Rae Ridge

Rae Ridge - not a highly familiar Tararua name. However, if you asked me about the area between Judd Ridge, the Waiotauru track and Renata Ridge the answer would most definitely be something about unfinished business.

Missions into Otaki Forks generally entail whistling off up Judd Ridge (southern crossing or main range), Waitewaewae (Te Araroa trail and main range) or Waiotauru track (towards Akatarawa Hill road). But there is also a chunk of not-officially-tracked countryside to explore with plenty of remnants from the bad old days of logging.

I've stashed this trip away for a rainy (but not too rainy) day and this weekend promises just that. The plan is to cross the Waiotauru River (first thing so that if uncrossable I'm not stuck on the wrong side), head up Rae Ridge to Dennan (1214m), follow the track up Judd Ridge to Kime Hut, assess progress and, all going well head down the ridge west from Field Peak (swinging to north west) dropping to the confluence of Eastern Waiotauru River and Tregear Creek, follow the river down to the Waiotauru track and back to the car park.

It looks like a bit of a distance and a bit of a climb - depending on the nature of the bush it could be a bit of a struggle to get around in a day. I pack for an over-nighter with a bail-out option down Judd Ridge to the car.

What:   Navigation trip

Who:    Solo

Where: Otaki Forks: Rae Ridge and Eastern Waiotauru

Why:    New territory and nav practice 

When:  25 March 2017

Map:    Map

At 6.50am on a cloudy morning there is just enough light to find my way from the Ridgeline track car park to follow the road down onto the terrace and from there to the river. The river is up a little but it is a good wide point to cross and with the aid of a stick I'm soon following a foot trail through the grass on the opposite terrace.

The trace leads to Sheridan Stream then follows up where it exits the hills past a notice indicating a 1080 operation a week ago. I follow for a bit thinking there might be a route on to the base of Rae Ridge but eventually realise this is increasingly unlikely so bash straight up through the bush.

Once on the toe of the ridge ground trails quickly become apparent and there are clearings. Soon there is something that looks like an old logging trail that, although overgrown, provides better travel. This continues until somewhere over 450m.

As the day brightens it reveals clouds low on the surrounding hills. The lack of view is no great hardship as, after the low level clearings, most of the rest of the ridge is under a high canopy.

From toe of Rae Ridge - Otaki Campsite just out of sight on right

I don't notice much in the way of markers but it is mostly reasonably easy to follow the ridge with just the occasional use of map and compass where it widens. There is the usual undergrowth concealing the odd stump, one of which I bang my thigh into at full noise. After a few anaesthetic expletives I continue with a bit of a limp.

At one point a small and unexpectedly green patch on the ground turns out to be a 1080 bait, quietly degrading into the forest floor. A few meters on is another and shortly after another. The presence of bait I guess is a good thing - a) control activities are being undertaken, b) the operation has successfully achieved the desired low density of bait coverage and c) there's not so many pests around that the baits are all getting eaten.

A couple of spots on the ridge look like they might be a bit of a challenge but even the one where my over-folded map has developed a hole proves no problem. I try to keep a reasonably steady pace and generally find a bit of a ground trail, reaching the bushline finally around 1030am - about 3.5 hrs from the car (approx. 1150m).

Slightly damp and not much to see but making progress

Claggy spurs - Judd Ridge on right

From Rae Ridge - looking up Judd Ridge towards an obscured Bridge Peak

After clearing the bushline the ground trail follows the top of the ridge amidst clag that comes and goes. Glimpses up and down Judd Ridge appear then fade. It's not cold but in the open and pretty much soaked through it's more comfortable to keep moving.

And the clag closes in again.  Down Judd Ridge towards Table Top - from Dennan

From Dennan (11am - four hours on the go) the civilised line of the Southern Crossing track with orderly markers meanders through the tussock.  I turn south and head up over familiar terrain into the cloud - next stop Kime hut.

Kime hut emerging from its usual habitat - cloud

After seeing no-one on the track and no recent foot prints it isn't surprising to find an empty hut. The new hut is a far cry from the old one - it is even slightly warmer than the outside environment. I'll chill down pretty quick without moving though so don hat and gloves after filling out the log and looking for tips from anyone that may have followed the same route (no luck). 

The time is pretty good and although this is now the tricky part of the trip, it is down hill with plenty of day left so I'm comfortable to make the call to continue. Kime has good cell cover so I get confirmation from home support that my intentions have been received.

From here the target ridge should be pretty easy to find even in the clag, but there are a couple of points on the way down where I figure some care will be required not to drop off a spur.

The prolonged stop (half hour) has got me a bit cool so I'm well wrapped up for the short wander along the tops to a faint trail towards the spur. The spur is easy to find but the ground trail comes and goes. With the lack of visibility I use the altimeter and compass to confirm the route and after a bit of a scramble find a way through leatherwood into the bush. Almost immediately there's an old marker confirming I'm on the ridge and promising that there might be a bit of assistance.

Sure enough there are more markers here than I noted on Rae Ridge and a reasonable ground trail. There's still a bit of need for map and compass though and I keep a close eye on the altimeter. The good news is that despite the clag there is no more rain.

