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.

Holdsworth Maungahuka loop

Solo weekend tramp

Click to access map in new window

There are one or two places in the Southern Tararuas that I've been meaning to get to, so with winter breathing down the neck it's a question of taking the first opportunity to string a trip together to knock a few of them off.  In particular, I have never quite got around to getting to the top of Holdsworth.  It's touted as being one of the great walks so normally quite busy but should be quiet at this time of year.  There's is also a bit of kit I'm wanting to test; my first experience tramping with daily disposable contact lenses and trialling off road running shoes instead of boots.

The trip is shaping up to be very up and down; tramp up to Powell hut, over Holdsworth, drop to Mid Waiohine hut, climb up to the Tararua range at Aokaparangi, travel along to Maungahuka, drop to Neill forks hut, climb onto Cone Ridge, drop to the top end of Totara Flats, up Totara Stream over and down the Gentle Annie to the Holdsworth Road end.

The weather forecast during the week settles on predicting a southerly causing a bit of rubbish weather on Friday, clearing with scattered showers on Saturday and a clear day Sunday.  Slightly marginal but not too bad.  Provided the Southerly doesn't stick around longer than expected.

The plan is to knock off most of the climb up Holdsworth on Friday night.  As this will be a torchlight exercise on a highway of a track it doesn't really matter whether arrival at Powell hut is 11pm or 1am.

In the end Friday is hectic and it's after 9pm by the time the car is parked at the Mt Holdsworth road end (having left the usual detailed intentions sheet at home of course).  Another car has just pulled in and the chap turns out to be heading up to Donnelly Flats where a party of Palmerston North pupils are doing time for their Duke of Edinburgh awards.

The stars are clear despite the forecast but it's chilly.  Passing through the gate at the start, a small felt pen sign catches my eye; apparently the Gentle Annie track is closed and you should use the Mountain House Shelter track.  WTF!! Travelling up a steepish spur on an unfamiliar track by torchlight is a somewhat different proposition to what I had signed up for.

It's twenty to ten so I decide to head up to the base of the Gentle Annie track and if there are no signs there I'll head up that way, it's not like they will be working after all.  However the sign is repeated at the base so they must be serious.  The other chap gives a few tips about the alternative track and studying the map it runs up a spur between two streams so would be pretty hard to get lost on. 

There must have been a bit of rain through as the bush is dripping wet.  The going is very easy up to Donnelly Flat where, judging by the tents and torches, half of Palmerston North have camped out.

The track narrows and becomes a bit lumpy but still pretty good and my turn off is signposted.  The track up the spur isn't too steep and although it's slippery underfoot the going is good.  You just have to get used to splitting your attention between the footing and searching for the way up between the ghostly trunks. And those orange triangles don't exactly stand out at night.

At the top of the spur the Powell Highway is marked with the same felt pen sign saying the track down is closed.  Mountain House shelter passes then it is up and into clag with the Southerly whistling in the tree tops.  The track is easy to follow and lovely wooden steps have been put up the steep bits.

Exiting the bushline I notice: this set of steps has a hand rail, the hand rail is very rough, and that this is due to a layer of ice.  Perhaps a bit colder up here then I was expecting.  The clouds are close in and the wind is on the boisterous side.  It's not far to the hut so I don't stop to put a coat on.

A break in the clag shows the lights of various Wairarapa towns strung out in the middle distance it's a bit too chilly to pause and try to label them and they are obscured by cloud before long.

Arriving at the hut about 1140 there is no one in. It is dark and cold but being late I'm not about to light a fire, so get into warm dry clothes and a sleeping bag in that order.  Not before a last trip outside to discover that it is lightly snowing.  There is also cell phone coverage so a text provides some comfort at home that I'm not staggering about in the cold wet bush somewhere.

The temperature in the hut dips during the night and it takes a little while to get warm.  I think it's time to put away the light weight bag.  It's about 2.5 degrees before I rise in the morning so still a bit of margin.

