Pelorus, Nelson and Fishtail - Richmond Range

I've got a bit of down time between jobs, a birthday to get to in Nelson, a ten trip to Blenheim on Sounds Air, and plenty of unfinished business in the Richmond Range.  The original plan of a double crossing of the range between Fishtail and Nelson is stymied by land access issues.  I'm a bit steamed up about that but suck it up and after an extra, rather grumpy night in Blenheim I hatch another plan.   

I'll start from Pelorus Bridge, climb south to Benbown and the ridge that runs SW to intersect another ridge which runs NW from the back of Fishtail to the Pelorus River.  After that, there's plenty of options to get through to Nelson.  For the return route I've got some interesting cross country in mind - a spur off the Bryant Range to Roebuck Hut, another up to Grass Knob and the ridge route from Fell to Fishtail.

What:   Exploration and double crossing of the range
Where: Richmond Range: Pelorus, Nelson and Mt Fishtail
When:  4 - 11 November 2022
Who:    Solo 

Part one - to Nelson

Part two - back again

Day zero - an aborted start

Iona and Col lend me the spare car which allows me to discover on Thursday just how closed the road ends are on North Bank Road - this seems to be a combination of active logging, not active logging but thinking about it so let's close the road anyway, and possibly storm damaged roads that haven't been repaired yet.  Combine this with no attempt to provide alternative parking spots and routes into the park and you can understand the frustration.  I can hardly blame DOC - I'd prefer they use any spare cash on pest control rather than recreation - but there is something fundamentally broken about our legal settings that means that landowners bordering on parks can so effectively bar access to public land. 

Day one - Pelorus Bridge to pt 1330

About 6.45am I leave the Pelorus Bridge carpark and head up the track to K trig through beautiful mature bush with tall emergent podocarps.  I'm carrying 4 Liters of water in anticipation of spending the night on the ridge - I've also identified points 995 and 920 as the best bail out points if the going is too difficult.  The crux of the ridge is pt 1330 which has a steep climb up then a narrow, steep and tricky looking ridge beyond.  There are no tarns marked but it looks like water might be obtainable to the SE of pt 858. 

It's a great day.  The K Trig track breaks out of the bush where the pines have been harvested on the neighbouring block for a view NE down the Hoiere valley I've just driven up.  The track continues along the ridge then climbs to pt 417.  South across the saddle the spur to Benbown has pines on the lower slopes which I'm going to have to get through.    

NE down the Hoiere/Pelorus valley

Pt 868 with Benbown beyond

The pine block has a healthy crop of gorse so I follow the track from the top a short way into the bush but quickly work out I'll just have to deal with the prickles.  There's an old forestry track heading for the saddle but it's covered in gorse so I drop east towards a clear road.  This sees me in the saddle at 7.50. 

From the saddle up to Trig K

There's no obvious trail leading up the spur from the Saddle.  An old 4WD track starts from the clearing and is covered in regrowth but I make my way through into pine forest then head upwards, sometimes straying west into regenerating native bush.  It's all a bit messy, no real signs of tracks and a bit slow going. 

Around 8.40 I reach the top end of the pines and the going improves hugely under beech. 12 minutes later I stumble on a boundary peg.  The climb is steep in places but pretty straight forward once out of the pines.

Flat bit before pt 868

Skirting pt 868

About 3hr 35 after leaving the bridge I reach a pipe in a small bare clearing at the top of Benbown.  The ridge from here runs weirdly straight SW for quite a few kilometers.  I haven't found anything online about people traversing it so I have no idea if it is navigable - just in case I've lined up a few possible bail out points. I'm also a bit tired - possibly something to do with 4L of water on board.

The clearing gives views to the back of Mounts Riley and Sunday and west across the Hoiere/Pelorus Valley. 

Heading SW along the ridge top I quickly start getting a feeling for the countryside.  It's pretty knobby in places - rocky outcrops that you either sidle around or clamber over.  The going is generally good through open beech - with the usual windfall branches etc.  It's a lot more up and down then the map indicates so it takes longer than anticipated.  It's pretty much all in forest with the occasional view through the trees across to the peaks on the Richmond Range or over the Hoihere valley towards Tasman. 

About 1240 I get to pt 995. The top is under trees but open and it looks like there might even be a viable route north towards 815 then back to Pelorus via Bryant Stream.  Noted for future reference.  The wind has picked up and it's decidedly cold as soon as you stop moving.

View forward to pt 1330

I had wondered about tree fall being a problem along the ridge - there are a few areas where trees have tipped over but it's not too bad.  

A bit of tree fall between 923 and 858

View into a tributary to the Hoiere

I've got through a couple of litres so decide to look for water from the saddle before 858.  From the map I had identified the possibility of a source on the east side of the knob, but in the saddle the gully to the north looks promising.  A trickle forms not too far down the slope and I top up before heading on.