Shelf fungus and top shelf fungus

Stepping around a log I'm startled to find myself staring into the eyes of a goat from five meters away. He is sporting a reasonable set of horns and is pretty adamant that he isn't going anywhere. In fact he snorts at me. The impasse holds for some moments until I buckle first - he's not actually in my way so I continue, leaving him to his territory.

The leg is niggling a bit and I'm starting to feel the lack of serious exercise in recent weeks so set a bit of an easier pace for the middle section of the ridge and take a bit of a breather.

My plans for the toe of the ridge are a bit vague but I figure that there'll either be some markers to follow or the spur running west than north-west looks promising.  In the event around about 540m I stumble over a length of stainless cable and shortly after, an old logging track. It drops steeply towards Tregear Stream. The markers have disappeared so there may be an easier way down that I missed but the logging track must get to the bottom so I commit to follow it.

The track drops down slope angles that I can't imagine you would get anything other than a bulldozer up. Some sizable trees and dense groves of saplings cover the old road bed with punga growing in the damp cuttings.

Cutting through

Middle of the road

As the road drops steeply towards the stream there are a couple of spots where slips have swept it away. Scrambling across and following the line, the road soon appears again on the other side. It's a remarkably civilised route down but once in the river bed I lose sight of where the road may have run so I'm soon bollock deep in Tregear Stream. It's 4.20; about 9.5 hours on the go.

The stream is not so big but reasonably energetic and deep in spots. I scramble down getting to the confluence with Eastern Waiotauru 10-15 minutes later.

Eastern Waiotauru has a bit of water flowing

The Eastern Waiotauru is somewhat larger in a steep sided valley. I am soon bollock deep again with frequent crossings required to avoid deep pools. The rocks are lethally slippery and a stick becomes necessary. I'm not sure if I missed a trick here. I can't figure how they got the vehicles to the track up the ridge but can't see any sign on the slopes above.

And it's a little gorgeish 

Some local fauna

It takes a while to get about half a km down stream and I'm eyeing up the next stretch of river when I note daylight through the bush up the left bank. A short scramble and I'm on an old vehicle track - well benched into the hill, wide and solid. Things speed up.

The old road sidles around to the Waiotauru river valley where the main track joins to head further up valley and eventually to the Waiotauru Hut. I reluctantly leave the road to follow the track down to the bridge and the 5 odd kilometres back to the car park.    

Waiotauru River - about halfway back from the bridge to the car park

Old steam mongery 

Looking across at bottom end of Rae Ridge - Sheridan Stream valley on left

Sheridan Stream valley

The track is good and well marked. It potters up and down and there are a few slips to bypass. It's mostly in bush but there are occasional views down and across valley and some grassy clearings. The bottom end of  Rae Ridge shows signs of an easier access route then the one I followed and a visible scar from an old road.

Almost 12 hours after setting out I'm back at the car - a bit sore from a longer time on my feet and faster pace than recent weekends but quite satisfied with the day's exertions.

Kime, Hector and Otaki Gorge Slip

A trip up to Kime Hut is not exactly new territory but this weekend provided some new experiences.

What:  Otaki forks to Kime and Mt Hector
Who:    Scott (leader), Rachel, Vignesh and me
When:  Sat 18 and Sun 19 June
Why:    Meet-Up group trip
Map of slip: Link

Scott puts a tramp up on Meet-Up early in the week and I decide to check it out. I have been in the habit of avoiding group tramps but this is a chance to get out with some of the leaders from the Meet-Up group and to check out the slip on the Otaki Gorge Road. An unanticipated advantage of a group trip becomes apparent after the trip when Rachel posts her photos - they are far better than I have managed on my phone and she graciously agrees to let me display them here (only the photos around the slip are mine).

The weather forecast is rubbish for the Sunday so the plan shifts towards the end of the week to a trip up to Kime then return to Field for the night.  It should be pretty easy going although there is a small matter of an odd extra 4 Km and 300 metres climb to get past the slip.

After a few delays and a stop for coffee it's about 10am when we leave the car on a grey day at the car park on Shields Flat. It's about a kilometre short of the slip. Diggers and bulldozers are operating on a vast hill of spoil but the slip itself is out of sight. A group of four (two chaps and two women) has arrived just ahead of us and head along the road to see if they can get across the slip. They are soon back after being told in no uncertain terms that they're not crossing.




The slip isn't visible but the pile of spoil is just 
to the left of centre 

The bypass starts up the gully to the left of the caravan

The bypass is well marked from the carpark, crossing a paddock then heading steeply up an old forestry track under pines. It climbs fairly steeply and there's little to see through the trees although machines can be heard working below. It's sort of pleasant when the track levels to stroll along with soft pine needles underfoot.

The track soon rounds a spur and enters a gully that has been clear felled and replanted. After a total of about 300m climbing it turns left into a more recently upgraded 4WD track and immediately starts descending. The road soon reaches a wide space with a couple of vehicles parked and the marked route heads off into the bush to follow a winding track down a spur, at one point steep enough for someone to have attached a very long rope through the trees.

