Winzenberg hill and a few other spots

My Tararua spot-height collection has reached a point where there are large areas with just a few scattered points that remain unvisited. These are left overs from trips predating this unhealthy obsession. The density has become low enough that the other day I bothered to do a count - 107 remaining give or take.

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:

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.

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.

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.

Looking back down the spur - note the absence of tracks
535 in middle distance

From the top looking up the Waingawa - Mitre with snow on horizon

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.

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.

"Towards Gentle Annie Saddle"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

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.

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.

Down High Ridge (from west side of ridge)

Isabella and Holdsworth

Up ridge - Holdsworth on left

Down ridge - Waiohine in distance

The final walk up to the intersection with the Powell-Holdsworth ridge sees me there a little before 1pm. Despite being much higher than the snow line on Isabella and Holdsworth, there are only a few drifts remaining behind tussocks on this exposed section. These continue all the way down to Powell Hut about 8 minutes later.

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.

Waiohine Steeplechase

This is the report from the inaugural Midwinter Waiohine Solo Steeplechase. The event has a simple set of rules the first two of which may be gleaned from the title: midwinter being around mid-July and solo being without any external assistance of any kind. Participants must carry a two-day pack including shelter, sleeping bag and warm clothes (safety first), direction of travel is discretionary. There are a few other rules and more can be made up as you go along. It doesn't promise to be a spectator sport and I don't expect it to catch-on to any degree.

What: Day trip with provision for likely overnight
Where: Loop from Holdsworth, to Powell Hut via River Ridge track, down High Ridge, down left bank of Waiohine to Sayer Hut, cross stream and ascend Waiohine, then follow ridge north to drop onto Totara Creek Track and exit to Holdsworth Road via Gentle Annie Track
Why: Practice navigation and knock off a number of routes

When: Midwinter

Map: Link

The plan started with the intention to climb Waiohine, the highest point on the ridge between the Waiohine River and the Wairarapa. But how best to get there? For various reasons the ridge north was chosen, giving Holdsworth rather than Walls Whare as the base. Not being big on there-and-back trips, various loop options started to form but it just had to be High Ridge. Joining them up was a simple matter of avoiding the usual teeming hoards on Totara Flats by using a route described by the TTC along the Waiohine left bank.

An early start from home has me leaving the car in the frosty pre-dawn at Holdsworth Road end. At 7am, it is not yet light but after a pit stop there's enough not to have to crack out the head torch.

The turn-off to the River Ridge Track is easy to find. On the way up I'm reminded of a trip up here late one evening but now wonder what I was worried about. It's a relaxed grade and easy to follow, with sunrise catching me part way up. On the way I discover a wee bit of gravel rattling around in the toe of one boot - must remember to whip it out at the next stop.  At 8.10 I reach the cluster of signs at Pig Flat.

Nondescript forest catching the first of the sun 

No excuses to get lost

From Pig Flat looking up at Powell Hut

It's a steady climb on a good track to an empty Powell Hut, arriving at 8.50. On the way, the periodic view spots confirm that it is a glorious day. I also get my first glimpses of High Ridge. There are steep slips near the head of the ridge but most of it undulates along under a thick bush canopy after a short stints along the open tops.

Last time I came up here in the dark the wind was whistling through the trees and there was ice on the ground. This time the puddles are iced over and the gravel on the track frozen solid, but no wind.

First view

Great Walk standard track

First sight of High Ridge

Waiohine valley, my ridge on the left

Back down towards Holdsworth road end

High Ridge

Powell Hut

From Powell Hut

I take a brief stop to admire the view, top up water (no sense carrying much up the hill after all), fill in the log book and forget to take the piece of gravel out of my boot. It is tempting to pop up to the peak but I resign myself to saving the time, arriving at my turnoff a bit before 9.10.

Finding the right spot to leave a marked track can sometimes be tricky, requiring map reading skills and a weather eye out for the subtle signs that indicate the best route. It's not so hard at the High Ridge junction.

