Western Hutt River

The Tararuas aren't quite finished with me - a month away and apparently I was getting 'fretful.'

A bit of MTBing around Peppin Island (open one day a year), the Dunne Mt trail in Nelson, plus a relaxed jaunt up the Remutaka Incline just didn't cut the mustard. As the weekend approaches, the prospect of not getting out again becomes increasingly untenable.

It's the shortest day and rain is forecast on Sunday - I need (need!) something close to home, interesting and not involving rivers late on Sunday arvo.

I have always had the Western Hutt River tucked away for future reference. It's part of the Wellington drinking water catchment so it has been looked after and doesn't have formal tracks and huts. It's not part of the Forest Park but is contiguous with it.

When I first looked at it a few years back, the terrain looked too daunting - a steep sided river system, possibly requiring swimming. It was a well known tramping route but I wasn't game to tackle it on my own. With a little more experience though, I reckon I have a better idea of the likely size and disposition of the river, and am more confident about the proposition.

I check the Tararua Tramping Club's useful write up on the area and the Wellington Regional Council's river flow website.

Elder Hut is the obvious spot for Saturday night (on account of Renata Hut being rat infested) and to avoid a there-and-back trip, I work a diversion along Maymorn Ridge into the schedule.

Just to be clear, I am absolutely not chasing spot heights ... although pt 455 by Renata Stream was just too tempting to resist. 


What:      Navigation trip
Where:    Western Hutt River and Maymorn Ridge
When:      22-23 June 2019
Who:        Solo
Maps

The support crew waves good bye with the delicate parting suggestion that I be careful as I might not be at my physical peak given recent inactivity.

The sky is light enough not to need a torch as I leave the first carpark at Kaitoke water works at 7.20am.  It's cool with the merest suggestion of frost. I head past the camp facilities to the track across the stream and up the hill. The sky brightens during the steady plod up Clay Road.

View from top of Norbett Track

About 40 minutes later I'm at the top where the road disappears into a tunnel of trees before dropping steeply to the Eastern Hutt River.  Rather than get my feet wet I head up stream a few minutes to the swing bridge arriving 8.30. The foliage here is quite pretty with rimu and ferns as well as the usual other forest species - a caprosma beside the bridge is absolutely exploding with berries.

Eastern Hutt River

This is now new country for me. There's a good marked track that sidles down the true right to the junction between the Eastern and Western Hutt branches (8.40am). There's a catchment sign on my side and I get a good look at the Western branch that I will be coming down tomorrow.

Rather than have wet feet for the day I remove boots and pick my way across. By the time I've farfed about rebooting and filling up water 15 minutes have passed.

Western Hutt River on right - Hutt River ahead 

Looking back at the confluence

A short clamber sees me standing on the foot of the spur - there's a bit of a flat terrace before it starts climbing. The trail is generally pretty good but it's easy to lose when the spur widens. I don't notice any markers.


Towards the top there are a few clearings and I zigzag a bit to find the easiest way through. It gets quite flat towards the top but I know there is an old trig so don't worry too much about my exact location.

The trig is as I remember it - about 4m high, with the paint long gone and over topped by the bush. At 10.40 it's time for a pause, and a half-hearted look for geocaches.

There are sporadic trails along the ridge but it's wide and flat and many are overgrown so it's easy to wander off. I stick to the compass and make my way as best as I can.

I stumble on the trail I found last time - it's well marked and cut but it just seems to stop at the head of a wee creek.

There are a number of clearings that run across the ridge top - these seem to be in the process of being reclaimed by bracken and mosses.  One has more bare ground and I follow it north eastish down to the picnic table - still sitting incongruously below the ridge and in surprisingly good nick. I'm not quite sure how far along the ridge it is but I've put a jink on the map in the (very) approximate place.

After a spot of early lunch I make my way back to the ridge line. The sporadic open areas give views back and forward along the ridge. It's pretty featureless really.

Back towards Maymorn trig

Forward towards 770

Once the ridge drops into the wee saddle near 770 I finally leave the scrub behind. It's not bad as scrub goes, with lots of dracophyllum and not much leather wood - however it's nice to be able to potter along in goblin forest.

Nice but undistinguished forest

I'm surprised to find that I recognise the flat top of the knob past 770 - the same distinctive branch catches my eye as last time. This is the point to take a bearing and drop directly into the saddle.