Vignesh emerges out of the gully

Vignesh and Scott negotiating the descent

At the bottom there's a left turn (you would have thought right) on to an old but very well cut 4WD track which finally deposits us onto the Otaki Forks Road again - about a Km past the slip which is out of sight around the hill.

There's a further kilometer to the bridge over the Waiotauru River and the start of the tramp proper.

We're pretty slow up the hill so it's a late lunch at Field where the group from the carpark has settled in and a few others are sleeping or milling around. I discover that my topo map has Field hut in the wrong place - a bit odd given the hut has been around for quite a long time. There is a flash new toilet though - the old one has been pushed on it's side and I assume will be removed some day.

Field Hut

As the weather forecast has improved we are going to head on up to Kime for the night with maybe a jaunt up to Mt Hector. It's still cold though and probably a bit windy up the hill so I crack out the coat.  The tops start pretty much straight after Field hut and there is nothing to see in the clag. Even less to see once my glasses fog up (mental note to get the contacts out for the next trip). The wind is not strong which is lucky as it's pretty cold and there's a fair amount of moisture in the air.

Clag on Judd Ridge - the track is not all so over engineered

We are making very slow progress so the day starts drawing in as we are still heading up the ridge. It's a pretty straight forward route though so there are no concerns.

At one point we suddenly notice that the tussock has taken on a golden light - it's a bit weird as there is no change in the cloud but we figure that somewhere behind us the sun is setting. It quickly fades and it's just about dark when we arrive at Kime around 6pm.

There's one chap in residence who we think has come up from Tutuwai Hut via Bull Mound - good travel given the short daylight hours. Scott is keen to head on up to Hector as it is a strategic point in a strategy game that he is involved in. I figure that there is an outside chance of a break in the cloud and a view of city lights on the horizon, besides, I haven't really done enough for the day so I add some more layers and we head out under lights.

As we leave the calm in the dell around the hut, the wind steadily rises and the wind chill increases. We're just short of the top of Field Peak when Scott gets an attack of the cramps which are not about to go away - nothing for it but to head back to the hut.

Kime hut has a harsh rap as a cold hole. I suspect this is probably because the old hut was a cold hole and there were some issues with the building of the new hut so it hasn't managed to throw off the reputation. Let's face it - at 1400m next to a tarn and with a few traces of snow about - of course it's cold!  The temperature in the evening is just under 8 degrees dropping to a bit over 5 during the night. The hut is clean, spacious and light, certainly better than its predecessor.

Nostalgic diversion

Old Kime and building materials for new Kime

New Kime taking shape

You can't even tell where she stood now

Dinner for the evening is a fine chicken curry courtesy of Vignesh and his wife. I do my best not to burn it on my gas burner (not using my penny stove for a change). Scott also drags various treats out of his pack including Garage Project beer and pop-corn. Augmented by Rachel's marshmallows we have more than enough and turn in a little after 9.

It's a pretty quiet night. The other tenant gets up well before dawn and disappears. Then Scott is up and about to head up the hill - Rachel and I decide to join him so we kit up rapidly and head out.

Kime Hut almost sees the dawn

It's windy on the ridge but not wet and the cloud is breaking around the peaks providing tantalising glimpses of the sun and surrounding ridges and peaks.

Here comes the sun - just off the top of Field Peak

Coming off Field and eyeing up Hector

A minute or two later - Neill Ridge to the left

At the top of Hector Scott hunkers down over his cell phone behind a rock to do arcane things. This is Rachel's first trip up here and it's good that we get a few views across into the Wairarapa, glimpses of the Southern Crossing and Marchant Ridge and Cone come and go. Neill Ridge looks pretty uninviting in this wind with cloud shredding through the dips but it would be fun to head along and down.

Memorial at top of Hector

Gazing at the view 

Neill Ridge

We head back to Field for breakfast. Vignesh is ready to go so he and Scott head on down while Rachel and I have breakfast and tidy the hut. 10 minutes latter Scott pops back in to pick up the clothes he'd left behind.

Yep - there's a little bit of winter about ... just

Rachel sets a cracking pace and we are at Field hut not too long after the others and I've shed a few layers on the way. The other tenants are gone after neither filling in the log book nor replacing the firewood they used. Probably didn't pay their hut fees either.

We pause briefly then Vignesh launches off down the ridge at speed. We see an older couple on the way up but otherwise it is pleasant travel in damp bush and little wind; not too cold and the forecast rain never arrives.  It's a really good track through nice bush.

Trackside fungus

For the last 300 vertical meters the track breaks in and out of bush and we get a few views into surrounding valleys but nothing as far as the main range.

At the bottom we elect to pop along and check out the slip. It's an impressive sight - the road is covered in shattered rock, mud and shredded trees. The slip drops steeply to the river far below and is not safe to cross at the road level but workers have bulldozed terraces across further up. We grovel up through scrappy bush and supplejack beside the slip until we are above one of the terraces. The ground around the slip is fractured and loose but there's enough vegetation to provide hand and foot holds.

