss it as unlikely - it's pretty warm and the afternoon isn't very old so who would have a fire going?

Around 4pm, the sun is cracking through the clouds as I emerge from the patch of beech in front of the hut to a plume of smoke trickling up from the chimney. It's with some dread that I clump onto the deck expecting to see a party of 37 barely supervised school children inside. 

A cheerful greeting dispels the fears - it's David, and he's on his own. He's had a good few days visiting Waterfall, Crow, McKinnon and Wakelings huts. He met up with the Napier group who have had a more sedate few days and are headed through to Top Maropea Hut for the night.  Sensibly, David has left them to what will be a crowded hut and elected for a short day and a quiet hut.

The hut is hot inside but the mystery of the fire is solved - he's not carrying a stove so is heating water on the stove top.  I settle in and we exchange yarns about our travels.  

After a wash and bit to eat it's very pleasant to relax with plenty of daylight left in the day.

In the morning David is away a little before me.  He's following the river route up to top Maropea Hut and I'm going to see how navigable the ridge behind the hut is. It looks like a nice direct route to the Ruahine Range but I expect he will get to the road end a while before me.

About 7.20 I start fossicking along the edge of the spur looking for signs of a trail. There's nothing obvious so I clamber up through mixed forest.  On top of the ridge there are occasional bits of old tape but it is clearly not much travelled. It's a real mixed bag with some clumps of dense saplings, easy open forest, long grass under high canopy, and back to dense saplings. Progress is slow but navigation is easy.

The scrub is a bit of a proposition with careful route selection required - there seems to be sporadic game trails but little sign of people.  The last knob before the top (about 1055am) has some bluffy bits but picking a way on my right (SW) avoids the worst and there's plenty of scrub to hold onto.

Looking back at the knob

I'm heartily tired of the scrub by the time I roll onto the broad top of pt 1476 at 11.40.  Another slow climb of over four hours so not really a short cut - but nice to complete the ridge.

It's fierce windy but the day is superb so I tuck into a sunny dip in the tussock out of the wind for an early lunch. The plains disappear into a blue hazy distance below as I alternate between lunch, the view and the map.  

Pt 1476

It's a long saddle after 1476 - I remember to bear right around the scrub as I drop into it and soon find the ribbons that mark the easiest route through. 

Back through the saddle to pt1476

Climbing to 1499 I bear right to see if I can sidle the top - there's a bit of a plateau marked on the map but you may as well stick to the ridge as if you pick the wrong line on the sidle you have a steepish face and a bit of scrub to contend with. 

Three Johns on horizon

About 1.10 I'm at Armstrong Saddle and the hut by 1.25.  There are a few day trippers in but I only stop briefly to fill in the log and by 2.25 I'm back at the car having taken the uphill track around the swamp. Unsurprisingly David has already been and gone.

Postscript

A really enjoyable trip - an undoubted highlight of which was hearing shining cuckoo.  The upper Waikamaka is good going but I recommend either continuing down to Wakelings or climbing to the ridge after pt 1420.  Mokai Patea is a great walk on a nice day and quite beautiful in the evening light.  See my notes above about finding the spur down to Otukota - findable in clag but you would need to keep your wits about you.  

The river route from Otukota demands some respect but was a great walk on a sunny morning - note that at the time of writing the online map had not been updated to reflect the track change.  If you can get across the river by the hut the new route would be much (much!) quicker than the old one.  

Ohutu Ridge I didn't really warm to.  I wouldn't avoid it, but its not a destination in its own right.

Waikatore Biv site would be a nice place to camp. I don't recommend following the stream though unless you have plenty of time and don't mind a lot of scrambling. 

The Mangatera River route up to Colenso is not for the faint hearted. It was a lot tougher than I expected - it would be fun on a good day without time pressure but I don't recommend it as a solo effort and would avoid in poor weather. 

Papakiakuta Ridge has its moments - if doing it again I wouldn't follow my route at the start but head upstream from the hut and look for the pest control trail up to the ridge SW of pt 1065.  I'm pleased to have traversed it though.

The route up from Maropea Forks Hut looked like an elegant solution on the map but was a bit too much like hard work - again, nice to have done it though.