The bearing branch

Past the saddle it's not quite so definitive gauging progress towards Pukeruru, but I find I needn't worry as there is a cut clearing with a survey pipe. It looks like someone has created a clearing for helicopters.

Pukeruru ... and foot

Pukeruru

Now comes the tricky bit. The ridges here are broad and flat and, I discover, have more than a little wetland. I find some signs of old cut trails but quickly lose them again. In the end I just follow my nose up the broad and gentle slope until there is no more 'up'. It's pretty open.

Coming off a broad top it is very easy to miss the target - I take a bearing slightly to the left of the spur I want, in order to traverse right and pick it up when it becomes better defined.  A pest control trail crosses my route and looks like it might drop in a vaguely useful direction - I'm momentarily tempted but a glance at the map suggests it will drop me into a side stream. In this country that means steep, slippery, and choked with rotten logs.

At 670m I dive off the spur to follow a bearing down a steep scramble to the junction opposite 455. I am quietly pleased when I arrive bang on target.

Renata Stream drains a fair chunk of real estate so is a good size. A little upstream some afternoon sun has found its way to the valley floor, hinting at open spaces just around the next corner (but probably not). It's 2.10pm so I have a wee break to top up water and get across the stream with dry feet.

It's a sharp wee scramble to Pt 455, which is a pleasant mossy spot to sit and check the map. I'm conscious that daylight is running out but I reckon I should make the Ridge Track before dark.

It's a climb like many others - steady and no problems under the canopy. Around Pt 830 there are patches of scrub/regenerating bush which slows things down, but it is not that bad. Higher up more clearings develop, separated by belts of regrowth. Once again, I find myself zigzagging to find the path of least resistance. The late afternoon sun is picking up the russets and golds in the foliage - but for the chill in the air, it could be a summer evening.

Somewhere around Pt 830

The vegetation is noticeably wetter towards the top - it hasn't rained so there must have been a frost that the sun hasn't touched for most of the day.

Just after 4.10pm the sun is still above the horizon as I emerge onto the track just before the saddle to Renata. The snowy tops of the Kaikouras hover above the horizon with Wellington and the Hutt Valley somewhere in the haze in between.

From Renata (I think)
Elder is the dark lump at centre just below horizon

I attempt to send a text to say I'm back in civilised territory but my cellphone throws a sulk and pretends that the 70% power remaining has somehow evaporated. I have a charger pack so can sort it out at the hut.

The track is a pretty one; through goblin forest, and occasionally breaking out for a view. There are no recent footprints in the sphagnum moss, which has the consistency of runny porridge.

It's about 5km along the ridge to the hut with a good bit of up and down. I plod on for as long as I can before cracking out the torch around 5.15pm. The last 200 vertical meters to the hut are somewhat slow.

I think it's a little after 6pm when the loo looms up on my right and then the hut. Candle light signals occupancy - I hope there's a bunk left.

Elder Hut is a tidy wee four bunker. No heat source, but well built so a few bodies will warm it up. It's also nicely situated - on a clear evening the western horizon glows as the evening fades; the lights of Otaki break the gloom in the north and, beyond ranks of dark ridges, the Hutt Valley and Wellington blaze in the south west. Right now though it's a little claggy and downright chilly, so I don't hang about on the off chance of a view.

Dan is from Auckland - he is kicking around the Tararuas and has come up from Cone Hut today. He had thought I might be part of a group of four that he heard was heading this way - I'm thinking it's unlikely we'll see anyone else this time of night.

We get chatting as I doff wet kit and set about warming up. It turns out he takes decent blocks of leave and has developed the art of finding his way to interesting tramping territory around the country by public transport and thumb.

It's after 8pm when the other party show up. The four bunk hut suddenly feels very small.

Mark, Ben, Matt and Chris are from Tokomaru and turn out to be good company. They hooked up when their kids were at day care and have undertaken some challenging Tararua trips, although it's Chris' first. He's a bit quiet - I'm not surprised as they have come across the Southern Crossing from Otaki Forks. A fair old climb, followed by the tops, then the final insult of the knee trembling descent from Aston. With the last 2-3 hours in the dark.

Dan and I sit in awe as they unload impressive amounts of food and alcohol. It's a very convivial evening as they share cheese, crackers and salami washed down with a selection of RTDs.

It turns out that they've picked up this blog and appreciated some of the trip reports - it's good to think that they might have use beyond propping up my memory and worrying the family.

In the morning, Dan is planning a leisurely start and I wait in pit to give the party free run at getting up and out.