Heading up to the slip which is ahead and up to the right

The edge of the slip

Rachel, Scott and Vignesh

Scott ventures onto the slip - there doesn't appear to be any material likely to come down from above and the surface is stable enough, about 10m out he turns and bum slides down to the bulldozed track. Vignesh then Rachel follow suit and finally I essay a somewhat more elegant scree run down.

There have clearly been a few other people taking the same route however I wouldn't recommend it unless you assess the risks pretty carefully (condition of the slope, loose material that may come down from above, run-out below etc) and don't even think of it when the machines are operating.

We walk across the terrace and down through pines to a staging area with a lot of diggers then down to the road for the short walk back to the car. A couple of chaps are chatting next to a 4WD and we wonder if they are going to challenge us but they don't seem to be connected with the site works, we exchange a few words and head on our way.

We've made much better time than yesterday and it's good to get back to Wellington in daylight and without having to contend with the worst of the Coast traffic.

So all up, the weather wasn't flash but was better than expected. We got some glimpses of view from Hector and a number of us managed some firsts - for me a night in the new Kime and an up close look at the slip. Good fun.

Penn Creek one day loop

A bit of a knee wrecker

Solo day trip

Click to access map in new window

To make the most of these winter days you've got to be about early; I'd say 5am classifies.  It's five to seven when the car door slams at Otaki Forks car park and the beam from my head torch picks out the ghostly white of frosty grass.  A bit of a jog is indicated to stave off the chill and get the day moving.

The plan is to do a loop from Otaki Forks, past Field Hut to drop into Penn creek, climb Pakihore Ridge to McIntosh on the Tararua Range, follow the range back to Kime Hut and return back down Judd Ridge to Field Hut and the car park.  The two thirds I have done before is fine; the Penn Creek segment is a bit of an unknown so I'm a bit fixated on watching the clock today.

The pre-dawn light is not yet quite bright enough but the path is a real highway so I could probably have got by without a torch for all but the first couple of hundred metres.

An hour later at Tirotiro Knob (855m) the sun lances in under the high cloud and briefly lights the bush.  There's not much more sight of it for the rest of the day.  A few minutes on is a clearing where Mike and I saw a pretty sunset over Kapakapanui (1102m); this time Kapa' is picking up the morning sun and the bare tops and slip are clearly visible.  A photo stop is a must; having recently visited the top for the first time I feel I have a proprietorial interest.

Kapakapanui catches the first and last of the sun

Field at 0810 has a couple if groups gearing up for the day.  A group of five from Vic Uni got in late last night and are just waking up for a trip up to Hector.  An older 2 blokes and a woman from Tararua Tramping Club are intending to visit Kime before returning.  I identify myself as being from WTMC, despite everyone being in a club none of us are on club trips.

It's good to chat as they make their tea and exchange plans for the day.  One of to the TTC blokes notes that there are warnings about dangerous slips on Penn track.  I'm aware that the old gorge track is dodgy but this is the first I've heard that my route for the day might be a problem.

Heading up the hill the frost is getting decidedly firm and puddles are iced over.  Across the Penn catchment is Pakihore Ridge.  My track plunges into the depths of the valley then struggles onto Pakihore which will take me up to the main range (which is looking decidedly long and lumpy from this angle).  Out of sight is Hut Mound and Kime Hut which is where I will begin the descent back down the ridge I'm standing on.  It's all looking a bit daunting  but being ahead of time is a good start.

Judd Ridge near Penn turn off, a bit of frost on the track.
Bridge Peak on right

Some photo attempts have limited success in the dim light and it is twenty to nine when the track to Penn Creek peels off at about 1050m.  A short way along there is a stern sign warning about slips and people having to be rescued. I figure that I'll head on down and decide when I see the slips in question.  The track is a little rough but fine and easy to follow. It wends across the tussocks before diving through the scrub and into the bush where it drops and drops. 

On the left at about 700m a stream appears in a deep gully and the sound of Penn Creek drifts up on the right.  Eventually the bottom and a stream crossing which has been known to be impassable but is fine today.

The track continues down the valley climbing onto and following old terraces.  Somewhere on the left is a navigable route up a spur but there's no time to try to find it today.

It's 0940 when the track opens to a small grassy flat and Penn Hut (220m).  There was no slip damage evident anywhere on the track and I'm a bit tetchy about the DoC sign which inaccurately warns people out of the catchment when there is access to the hut and another exit route.  The sign is repeated down stream of the hut which is where the access to the old gorge route is and where I would expect the slips to be.

The hut is a standard 6 birth and is clean and tidy. The last resident was last Sunday.  Heading off at 0950 the first order is crossing the creek. Its a good size and nippy so I grab a stick, although not really necessary, the third leg is helpful.

This was always going to be the tough part of the day. The climb is about 1,000m on a track that is not as well maintained as some. The start is chaotic as the foot of the slope is wet and loose so there are a number of tree falls to negotiate with lots of loose soil and rock and rotting vegetation. The track is marked but with the tree falls it is easy to miss. However, the track soon dives upwards and into drier forest providing easier going. It climbs steeply to 973m where the spur meets the Pakihore Ridge, here it turns right and meanders upwards at a more leisurely pace. It takes 2 hrs to get to the intersection with the Tararua Range just before McIntosh (1286m).