The ridge remains relatively easy travel with the odd scramble but I'm moving slowly over the endless knobs.  I look for water again on the west side of the saddle just before the climb to 1330 but waste a chunk of time and energy discovering there is none within cooey of the ridge.   

On the map, the steepening climb towards pt 1330 could be bluffy, but although it's a grind, no rock climbing is required.  The wind is strong and cold despite the sun and as it gets towards 6pm I start looking for a bivvy spot - not a chance.  I've found no flat spots by the time I hit the bushline.  I pause briefly to admire the view before ducking back into the bush to fossick on the east (lee) side of the ridge.

 

Back down the ridge, pt 920 is the closest knob.

North west ish - the ridge with 998 and 708 on the left

A robin keeps me company as I scramble about looking at banks and overhangs.  Eventually a bit of application of the boot and a few judicially placed rocks gives me a platform tucked into a bank that will have to do.  It's not forecast to rain so I roll out the bivvy bag, climb into as many clothes as I can and crawl into my pit.  Hot soup gets me warm enough to sleep soundly for 12 hours solid. 

Day two - pt 1330 to Middy Hut

It's a clear sunny morning and by 7am I'm climbing through low scrub to the top of 1330.  There's a trail of sorts so no bashing required.  The loose plan for the day is to complete this section of ridge, hang a right and head down another ridge to get the Hoihere River and hopefully Middy Hut.  

Above the bushline the views are pretty good.

NE

NW - from the bushline on pt 1330 back along the ridge to Benbown 

SSW Mt Fell on the left - the chain ladder descends the wee bluff further along that ridge  

From the top I can finally see the ridge ahead.  To my relief, although lumpy it looks navigable.  I'm a bit disappointed with progress yesterday and wasn't relishing the possibility I might come across a feature that would force me to back track.  

Start of the ridge from 1330 to 1173 - Fishtail on left

The ridge is indeed lumpy and there is a bit of scrambling but nothing too difficult - although I manage to gouge a tidy grove in my forearm when a foothold turns out to be a lump of moss with no rock under it.   

In between the interminable ups, downs and tactical sidles, I take the few opportunities afforded by gaps in the canopy to study Mt Fishtail and the ridgeline near it.  I'm keen to see if there is a way off the peak onto the ridge - it looks a bit dodgy on the topo map but potentially doable.  I'm also keen to see what the ridge is like from Fishtail to 1173.  

From what I can see, it looks like the large slip on Fishtail might be navigable, but it drops a long way before you could sidle to the ridge and it would be pretty tough going.  The rest of the face looks precipitous but there are suggestions of features that might be navigable for a tramper.   As for the ridgeline to pt 1173, there are two or three features which show rocky faces in this direction and if there is a route through it's not obvious from here.    

  

Fishtail - slip on left, main peak out of sight to left

There's many more ups and downs and some interesting faces in the bush on the north-west face of the ridge - but eventually, I'm on the last pinch up to pt 1173; arriving at 11.10am.

This is a significant milestone for the ridge and I'm happy to drop pack and sit on the mossy crest of the ridge.  I've come up the long leg of the T from Benbown and arrived at the junction.  Left, a bit over 2K away is Mt Fishtail with a bit of ridge in between that I fully intend to investigate one day soon.  Right, that ridge continues to disintegrate into a series of spurs down to the Hoihere River.   I turn right to see what comes next. 

It's pretty good travel, there are a few rocky down scrambles that I think could have avoided if I'd dropped 10-20m to sidle on the NE face of the ridge.    

The day is hot and sunny and there are enough gaps and low canopy to get views across to Mt Fell and pt 1496 (with the chain ladder).  Around 12.30 I take a break for lunch in a spot with a bit of shade and a view.   

Mt Fell at center

The ridge winds on - it's pretty much as you would expect from the map.  Most of the navigation is straight forward:  straight through to pt 1107, take a bearing to drop right then bear left, then turn left at the 960m contour, bear right at pt 820 then take a bearing to drop into the saddle before pt 678, gentle climb out of the saddle and as it flattens take a bearing to drop to the saddle before pt 444 - don't try to sidle pt 444 (I did and wasted some effort), another bearing in lusher bush towards pt 450 and finally -  a bearing to drop NW from pt 450 to the bridge over Fishtail Stream.  The last bit through some tighter vegetation.   

The bush is mostly pretty friendly - it gets lusher as you drop but there's a lot of open beech forest and stunted beech on the bony bits.  I'm pretty slow though - taking almost 6 hours to get from the junction to the bridge by 5pm.

Fishtail Stream

The section along the track to Middy Hut can't go fast enough for my liking.  I'm not moving fast though so it's 5.45pm by the time I get to the familiar clearing.