Saturday

If the weather is too foul the plan has me either twiddling thumbs in the hut or heading back to the valley to potter up to Atiwhakatu and around the Jumbo circuit the next day.  The weather looks wet and windy but not too bad so I rug up before heading out a little before 8.  It doesn't look like there will be any views today.

There's snow and ice on the ground which thickens as I head up.  However, the air temperature is above zero so it is rain that the Southerly throws against my cheek and the footing is secure with water beneath the light snow.  The runners are soon soaked through but although cold my feet are fine.  I head on up prepared to turn back if the weather deteriorates.

There's a survey trig at the top (1470m) and my intended route down is signposted (one side iced over) and easy to find.  Visibility is 50-100m and footing still quite secure so I'm comfortable to commit to the trip down over Isabella (1385) and on down to mid Waiohine hut (380m).

Dropping off the tops into the bush the greens are a rich verdant contrast to the white and black landscape above.  This band of vegetation in the Tararuas never fails to captivate; moss smothers the gnarled trunks and softens the ground into comfortable cushions and hummocks.

As expected the plummet down to Mid Waiohine hut is hot work and the first mouthful of water confirms that Powell hut most definitely has a fire.  Although surprising it's not unpleasant to have your water tasting like lapsang suchon.

The hut is a standard 6 bunker with a steel fire box.  It has a nice feel and today gives an opportunity to adjust kit under cover, have a bite to eat and leave a note in the log book before preparing to climb up the other side of the valley.  It's about 1030 when I slightly reluctantly close the door behind me.

The Waiohine river is up but not turbid, on a sunny day a swim would be irresistible. Pottering along one of the few flat spots for today I round a corner to see a couple of large stags about 10 metres away having a bit of a tussle with their antlers.  They amble off into the bush when I clap and I don't get a chance to count their points.   A few 100m from a deer stalkers hut is a little risky for them to be so engrossed in an argument I would have thought.

The wire bridge over the river is a signal that the climb up Aokaparangi (1354m) is about to start.  As expected it's a grind.  The track seems less travelled than the other side but is generally OK.  At some point the cloud layer closes about the spur and the wind picks up on my left shoulder and cheek. 

At the top there is (again) little to be seen.  There isn't much ice on the ground but the Southerly is pretty cold.  According to the map there are four high points to come, the last of which is my initial destination; Maungahuka.  Of course it isn't that easy to count them off.  It's all up and down and it's a bit hard to work out which is a marked peak and which isn't.

The Southerly piles through notches in the ridge and it's a question of just keeping going until the tarn at Maungahuka materialises, quickly followed by the hut.  A bit of a relief.

Although out of the wind, it is cold in the hut and as soon as I stop moving the body temperature starts to drop.  Being above the bushline (a bit below the top of Maungahuka at 1330m), there is no fire so if I stay here it will likely be in the sleeping bag for the next 18 hours before getting into freezing wet clothes.  There's some cell coverage so I text my intention to head down to Neill, fill in the log book (no visitors since last week) and head out the door at about 2:30.

All the fiddling about has left my hands bitterly cold and the Southerly is stinging.  It's not far to the top though and from there it will be a rapid dive for the bushline.  Sure enough, once going and off the main ridge I'm soon warm again.  It's a reminder though of how quickly the tops can become very inhospitable.  The wind is now on my right cheek.

With the cold weather and desire to keep moving I have not been eating as much as I should.  The trip down finds me moving slowly and requiring a lot more care to avoid slips.  It takes a lot longer than normal (including that additional little 100m climb over Concertina knob) and although the administration of a One Square Meal helps it is not quite sufficient as a pick me up.

After what seems a long time I check the altimeter: 650m, not too bad only about 300m to go.  After another good wee while I check again; still 650m, a closer check shows the setting has changed to the alarm.  The altimeter is in fact 725m.  Bugger.
 
Eventually a view up the Hector River opens with steep hillsides disappearing into cloud and soon after, a swift descent to the swing bridge giving a perfect view of the junction of Hector River and  Neill Creek (not so small today). 