On the way as the trees thin there are views across to Judd Ridge and up to the main range. At one point the Tararua Peaks can be glimpsed but are soon hidden.

Tunui and Tuiti, quite close together from this angle

The whole way up the ridge there are fresh deer prints on the track. Just after seeing the peaks I round a corner and am at least as startled as the deer standing 10m away (not for long), it quickly moves away and is lost to sight.  It looked fat and healthy on all that good native forest kai.

Reaching the main ridge is a milestone; it's semi familiar territory and there are no more big climbs (oh, except for a small matter of 300m up Bridge peak and a few intervening knobs). There's more ice about and the wind has got up. An extra layer and gloves are necessary, as is some voltarin for a couple of knees that are complaining about the outrageous abuse.

The trip along the ridge is a little slow due to tired legs and a few stops to look at the stunning views.  The cloud ceiling is so high that no peak is obscured and the South Island is clear to see.  Kapiti Island hovers just off the coast and patches of sun pick out parts of the Wairarapa.

Finally the next lump on the ridge is the last 300m up to Bridge Peak. I take the sidle to Hut Mound and over to New Kime Hut.  On the way noting that the tarns are covered in thin ice and some poor bugger has dropped his cell phone in the track.  It has water in it so is probably stuffed but I pick it up to leave in the hut to dry.

Approaching Kime the ground is frozen but it's the new hut that is of interest, it looks pretty flash; larger and more comfortable than its predecessor. It's 1340 when I open the door to the new vestibule.

New Kime

I expect to see one of the groups from this morning but there is another solo chap from Levin chatting to his wife on his cell phone.  He's just up for the day but has brought a reasonable amount of gear including a billy.  I decline a cup of tea as I want to keep moving.  Then stick around and talk for 15 minutes; twit!

Inside new Kime

Despite the double glazing and orientation it's cold inside but I can imagine that with a full house it would get pretty warm.  Apparently the TTC group have been through already and the Vic group haven't got back from Hector yet.  They start turning up as I leave, taking photos behind as I go.

New Kime from a distance.  Old Kime was just in front of it

It's down hill now so a bit of pace is possible despite cold and tired legs.  A couple of people have pottered a short way along the track down to Penn but they're not from a group I have seen today.

Just above Field two lasses are heading up for what I suspect will be a dim arrival and cold night at Kime.  Given the front that is coming they are also likely to be in for a bit of a wet and wild trip down on Sunday.

Field seems to be full but this may be due to the presence of some children (and possibly the reason for the lasses departure?).  The TTC group are about to head out and I'm just in front of them at 1500, after filling in the hut log.

The trot down is uninterrupted with only one new person a few minutes from the bottom.  She seems a bit young to be out on her own but is heading out on a good track so I jog past.  Heading out onto the flats the first fingers of cramp start poking my left calf at each step.  Lifting the toes and leading with the heel is just enough to stave them off until arrival at the car just before 1555.

Post Match Analysis

Everything went according to plan and the weather agreed with the forecast.  The time up to Field (1:15) set things up well to keep ahead of schedule all day.  The tracks down and out of Penn were rough in places and steep but navigable.  The main ridge is exposed (Duh!) even in mild weather and the amount of climbing slows estimated progress. The track from Kime down is good and getting better allowing a cracking pace; 2 hours back to the car despite photos and chatting at Field.  So about 9 hours all up making this a feasible one day trip.

And why call it the knee wrecker? A rough estimate is that there is something over 2,800 vertical metres of climbing with (obviously) the same amount of descent.  I think I might go back to biking for a couple of weekends.

Tararua - Southern Main Range

Otaki, Kime, Waitewaewae loop

22 – 24 February 2013
Solo

The good thing about picking up tramping in the Tararuas after many years’ break is that everything is new and most trips go somewhere you’ve either been meaning to go for ages, or have forgotten most of the details from school and ‘varsity years.

The southern end of the Main Range is one of these. It sits there on the map and is visible from many vantage points, but weather and circumstances kept conspiring against knocking the bugger off.

This weekend I finally manage to get around to it.

After reading various accounts of parts of the trip on the web I decide to start from the south. The reasons are simple: I’m comfortable with a torchlight trip up the Judd ridge which gets the main climb out of the way before Saturday morning, the Tararua peaks are knocked off early in the trip, and as Kime Hut is going to be ripped down in two weeks, it’s the final chance to spend a night there.

The trip has loomed as a slightly daunting unknown. Looking at the maps it looks like a lot of exposed travel and there is the matter of the ladder and chains around Tuiti and Tunui; anything requiring that amount of engineering has got to be intimidating.

Friday – Otaki Forks to Kime

The weather forecast is good, but then 4 days out starts predicting cloud with strong southerlies on the Friday, and possibly cloud on the Saturday with winds dying. It stabilises at this, and I watch with a jaundiced eye as clouds bowl through Wellington all Friday. However, I decide to reserve judgement until Field Hut.

