Mt Reeves Run

Mt Reeves Run

Sunday 10 June 2012
Solo training run

When I say 'run' there was a bit of walking on some of the steep bits I'd have to admit.  This was a training trail run getting a bit of a test on hills and knocking off a track I hadn't been on before.  As it was one of my early attempts at solo trail running I paid a bit of attention to distances and times and kept some notes about gear etc.

Summary

Distance is 22 km based on DoC estimate at track end (11Km and 4½ hrs tramping time to Tutuwai hut); start elevation about 135m; maximum 899m; forecast for a mostly clear day, some scattered cloud and a front coming through late in the day. Day stayed clear despite ominous clouds spilling over Neill Ridge; little wind.

Depart car: 0820. Arrive top: 0945. Depart top 0955. Arrive Tutuwai: 1020. Depart Tutuwai: 1043. Arrive top: 1130. Depart top: 1135. Arrive car: 1240.  4hr20 total. 3.42 on the go (1hr25 up, 25 down, 47 up, 1hr5 down). 38min of stops.

Finding it

Take the first left in Greytown (Challenge petrol station) follow your nose towards the railway station, cross the lines and turn right at the T. Potter along for 4ish Km to where it ends with a DoC sign board on a turn around area with some farm tracks leading off beside stock yards.  This is on the true right of the Waiohine River. 

The trip

Once you’ve done the track over to Sayer Hut, it’s just a matter of time until you pick off Mt Reeves. At 899m it’s the highest point on the ridge between the Tauherenikau, Wairarapa and Cone Saddle. The Topo map tells you it has got clearings at the top and is likely to have panoramic views of the Wairarapa as well as up into the Tararuas. And it doesn’t disappoint.

Driving over the Rimutaka Saddle the Wairarapa is cloudless and the sun starts to crack the horizon on the straight between Featherston and Greytown. A glance at the Topo map the night before is sufficient to navigate to the road end on the right bank of the Waiohine. At the end of a gravel road it has the feeling of being reasonably out of the way for leaving the car.

There’s a little bit of frost about; sufficient to want to stay in the car as long as possible getting ready, and to put gloves on for the start. There are no other cars about, which is a mild surprise as Tutuwai via Mt Reeves looks like an ideal weekend jaunt.

The track starts from the ‘car park’ (= turnaround bay) and follows a gravelled farm track for about a km and up 80m. An easily seen orange triangle and Doc sign points under an electric fence and up a paddock. A post in the middle indicates that you’re on the right track and stooping under the electric fence at the top (240m) is a good excuse to turn and look at the view across the winding Waiohine River towards Greytown, before disappearing onto a rough track up through the pines.

Track conditions are a bit messy for the first few minutes as the track cuts SW across a loose soil slope transiting from pines to native bush. From there, the track has a good rock base but the surface goes from slippery moss to slippery clay to slippery tree roots and, in the open parts, slippery rocks.

It’s a slow climb to the top as the track meanders around and up. Getting from 700m to 800m is particularly interminable. There are plenty of open sections which provide views requiring a passing glance (and pause for breath). A largish animal crashes away through the trees in a couple of spots, and a sign notes that the three wire bridge over Coal stream has been removed (I think this marks a route through to the bridge at the main Waiohine road end). The bush alternates between beech with mossy ground and open scrub patches. Finally the track decides to jump up to 899m.

Low scrub at the top allows views across the Wairarapa. To the west and north the peaks of the Southern Crossing disappear into cloud and the jagged profile of Neill Ridge is also shrouded at the top and looks thoroughly uninviting. Here, and in the Wairarapa, though, it is clear and sunny.

A quick text, and (out of mild interest) a short fossick in the scrub for a geocache, burns a few minutes at the top. As the going has been good, and the weather looks like it will hold in line with the forecast, the trip down to Tutuwai is on.

The track meanders west, along and down slowly for a little over half a km, through open scrub, then drops into the bush, and starts to descend. The descent is easy for a while so a reasonable speed is possible. So much so in fact, that as I come hurtling around a corner the leading lady in a group coming up the track shrieks in terror. They had apparently noted a pig wallow in the track and been following the culprit’s trit-trotting prints up the ridge. Heart rates are up all around.

Between 700 and 600m the slope eases then it drops steeply from 500m to emerge beside the hut at 300m.

A party of two women is booting up to head down to Kaitoke (and hopefully find their car); two other chaps are a bit slower, and are also heading out the same way. It’s a good excuse to stop for 25 minutes to have a chat, fill in the log book, have an OSM and drink, and look across the Tauherenikau River at the foot of the Marchant Ridge. The sky is clear and blue apart from the occasional cloud drifting over Marchant and dissipating in the sun. The roof steams as it heats in the morning sun.

But procrastination can only be spun out for so long. The 600m climb is not particularly inviting but has to be tackled. Running is not really an option now so it is first a bit of a ladder climb through the humus under the moist lower slope forest then into the easier going and less steep mossy beech then on and up through drier under-storey and finally the clay and rock on the upper slopes. The last half km in the sun to the top is a little slow.

At the top the three trampers are just about to get on their way again. They have been using mirrors to flash their friends down near Greytown (successfully). Their car is at the usual Waiohine road end and they are taking a track that runs down the Coal Stream catchment. It is not marked on my map but they say it is easy to follow. Sounds like a good round trip.

There’s not much more to be said about the trip down. Tired legs make the footing even more tricky but eventually the pines are behind and it’s some ginger picking down through the cattle churned paddock to the farm track and back to the car.

Track notes

It was easy to find the start. It’s a bit rough for the first wee while but at around 300m it develops into a solid track up the winding ridge which is easy to follow. There are occasional wind falls but nothing dramatic. A few boggy patches around the tops didn’t look like they would get too bad. The East side is a bit rougher due to the steepness and a few more windfalls but again is well formed and easy to follow.

Gear notes

Running in old cycle shorts, light merino top, off-road runners, cap and gloves at the start to maintain body temperature until warmed up. Rolled sleeves up and down depending on heat. Started to cool off at the top but not too bad. 4.7Kg Camel back: full water, 2 squeeze gel, 2 OSM, balaclava, running tights, gloves, jacket, 2nd light merino top, over trou, emergency kit, map, compass, cash, cell phone (good cover at top and probably for most if not all the trip up Eastern side).

Body notes

Felt the early signs of a cold coming on the night before but felt OK in the morning. Blisters from previous weekend were fine, bruised big toe joint still annoying but didn’t affect running. Managed to jog pretty much wherever track conditions made it possible; knees were fairly sore on the eastern (final) descent making it a bit exciting on the slippery surface. West side mostly too steep to jog but a good fast walk is possible on the way up. A bit of warning cramps from the back on a couple of stumbles.

Eating and drinking

Ate an OSM at Tutuwai; drank about half the water and although no problems it was probably not quite enough. Need to start sipping earlier!