They plan to head down to Renata Hut, Waiotauru Hut and back out to Otaki Forks. I wouldn't be surprised if they finish in the dark again, as there is an awful lot of walking on old 4WD tracks that can be pretty hard on the body.

It must be around 9am by the time I've sorted my life out, said goodbye to Dan, and taken a bearing for the spur behind the hut. It turns out there is a cairn marking the start and a well cut track. This suddenly gets hard to follow around 1070m, then comes and goes.

The spur is generally pretty good and has clearly been traveled before but I find I have to keep an eye on the map and take bearings to avoid slipping off line.

I potter on down to 700m (9.30ish) where more blue triangles turn up - these must be Regional Council pest control markers as this is part of the Hutt water catchment.


At the bottom (10.10) it's trying to start to rain so the river bed gets steadily slicker as I head down valley. The water is clear though, and at normal flow.

Bottom of spur

It takes about an hour to work my way down river to Renata Forks. There are a few spots where it's a choice of either a short swim or a scramble - nothing problematic and I chose the scramble every time. I'm pretty happy with progress, although acutely aware there is a lot more river to navigate and the park gates close at 5pm.

There's more deep pools to get around and the river gets bigger. Towards the bottom some of the crossings start requiring a bit of care but mostly not over mid-thigh. It feels a bit slower going down to Hutt Forks - arriving 1.30pm.

Back at Hutt Forks

Last view of the Western Hutt

The rain has pretty much cleared - but I'm soaked from the waist down and damp from the waist up. I cross the Eastern Hutt rather than walk up to the bridge (there's a sign at the spot) and start the climb up the clay road. By 2.15 I'm at the top and at the car by 2.40 - ample time for the gates.

Postscript

This was a really enjoyable wee trip. Saturday morning had some beautiful bush, tricky navigation and a rewarding wee climb up to Renata Ridge. I know I bang on about being relieved when I find an empty hut, but the company was good and I learnt a thing or two. The spur from the hut was a nice route, as was the river trip. All up, it put me in a far better frame of mind for the coming week.

For future reference, the splits for the trip out were: bottom of Elder Hut spur to Renata Forks 1 hour, 2.20 more to Hutt Forks, 45 minutes from there to the top of the road and 25 more to the car.  I think I left the hut around 9am so all up - a bit under 6 hours.

A couple of new spot-heights visited but that's completely irrelevant.

Navigating the Western Hutt ridges

If you are looking for a bit of a navigational challenge there is nothing quite like flat topped ridges below the bush line. And in the Wellington region it would be hard to find anywhere that is as close to this description as the ridges around Maymorn in the Western Hutt catchment.

This is another trip I'd been keeping up the sleeve for when I was feeling a little more confident about finding may way about with map and compass. The area in question is loosely confined by the Akatarawa Road, the Renata Ridge up to the Southern Crossing and the Hutt River. The plan is to head up the ridge running northwest from Pakuratahi forks to about point 536, head north past 572 then east along Maymorn Ridge for a bit of a look, retrace steps and then head northish to intersect the track Renata Ridge Track near Maymorn Junction and on to Renata Hut for the night. The following day, retrace the route without the side trip to Maymorn.

Nice theory - now let's see what happened.

What:   Navigation trip
Why:    Push the boundaries a little
Where: Western Hutt - Maymorn Ridge area
When:  29 October 2016
Who:    Solo
Map:    Map

The forecast is not great again so an intended trip to the tops around Mitre is postponed in favour of a trip that doesn't involve river crossings or open tops.

The Pakuratahi Forks carpark is empty at 6.45am, and damp. I figure there is likely to be a bit of a route up such an obvious ridge so, after crossing the swing bridge, keep a weather eye out as I potter along the loop track. A couple of possibilities present themselves but in the end I walk to the Flume Bridge to get a good look at the end of the ridge, then back track 100m or so to where the track levels out on an old terrace. Sure enough, a ground trail runs to the edge of the ridge, and a bouldery route leads up. After a bit it's clear I'm on a reasonably well used trail with some useful spray markers.

The ground trail becomes clearer once the track rises above the humus covered lower slopes into the mossy forest above. It's raining and the landscape is sodden but it's not windy, so once the initial climb is out of the way things proceed in a satisfactory manner, with little time spent casting about. There's a bit of wind fall to contend with but not too bad.