It's a very tired and sore tramper that limps off the bridge and into the hut.  At a little before 5pm the trip down has taken somewhat longer than the DOC estimate of 2 hours. The hut is dry, perfectly comfortable and well provisioned with dry fire wood and a firebox.

The fire does it's magic, warming the hut, drying clothes and heating water for a cup of tea.  There is no one else in for the evening and the sounds of the river are a constant background.  After the experiences of the day a fair amount of sustenance is in order so a dehy meal for two is demolished.

Sunday

After a good nights sleep it's 6am and not yet light when I decide to get up.  It's not a long day today but I would like to get out in time to do a visit (and maybe cadge a good lunch) in Carterton. Heating water for a brew provides warm water for the muesli as well as a cuppa.  Clothes are only slightly damp and it feels cool but not cold out so the coat and leggings go into the pack.  The hut is tidy and the door closed about 7.15 when enough light is filtering down into the valley to see under the canopy.

Tired muscles are not looking forward to the 600m climb which is the first action of the day.  There is however plenty of cause to pause on the way up as the day is clear and glimpses appear through the trees of sunlit slopes and an expanding vista of distant peaks.

Neill catches the attention initially but as the track rises the view opens through Neill saddle to False Spur with the dress circle behind.  I think I can recognise Alpha.  Behind, Concertina Knob gives way to a view beyond to Maungahuka and the distinctive jagged outline of the Tararua peaks.

 

Tararua Peaks

At the top there's a chance to text home before heading left along Cone and eventually down to Totara Flats hut.

Top of the morning's climb

On the way there is a view up the Waiohine valley, flanked by the main range and Aokaparangi with the spur that had taken some energy to ascend yesterday.  A couple of times along the ridge something large disappears into the bush as I approach.

Tararua range on the left, Mid Waiohine behind the near spur

There are no people but some sleeping bags at Totara Flats hut.  The log book shows there have been a few people staying and at least one party is also heading over to Holdsworth today. It's about 10am when I head off after them.

This is familiar territory now.  The pause in the middle of the swing bridge to look up and down river then a brisk pace up the start of Totara Creek. The track is very clearly undergoing some considerable maintenance efforts.  A short way up the creek a brand new swing bridge is taped off.  This suggests two things; they are cutting the track up the other side of the creek and there will have been no maintenance on this side.  Sure enough it's back to the familiar wash outs and bogs but still, quite pleasant going on a cool, sunny morning.

At the creek crossing before the climb to Pig Flat I catch up with a couple of women and boys.  These are the first people I've seen since Friday night.   We chat for a bit, I suspect they will not be enjoying the climb, however they have all day so I leave them to it.  I pass a chap on his way down then a party of three on the way up; it's getting quite crowded.

One of the parties note that although posted as closed the Gentle Annie is completely passable.  I'm a bit annoyed that DOC didn't a) put it on the web site as closed if it in fact needed to be and b) just close it when work is underway and warn people that it's a bit muddy the rest of the time.  You're more inclined to follow such advice if you think it is sensible.

As the track levels to the top it's a chance to pick up the pace and eventually to jog down the other side to the car park.  The track is now positively seething.  Some of the Duke of Edinburgh trip are heading up to Rocky Lookout and various singles and doubles are pottering up for the day.

It's about five hours after leaving Neill Forks hut that I reverse out of the park and head of for a much anticipated feed of something other than dehy or One Square Meals.

Gear notes

I was a bit worried about handling contacts in the bush but they are so much better than glasses on the tops.  I could have my balaclava over my nose and still see without getting steamed up glasses and the Southerly rendering one lens opaque.

The trail shoes were fine for grip and even though saturated pretty much all the time, my feet didn't get too cold, even in the light snow.  They were fantastically light compared to boots which made a big difference considering the amount of up and down.  One of my feet felt a bit bruised by the end and I had a small blister which I hadn't noticed.  On balance, if it's not in the snow and ice or a lot of boulders (where a stiff sole is helpful) I think they are a good light weight option.