The phone goes just as I am about to beat an early exit so it is not until 5 that I’m in the car and heading for a traffic jam starting at Whenuatapu and lasting until Waikanae. Imagine doing this every day. The wind is whipping the trees around on the coast but the clouds clear quickly apart from some suspicious characters lurking around the hills.

In the end it’s 7.10pm when I leave the car at the overnight park (140m) and set out. The sun has left the grass flats, but I catch it on the toe of the ridge. This part is familiar after coming up with Mike under similar conditions a couple of weeks back. The sun is a little lower this time, so I see the same views but with sunset well advanced, and the air is once again perfectly still.

The new head torch comes out just before reaching Field Hut (830m) around 8.45. I stop long enough to have a chat to a couple of older guys doing the same loop over a couple more days, top up my water, jot a note in the log and head on up. By now it’s dark but above the bushline a half moon makes itself useful.

The wind picks up a little but I’m still just OK in a microfibre T-shirt and shorts.

At first there seems to be nothing to see outside the pool of torchlight on the track. But then the white flowers scattered along the track catch the eye as they seem to fluoresce in the light. And climbing higher the lights of Otaki then Paraparaumu show as clusters of orange on the horizon. The moonlight bathes the clouds which sit like a bad wig along the main ridge. At one point there is an almost invisible glow in the middle of the dark valley on the north of the ridge. Possibly Penn Hut, although I’ve never noted it by day.

The ridge climbs south-east and there’s only one direction to go on the easy-to-follow track. However, this also means the Southern Cross and Pointers are positioned for easy confirmation of the direction of travel. I keep this in mind for Bridge Peak and Hut Mound where the route flattens out and there are a couple of junctions.  More for practice than any real need.

The wind picks up further near the top of Bridge Peak (1400m) and it’s tempting to stop and rug up but it’s not long now so I settle for eating a late night dinner sandwich as I potter along under the moon. Far off the lights of the Hutt and Wellington smear the horizon. Eastwards the clouds hug the length of the main range, and I have already climbed above the lowest of them. I assume the light southerly is keeping my ridge clear.

The turn off for the main ridge at the top of Bridge Peak arrives and I think of Te Papa boss Seddon Bennington and his friend Rosie Jackson who died up here in poor conditions in 2009. It’s not 100% clear what happened but it seems that they didn’t act on weather forecasts and signs, or the warnings of other trampers. They may well have been in a frame of mind of the hut being so close they just had to push on and make it. Whatever the reason they ended up 800m down the main ridge track, 90 degrees off course. Without a tent they huddled in their bags under a survival blanket, she died there while at some point he left and died 300m up the track towards Kime. It gets you thinking about risk assessment and decision making in the hills.

Although familiar with the turn I take particular care to check tonight and take another fix from the Southern Cross. After Bridge Peak the track climbs over Hut Mound (1440m) and can be a little tricky to find as the rusted warratahs are not exactly high-vis. However it is on the same bearing and over the top of the Mound the wind instantly drops to nothing. There are no lights visible as I make my way down the water channels towards the hut.

Its 2220 when I arrive and I’m pleased to be there, after a little over 3 hours steady tramping and a climb of 1.3km, after a hard week sitting in meetings or in front of the computer. The hut is half full of building materials and there are two beds left. I waste no time in getting into my bag and settling down.

During the night two things get my attention; the wind gets up and slaps the hut around a little and I wonder what it will be like in the morning; then I hear something scampering around the hut, it sounds like a rat the size of a dog – I can even hear its toe nails clicking on the floor. However, I’m too tired to do anything except note that my pack (and food) is beside me on the top bunk and relax back into sleep.

Saturday – Kime to Waitewaewae

The hut is slow to rise, so with one of the builders I’m the first up. He confirms that they are up for 15 days at a stretch; that this hut will be closed on March 4 and that they will probably be pulling it down during the following week. His dog wakes and wanders around the hut sounding for all the world like a large rat.

Muesli from a bag for breakfast then I poke around the building site (framed up to roof height – just adding the final strapping before putting the roof trusses on), and take a few nostalgic pictures of the old hut on my phone. It’s 7.30 and the sun is up by the time I leave, taking pictures backwards as I go. It’s nippy enough for two layers and the wind is variable but not too bad.

 

From Hut Mound there is a track that cuts the corner to the Main Ridge Track. On reaching the track  the range can be seen to be mostly free of cloud although there are some wisps forming through some of the dips. The plan for today is to get to Anderson Memorial Hut and assess options.

The first action is to lose about 300 precious metres then meander up and down along the ridge, ticking off progress by the high points reached (ranging from 1138m at Boyd-Wilson to 1325m at the peaks). The Wairarapa is invisible under cloud which spills towards the range but never quite makes it. Behind, the stretch of Judd Ridge to the west is laid out in increasing detail and Field and Hector are bare against a clear sky. To the south, Winchcombe and Neill Ridge claim the horizon, dropping away from Hector and reminding me of a very similar morning when I was looking from there to here.