A bit of wind fall

An old vehicle track marked from 618m is quite overgrown initially but clears to give good travel. However, working out where to leave it proves to be not so easy, as there are a few well overgrown options. The first possibility starts well but then drops too far and peters out, so a quick backtrack and on to the next one. This one takes a little longer before turning out to be wrong, but I can't be bothered retracing, so just head through a stream and up the other side knowing I'll hit the ridge somewhere around 536m.

I emerge onto another overgrown vehicle track and follow it as long as it is going my way, then follow loose ground trails to the start (end) of Maymorn Ridge.

There's a reasonable trail leading up the ridge, with just a few spots where a bit of casting about and compass/map work is needed.  Once on Pukeruru it get's a little more tricky: travel south for about 500 metres (always further than you think) then east into a saddle (don't miss it) and up the other side. When you have an idea where you're going there are a few trails to follow that seem to be going in about the right direction.

Things progress fine to the scrub southeast of 770m. The cloud is high so the shape of the ridge can be seen which is an enormous help.  The going now promises to be tough. Trails come and go in the thick scrub. Periodically clearings run across the ridge so you follow them to find the next path of least resistance.  At one of these I come across some pink tape which mark a cleared track and progress speeds up markedly.

The view south off Maymorn Ridge - not so impressive today

I follow another clearing north to find, to my surprise, a picnic table. The spot has a panorama from Kapakapanui around to the shoulder of Aston on the Southern crossing disappearing into the murk. Somewhere directly ahead is Renata hut, my destination for the night.

North to Kapakapanui on left, Renata ridge ahead,
route up to Southern Crossing on right

Maymorn Trig

The pink taped route is nowhere to be found so I follow the compass, struggling through thick scrub and low forest, heading on and up until, suddenly; a trig.  Out-competed by the regenerating forest around it, it blends into the landscape into which it is slowly rotting.

Beyond, there is a route down to Hutt Forks. But for me at 2.45pm it's time for a bite to eat (not too long as it's pretty cool) before heading back through the scrub.  At least it hasn't been raining for a while.

The return trip is a different proposition. I have a bit of an idea about the landscape, but it's impossible to retrace the exact route. I find the pink tape again but somewhere along the way lose my long serving black Macpac cap. This is the cap that has been on my head through all the adventures this year; ever since I liberated it from the clutches of number one support crew, to fulfill a far nobler calling. I'm a bit put out.


I get a little carried away on the way back, considerably overshooting the high point after 770. I had thought it would be a potentially tricky spot so had marked the shape of a distinctive tree and a patch of bright green moss, but had whistled past them thinking it was too early. I back-track and find them and take a bearing west into the saddle. As with many descents, there's no clear shape to follow. From the map you just don't want to drop too far south, as that side of the saddle is quite steep. From the saddle it is plain sailing up to the next ridge and north to Pukeruru to a clearing I had marked on the way in.

The route seems more obvious on the way back so it's quick going until I figure it is time to start bearing NNE towards 642. I find it a bit tricky here and make a false start on a ridge I can't identify on the map before cutting across to something more promising. This turns out to be a problem area tomorrow also.

Some old vehicle tracks coincide with my direction and make for fast going for a while but they eventually peter out. The undulating top of the ridge is interminable and confounds any directional sense as the light wanes. I put off getting a head torch out in favour of retaining at least some peripheral vision.

The last steepish climb up to the track is what I am waiting for but the sun is well gone by the time the trail starts upwards. It is quite surprising how the trail although old is still more compacted than the surrounding forest floor so even in the dim light your feet tell you you're on track. However, at some point it breaks right and I miss it in the dark so I keep on struggling up over rotten logs and through moss and humus, eventually giving up and cracking out the light.

Inevitably there is hard track under foot again and the gleam of a track marker. It's a bit of a relief to be able to amble along the well cut ridge track on a firm surface. It's not supposed to be far to the hut, and after a bit an old sign informs me it is only 2 minutes away. Soon after the smell of smoke and disinfectant indicates it is close but then fades. It takes a few minutes to percolate through, but eventually I figure I have waltzed past it in the dark.

It's after 9pm and more than 14 hours on the go when I disturb two women who have just turned in for the night. I don't waste time: hang sopping gear to drip, identify where the loo is (a bit of a walk), grab some food, and climb into bed. There's a bit of rain during the night indicating what to expect tomorrow.