Finding the junction to High Ridge

Holdsworth second lump to left, Jumbo one of the lumps towards the right

High Ridge
Southern Crossing on the horizon

Aokaparangi on Main Range (I think)

The travel down over tussock and herbs is easy, with a ground trail that comes and goes. I am relishing cracking the ice in the puddles but even more so the superb views across the Mid Waiohine Valley to the Main Range, behind to Holdsworth, Hector and the Southern Crossing on the horizon, and various familiar spurs dropping into hidden valley depths. The sound of the river 900m below somehow serves to accentuate the sense of space, distance and the sheer volume of empty air between the ridges.

I pay particular attention to the Waiohine Ridge which, with a bit of luck, I will be returning along this afternoon. The winter sun is throwing the spurs into relief and I think I can spot my target.

Around about now my watch starts informing me that the battery is running down. I tend to rely on the altimeter to confirm location so this may get challenging if it stops working - particularly later in the day with fading light.

The ground trail is a little hard to follow when it approaches the bush line, but for a change I manage to find the right spot and duck into the green, mossy shade at 9.30. There's a reasonable track that follows along the ridge and off to the east side. Mr Orange Tape Man has been through with a somewhat liberal hand.

Bush entry point - easy to miss

Typical goblin forest

Periodically there are little windows in the bush showing a slice of the Main Range. At one of these I am captivated by a flock of Rifleman who ignore me completely, carrying on with their high pitched twittering - like very small bits of polystyrene on tiny, tiny glass bottles. A bush robin cocks a beady eye - it's tempting to say 'cheekily' but it's pretty clear that it is merely sizing up the potential calorific benefits of interacting with big-noisy-two-legs.

Even under the canopy this is one of those great Tararua days. The full enjoyment is gained by paying in the coin of numerous windy, clagged-in struggles along exposed ridges.

Aokaparangi

Mt Crawford perhaps?

During recent trips I've noticed that when it's cold my hands swell up quite noticeably, particularly the left one. Today it looks like Beryl Cook drew them. I'm going to assume that it is nothing serious and possibly something to do with tight pack and watch straps.

Where the ridge widens the ground trail tends to dissipate but the compass is only required a couple of times. I get lazy and switch from navigation mode to tramping mode - this is where you follow the track and the markers and pay little attention to map and compass - faster but when you lose the track you have much less awareness of where you are. My left toes have now become intimately familiar with all the sharp facets of the piece of gravel - but no damage done, so will fish it out at the next stop.

Some of the old markers still remain

For some reason Mr Orange Tape Man becomes all parsimonious at some of the more tricky bits approaching Flaxy Knob. A bit of time is wasted trying to find the trail before confirming with the compass.

I may not have been paying attention but I didn't see any flax at Flaxy Knob. Maybe it's tramping irony? The route off the Knob is well marked but there are some notable gaps on the way down.

Old but still serviceable

I start the descent at 11.03 with some guidance notes from the TTC website in hand - I'd have to say that they were hard to match to the terrain, although their estimate of 90 min top to bottom was bang on. The trick is to get on the correct spur and not one that veers right towards the tricky steep slopes above the Waiohine. All up I can't claim navigation skills for following the right spur - merely the ability to find the next marker.

I pause for a bite part way down and neglect to remove the gravel again.

Belt, braces and bailing twine

Gate A?

The track drops down to a cairn by the Totara Creek Track arriving at 12.36. The swing bridge to Totara Flats Hut is one minute away but I'm heading across Totara Creek and there's nothing for it but to get wet feet.

Cairn you see it?  (dedicated to Scott)

Totara Creek to Totara Flats Hut (Waiohine River in between)

On the other side there are various flats and terraces to follow. The river is up a bit so there is no space along the edge, and I end up in a bit of a messy, scrubby scramble until there is enough river edge to boulder hop across the bottom of the slip. On the other side I fossick along for a bit then duck into the bush edge and follow along on the terrace. Eventually there is quite a well marked and formed track to follow which leads directly to Sayer Hut arriving 1.20 for lunch.