There is never quite anything seriously resembling cloud on the ridge today, wisps form in the air at a couple of points but these are dragged apart in the light wind and don’t form into anything significant. The light to mild southerly stays for the morning and becomes a very helpful coolant in the hot afternoon. Taking advantage of the conditions I stop frequently to take pictures, deeply regretting that I only have a very ordinary camera on my phone.

For most of the way along the ridge that morning I am trying to identify the Tararua Peaks and the location of the (in)famous ladder. I’m still a little apprehensive but can’t help thinking that it can’t be too much worse than some of the clambering on Neill Ridge. Finally the approach begins. The first action is a short scramble up a rocky climb and the drop off beside the (now very narrow) track starts to become precipitous rather than just steep. Ahead there is what looks like a vertical rocky wall across the route; in shadow it looks like the track can’t possibly go over it. It does and isn’t too bad, a scramble sure, but I reach the top without feeling that I have had to take undue risks.

At the top of Tuiti (which is where you find yourself) there is a short scramble across the north face of the peak and you make your way down to a rope that leads down into the cleft between Tuiti and Tunui. To me, this was the hairiest point but in the conditions not a sweat. The rope takes you across the cleft between the two peaks (from where you can really appreciate how steep these things are) to the top of the ladder. It was easy to step onto the ladder and although conscious of the amount of air below your heels it’s just a reminder to hold on tight and develop a bit of rhythm to the descent.

At the bottom of the ladder there are chains to sidle around and up onto the shoulders of Tunui but mostly I thought these were for comfort rather than strict necessity. Sitting to take a photo of the ladder (which will never quite capture the height and psychological impact of the thing) I hear from behind and above “Ah, here’s the ladder!”

The couple have left Maungahuka an hour ago and are making their way around the same loop as me (but in a clockwise direction). We chat for a while, me talking down the navigation of the peaks (no sense winding them up!), them giving me some information of the route they have travelled.

It takes considerably less than an hour to get over the unnamed bump then climb up to Maungahuka Hut (past the turn off to Neill Fork Hut at 1330m). I take a welcome break at around 1030 to send a text, top up water, put on sunscreen and leave a message in the log (which I think I put yesterday’s date on – damn!).

After a bit of mucking about it’s 11 before I leave. The day is now clear, the clouds have disappeared from the eastern valleys and over the next few hours from the Wairarapa also. Maungahuka is new and tidy nestled next to its tarn.

On the map there are 5 significant high points between here and Anderson Memorial Hut: 2 then bear east, 3 then drop to bush before AM hut. Over the next 3:20 I tick these off as the heat and light winds take their toll of moisture and energy. No complaining though; the views are stunning all about; the South Island is visible and as Hector drops behind, Holdsworth takes the eastern horizon and more and more of the days progress can be seen laid out behind. The shape of the surrounding hills are less familiar as this is territory in which I have not spent much time, I resolve that this is something to be put right.

Aokaparangi (1354m) is the middle of the 3 high points mentioned above. It is noted for the drop off to Mid-Waiohine Hut (and access to Mt Holdsworth; 1470m) and for a two berth Bivvy (small hut). I had hoped to spot this but didn’t look at the right time. I suspect taking some bearings at known points would be helpful if you were keen to find it in the clag. At 200 vertical metres off the top I decide I won’t visit today.

The climbs are getting tiring now and I have got through a fair amount of water. As you drop off Kahiwiroa (1320m) and into the bush it's in the knowledge that when the track emerges again it will be at Anderson Memorial Hut(1140m). I don’t stop to check the distance on the map so the kilometre and half through the twisted mossy forest is interminable.  Eventually the hut appears through the trees with tussocks behind just as the last mouthful of water disappears.

Normally the degree of pleasure experienced on reaching a hut is related to the end of a long day or respite from atrocious weather. Today the 20 min break at Anderson Memorial Hut is a chance to top up water, stop, cool down and rest for a while. The water is welcome and I drink as much as I comfortably can, and it’s still not quite enough. Anderson Memorial Hut itself has a good feel beyond the need for relief. It’s an endearing 6 berths and a pot belly, cosy but light and clean.

There’s still a good amount of day left so I decide to soldier on to Waitewaewae. Departing at 2.40 I carefully note the climb required as the pace is not quite so sprightly as it was this morning.

50min later, Junction Knob (1375m) marks the point of departure from the Main Range and a turn west towards the great plummet. It's a chance to enjoy the view, take a few photos and try to send texts. Mt Crawford (1462m), just a kilometre to the north is not even tempting in my current desire to get somewhere to swim, eat and sleep. The other tops to the north and east are not familiar but there is a certain quiet satisfaction at how far away Mt Hector and Field Peak look.

There’s a short final drop across to Shoulder Knob (1310m) then a rapid descent to the bushline and down to Waitewaewae, about a vertical kilometre below Junction Knob. The descent is as interminable and punishing on tired legs as it looks on the map. A self-photo shortly below the bush line on first review hardly has the look of a tramper enjoying the excursion. On the second go it still looks like a painful grimace on a cadaver so no more attempts are made.