Renata is an old corrugated iron hut with an indifferent fire place. It's not as abused as I expected and there's good company - the women have done some interesting trips and are just completing a loop around Judd Ridge, Renata and back to the Forks via Waiotauru (not so pleasant). One of them is aiming to bag 50 huts this year and has only 10 to go. I only semi-envy them their coffee in the morning as I munch on a slice of fruit bread and salami, and listen to belts of rain battering the roof.

Renata Hut

As expected all gear is still wet and cold but there ain't many options. At 7am I leave them to their preparations and, well wrapped up, ease tired muscles back into motion.

Although my route is no longer marked on the map it used to be well traveled and the departure point is still marked on some maps as Maymorn Junction. I expect to see some obvious indication of it but miss it. In the end I just pick a spot and bash around onto something resembling a spur and start down. Eventually I find something I decide to call a trail and follow it. An old marker eventually confirming the choice. It may as well be a completely different ridge - there's is little familiarity from yesterday and there are false trails all over the place. Even following a compass bearings is tricky as you are never sure whether you are dropping off the edge of the ridge or just traversing another undulation.

I find the old trail again, which turns into a vehicle track and everything is good for a while. Then it heads off down hill towards Frances Stream. Backtrack, another bearing, another bash along what is hopefully the right ridge. This continues for a while with no breaks in the canopy apart from tantalising glimpses of nearby slopes which can't quite be made to fit the map.

The 'ridge' turns into a spur which I follow to a stream to get a bearing - it's flowing in an unexpected direction which means it can be one of two possibilities. That means following that slope up will get me to here on the map ... or here. After a series of such decisions I'm pottering along a ridge at the correct altitude but in a slightly unlikely direction when I recognise a clump of epiphytes fallen onto the track. Oh. Turn around. Backtrack. Take other option at last decision point.

This all happens on the ridge somewhere around 632 to 646 and by the time I've sorted myself out again I work out that I have passed Maymorn Ridge and am navigating past 572. This also proves to be infernally tricky. I describe another loop trying to get onto an identifiable feature.

The canopy is thick and high so the only indication of the terrain is what you can see through the surrounding trees - this will be less than 100m so hardly much to go on. There's also no chance of getting high enough up a tree for a view. At one point I find a fresh pink ribbon on a tree. Clearly indicating something but absolutely no other clues as to what. It is completely frustrating to know that just one little clue is all that is needed to make everything snap into a frame of reference and suddenly make sense.

In the end, fed up, I drop into what I believe is the head waters of the Kerekere Stream - it is flowing in the correct direction and I know I can follow it up towards my ridge and that there are a couple of old vehicle tracks that I might intersect. This time everything goes to plan but there's a fair amount of untracked real-estate between.

Finally I hit the ridge to Pakuratahi and lope along the old vehicle track, promising myself a break and bite at a clearing I recall from the way in.

Feeling the strain - clearing a bit short of 618 

It's not all over yet but at least it feels like the home straight. I call home command from 638 as it's approaching 5pm and if I take a wrong spur I could be spending another night out. 

The trail is pretty good going and I recognise features. I'm also watching the map more closely and keep a good idea where I am as I bump over 641 and 642. Here I pause to take a bearing down the ridge and keep a weather eye out, as there are a few old markers about. At a bit over 500m the ridge splits and its a few minutes before I recognise and carefully backtrack. From here on I spend more time looking for spray markers and less time with the compass as I followed these on the way up.

Finally, with protesting knees I'm negotiating the spur steeply down to where it abruptly flattens to spit me blinking out onto the loop track. I wander along the delightfully flat and smooth surface and across the swing bridge; still a bit of daylight left but not a lot of leeway. There is one car left in the park as I leave about 6.45 pm - almost 11 hours on the go, that's quite enough for one weekend.

Pakuratahi Forks at last

Somewhat more cheerful than last selfie

Postscript

Quite an experience. The body took a bit of punishment - numerous scratches and bruises from thrashing about in scrub, skin on left thigh went sort of numb and still not quite back to normal two weeks later, weird skin rash on face from stumbling into God knows what, something like a stress fracture developing in right foot ... i.e. normal sort of stuff.

It was certainly a navigational challenge - I really can't say I nailed it. Best claim is I ended where intended but with a fair amount of wasted effort on the way (especially day two). 

Did I learn anything? I don't think I got much better at not getting lost but I think I got a little bit better at coping with being lost while working out how to get found again. After all, I spent a fair proportion of Sunday not knowing exactly where I was but not being particularly concerned about it.