Niell Ridge; Tararua ranges

Unfinished business: Niell Ridge

22 December 2012, Tararuas
Solo

In the middle of the southern Tararuas there is an enticing route that leads up to (or down from) Mt Hector. It fulfils all the necessities of a great shortcut: it looks like it should be quicker than other routes; it isn’t as well travelled as the traditional Southern Crossing and it promises unusual views as it traverses some interesting landscape.

This had been my thinking in June 2012 when a trip from Waiohine up Bull Mound, across the Southern Crossing to Kime for the night was supposed to have been followed by an exit down Neill Ridge to Waiohine. Things went well until high winds, clag and a detour down the wrong spur resulted in a “discretion before valour” decision to beat a retreat back over the Southern Crossing with an unplanned night in Cone Hut.

Incidentally, this was the same day that the club trip up Neill, after heading a fair way along the tops, very sensibly decided that you would have to be insane to be pottering about up there so backtracked and bivvied for the night. A hunter I met in Cone Hut that night got as far as poking his nose out of the bushline before reaching the same conclusion.

This time, the plan was to go up Neill (on the theory that it would be harder to get lost going up), then assess options and possibly head along the main range to Maungahuka returning to Waiohine via Neill Forks the next day. The weather forecast wasn’t great, promising showers but warm temperatures and light winds.

Leaving the road end at 0615 the sun is probably up but is hidden by the rain coming down. There are no views to be had so it’s straight up Cone reaching the top around 0830. Here the sign pointing up Neill Ridge causes a bit of a pause: 6 to 9 hours to Mt Hector. This is somewhat longer than I had estimated but at worst it means a night at Kime which is already noted as an option on my intentions sheet.

Under the bush, the track along the ridge is reasonably easy to follow and quite well marked. The rain keeps up but it is warm enough not to bother with a coat (yet). It is quite up-and-down providing a reminder that a 39m climb may only show as a one contour line change on the map. The bush is stunted, mossy goblin forest, showing the effects of regular assault and battery from the north.

The bush eventually fades behind for the climb up Winchcombe Peak (sparing a thought for my club colleagues’ uncomfortable night). On the tops, the wind has come up, visibility is less than 50m and dropping and it’s easy to miss the easiest route. At the top of Winchcombe there are no visual clues which way the track drops off but a pause and compass check makes sure I head the right way through the gloom.

The next section has some steep sharks’ teeth to navigate before the climb up to 1398m. Here I work out where I missed the route coming in the opposite direction last time and push on to Mt Hector. It’s a relief when the memorial looms out of the clag and I turn right to take the well-worn track to Kime arriving a little after 1pm.

The lingering effects of a cold has me feeling wrung out and scuppers any thoughts of heading up the main range. I decide to stay put and reassess in the morning. Later in the afternoon the sun breaks through periodically and Kime is more pleasant than I’ve seen it before. As the only human resident, it’s a quiet night.

In the morning, still feeling less than 100% I elect the most direct exit to the road end leaving a little before six. The sun rises over Hector and although the valleys are a sea of cloud, the tops are crisp and clear. A pause at the top to text the changed intentions then a left turn to look down Neill Ridge. The contours previously staggered over in impenetrable clag are bare to the sky.

The walk along the ridge is a completely different experience. The features of the main range march in sequence across the view to the north; the Southern Crossing curves to the south west and in the east, cloud to the horizon hides the Wairarapa. Looking down, there are many alpine plants flowering (mainly white, suggesting moth pollination?) and the sides of the ridge drop steeply into the Hector and Tauherenikau catchments.

The path is generally easy to follow but a few minutes are spared to place a cairn where it might have been helpful first time around.

Below the bush line the roller coaster track soon revives the fatigue of yesterday and the valley cloud rises to 1000m, spilling through Neill Saddle. Despite the thin cloud it’s pleasantly warm and pleasantly not raining. My 2L camelback runs dry at the top of the last drop into the Waiohine and arriving at the park just before 1pm the spare bottle in the car is very welcome.

Post script

Neill Ridge is a little gem. It is exposed with some clambering required so can be exciting in the wind. There are one or two points particularly coming down where you can get mislaid in poor visibility so best to be with someone that has done it before. Just east of Neill there is a route down to Neill Forks which someone has marked with plastic ribbon – don’t start following these unless you want a somewhat longer trip.