The bush is dry, spleen worts are blackened and shrivelled and the moss is crisp to the touch, but still the green of the ferns is surprisingly intense after the colours of the tops. The upside is that the mossy, bouldery, rooty track is less slippery than usual. There is a lot of leaf and branch litter on the track demanding constant attention. There seems to be a lot of branches of that particular length that the heel of one boot lifts the end of the branch to catch the toe of the following foot. The result is the foot can go up but not forward. These are often found at the top of a step off.

The trip down passes slowly. At around 750m there are a few more birds around and most of the rest of the way the track passes through the territory of Riflemans that twitter and squeak at the intrusion. As usual though, there are fewer birds then I recall from 20 years ago. It was not until I startle a group of three goats that I realise that the understory is not very dense. They crash away leaving a smell reminiscent of certain types of cheese.

The hill finishes fairly abruptly and it’s a short trip across the Otaki River on the swing bridge and around the spur to Waitewaewae Hut. The hut is packed and more are arriving. I give up any thought of getting a mattress and put my pack next to a bench under the veranda.

The prime swimming hole just in front of the hut is taken so I head a short distance back up the track to a shingle fan that promises to catch the last of the sun. Only boots and socks are spared a dip and it is exceedingly pleasant to feel the sweat and smell wash away. Afterwards the sun drives off a lot of the moisture leaving the gear tolerable for the morning and less offensive. It is also a relief to sit in the sun away from the noisy hut.

Back at the hut a family group have appropriated my bench and seem set for the duration so unless I can find another berth I’m going to have to wait for them to turn in. The MkII 10 cent stove heats dinner and I chat to a few people to pick up some gen on the track out. Most say that it is up and down and hard work. One woman who has accompanied her family took 8 hours and was clearly not looking forward to the return trip. I’m glad I hadn’t tried to torch light my way out.

A friendly chap gives me a spare mattress so I carve out a niche on the floor by the fire and turn in hoping people will settle down before long.  Eventually people stop stumbling about and shining torches and even the family group comes in to settle.

Sunday – Waitewaewae to Otaki Forks

Around 6am, one by one people stagger out to the loo with the inevitable stamping, banging and rustling this entails. Still the hut sleeps and there is no sign of anyone getting up. I’ve pretty much had enough so quietly carry my gear outside, and pack and go before 7am. An OSM suffices for breakfast and there is only one person up when I leave.

The track back is not quite as bad or long as painted. Waitewaewae Hut is at about 300m on the banks of the Otaki River. The track to Otaki Forks from the hut cuts off a long southwards dip in the river. It climbs up beside Arapito Stream to Plateau at 530m. This part is rooty and meanders up through the bush and across creeks. The Plateau section is easy going, although in the wet promises to be exceedingly muddy. The track then tumbles down Saddle Creek. At the top of which, if you’re lucky, is a glimpse of grass land in the distance (south west), if you’re slightly less lucky you also take the time to tape a blister on one heel. This section is not so well marked and the catchment is quite active so there is bit of scrambling around rocks, fallen trees and washouts.

On the way down Saddle Creek the sun cracks through the saddle behind and lights the gully. Eventually (around 220m) the track swings south leaving the creek behind and starts the long sidle along the Waitatapia Stream. The main thing to watch for is a 60m climb around a large and active slip. The track is then of much better quality, often following an old bush railway with sections of sleepers and rails still in place. At one point an old boiler for a log hauler is mouldering into the bush.

By now a decent lunch is front of mind so it's a steady clip and a bit of jogging on the down slopes. Grass lands open up below and eventually the track drops down to cross the Otaki River. Then it’s just the final grass flats. It's dry and although a lot of feet have passed since Friday night some of the prints in the dust were made by the same boots that are supporting my aching feet now.

It’s getting quite warm when the bridge over the Waiotauru River comes into sight marking the end of the morning’s activity at 1010; about 3:20 after leaving the hut.

Someone is sitting in the information shelter by the bridge. I enquire if she’s waiting for a bus and she asks if it was me at the Tararua Peaks the day before. They have just come down from Field and we swap notes about our experiences. I had noted a couple of hut log entries from them in which she was apparently feeling the burn. However the only sentiment apparent now is pride in what they have done. We agree on the luck of having such excellent conditions on the Tops which is way more memorable than sore feet.

Gear Notes

Everything behaved. The new black Diamond head torch was very good. It has a number of features that were used: the 2 diode mode is good for general illumination whilst walking; the dimming function is great for around huts and reading; the lock function is comforting when chucking it in the pack and the battery indicator is a great feature. It was lighter than another one checked in the shop. It takes three AAA batteries.

The camel back needs a clip on the harness. Sitting it under the lid of the pack has the added bonus of one half running out first meaning you have some warning before all the water is gone. However, I need to carry a second flexible bottle as 2L isn’t enough in the heat (a second bottle can function as the reserve tank).

The MkII stove may have used a little more fuel than expected. I think it sits too high on the stand, however it heated 500ml in reasonable time.