Sayer Hut

The day has clouded over and cooled down, giving a feeling of limited daylight hours. I take a 20 minute break to eat, complete the log book, top up water (enough for a night out), stack the tools under cover that some idiot had left outside, and once again forget about the piece of gravel.

The next bit is a bit of a punt. The spur across Sayer Stream isn't exactly the obvious route up to Waiohine, but it's closest. There's plenty of game trails for a start, and a bit of scrambling around on the lower slopes, but eventually it's not too bad going. At 640m I come across a well marked route with stoat traps, which takes me almost to the top.

At 3.07 it's been about 90 minutes climbing to a wee clearing with a post and good views north and west.

Waiohine.

This is what we came here for - top of Waiohine

My ridge on right - spur with proper track to Sayer in the midground 

The ridge has a reasonable ground trail but is not fast travel. At 3.34 I'm at spot height 810 and take a compass bearing to bear left and gain the Sayer Track 14 minutes later. And this is where I waste a fair bit of time.

I truck along keeping an eye out for indications of where the route leaves the track - miss them completely and drop too far. Retracing my steps I work out where I need to go and strike off through the bush to get up to the desired ridge. On top is a strong ground trail and lots of markers - goodness knows how I missed it. There's a bit of teeth grinding as I think of the daylight minutes wasted.

To mouth of Totara Creek

The ground trail remains pretty strong until just after 768 (at 4.27) the top of a spur to the mouth of Totara Creek is well marked and obviously well traveled. A few minutes later a rocky tor gives some great views although difficult to capture in the last of the sun. 20 minutes later the next break gives only glimpses of a few rays filtering between the north western peaks.

The clock is definitely ticking now. In the gathering gloom it is getting harder to spot the ground trail. I don't want to crack out the torch though, as that will pretty much destroy what little sense of the shape of the terrain remains in the waning light. Someone has twisted wrappers around branches in places and I spot the last of these at a point where I think the path should drop to the left - it suggests this it that point so I take a bearing to the Totara Creek track and head off down the slope. A deer moves off to avoid me but remains unseen.

I've completely lost the ground trail now and work my way down, fortunately through pretty open woodland. A curious shape on a tree turns out to be a track marker and a couple of steps later the Totara Creek Track. Solid and wide - a bit of a relief.

Arrival at Totara Creek Track - getting a bit dim

At 5.35 the moon is failing to provide much usable light, but the track is so good as it follows a broad, flat spur top that I keep pottering along in the gloaming, practicing using peripheral vision to pick out where the track runs. Eventually though (ie 15 minutes) it starts dropping and I give in and put on my brand new Petzl Tikka head torch (does the trick fine - not as many functions as my Black Diamond but feels a bit more robust).

The thing about torch light travel is that your world closes in to a small area of light and you lose awareness of what's outside it. That's just fine for the 300m climb up to the Gentle Annie Track.

This part of track is old and familiar. I do think it should be renamed Totara Track Creek though. I don't know what wizardry the early track builders practiced but they managed to follow a spur with a creek running down it.  A fair proportion of the climb is splashing up a mossy, clay, rooty watercourse.

Finally, at 6.30 I reach the top just as a chap comes waltzing up the Gentle Annie on his way to Powell Hut - the first and last person I see for the day. He's not about to pause for a chat and I'm pretty keen to get on my way down.

Translation: 1 hour thirty = fifty minutes

This part of the track is of 'Great Walk' standard i.e. disability access bar the hand rails. I can switch off and potter down, too weary to trot.

Part of my brain suggests going up to Rocky Lookout, the other part suggests that that idiot part should shut up, but loses out. It's four days from the full moon so there's enough light to make out the surrounding landscape, but not what you would call enchanting.

A few sections of the downward trail are at just the right pitch to rustle up a desultory trot, but on the flats all I can muster is a stiff potter. At last at 7.23, 12 hours and 20 minutes after setting out, I'm at the car park. Departure is delayed a little though, as the car has iced up already.

The Rimutaka traffic is uncharacteristically sparse and it's a quick trip home to remove boots, find that damned piece of rock and fall into a hot bath.