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.