Day three - Middy Hut to The Brook

Writing this a few months later, I can't recall much about the stay at Middy Hut - no mice this time but there is a TA walker in situ.  He's lived in Australia but recently been back in NZ and is getting back to the TA after a break.  His pack weighs a staggering 20kg.   

I'm up first in the morning and have my breakfast outside to avoid disturbing him before getting away by 7.15am for the climb to the Rocks Hut.  The sun is crawling down the ridge and the Hoihere has shed the yellow clay lining it had last time I was through - its pools are back to their emerald green. 

 

I grind up the hill with a few stops, getting to the Rocks Hut at 9.15am.  A 15-minute stop for a breather and fill in the log and I'm heading on for Dun Saddle.  I've decided to head for the Brook via the Dun Mountain Trail - the given DOC track time is 5 and a half hours.

The track is good but clearly gets boggy given the wooden sleepers laid in many places.  Around 9.50am the track breaks onto one of those treeless expanses with the distinctive stunted brown vegetation you get in these parts.  

The track enters a bit of bush and sidles around pt 982 to climb through more of the stunted landscape to the saddle.  I'm delighted to find a tiny wee flower growing near the saddle.  It turns out it's the Mineral Belt Forget-Me-Not Myosotis monroi.  It only grows here and on Red Hills.    

A group of signs loiter in the saddle pointing in all sorts of directions.  It's 10.10 so about 40 minutes from the Rocks.

There's no track from the saddle marked on the map but there's an option that runs down the gully towards the Dun Mountail Trail as it descends into the Maitai, and another that sidles around pt 982 then drops into bush and the down to Coppermine Saddle (past the loo).   

I'm in the saddle before 10.30.  The clouds are breaking and it's shaping up to get quite hot.  There's plenty more signs here and on the way down with track times and information about the history of the trail.   

The track works are really impressive with some very skillful stonework benching the track around the corners.  Freshets provide cold water from above in many spots.   

I potter on down bumping into one hot Mountain Biker on the way but no-one else.  This is explained when I get to Third House Shelter (11.40).  The trail is fenced off and I eventually find the detour west of the Shelter onto the sanctuary fence line.  On reflection I recall that I had come up this way once before some time ago, so it's a bit surprising the trail is still closed.  

The fence line road is solid and wide.  I follow it down for about 15 minutes to a corner where the proper trail crosses a slip face.  A bit of engineering involved.  

 

The day gets warmer and I'm hoping to rejoin the trail, but when the opportunity comes, I realise it will be quicker to continue on the steeper descent on the gravel road.  It's surface and steepness are hard on the feet and I'm pretty much feed-up with it by the time I come out at the bottom.  There's a turn-around area and a road that heads off on the right.  I follow around a bend that find a track that drops to the left and meanders through cool bush to pop out on Brook Street.

It's around 12.50pm so about 5.35 hr from Middy and 3.20 hr from the Rocks.  Lucky Nelson being able to get into such areas with less than a day's walking.

Rest of day three and day four - Nelson

No tramping 😞

Day five - Nelson to Roebuck Hut

The route plan today is to take the track from the Maitai Dam to the Bryant Range at Dew Lakes, follow along the ridge to pt 956 and follow some spurs to the Hoihere River at Roebuck Hut.

JR kindly agrees to drop me at the Maitai dam but we discover that the road is closed at the first bridge after the last houses.  After the access problems on the other side of the range I'm somewhat pissed at this but wave good-bye and head off on foot - 7.10am.  A mucky climb through scrappy bush brings me to the water pipeline that runs above the road.  This gives a kinder surface and more interesting surroundings for a couple of Ks at least before I'll have to drop back to the road.   

I'm pottering along when a figure appears ahead - it's a woman taking her excitable dog for a walk.  I'm conscious that an unexpected encounter with a male could cause concern for some woman on their own so do my best to send harmless vibes - loudly cheerful and slightly gormless.  Her property backs on to the track, so she has a perfect dog walk route devoid of people and traffic (usually). 

 

This is the raw water feed from the Maitai dam and other head works to the treatment plant closer to Nelson.  It's nice to walk in the quite with the sun starting to hit the hills.  There's the odd bit where the side of the track has fallen away - one of which has had expensive shoring up work done to the bank.  The ground movement has damaged the pipe and I note the epoxy repairs have developed some leaks.

Just before the pipeline dives down the bank to cross the Maitai River the 4WD track zig zags down to the road.   You can't cross the river via the pipeline so it's a 4-5K road walk.  There's some significant repair work done but there is no sign of a reason for the road to be closed.  

Around 8.30am I'm at the info board at the base of the dam.  There's some interesting history covered including a reference to a Māori argillite quarry in the area.  

I'm pausing at the spillway when an ATV pulls up with a cheery greeting.  Les does part time work for the company that is contracted to run the dam and headworks - he's heading out on an inspection round. When he hears I'm heading up the track to the Dew Lakes he offers to give me a lift up the hill a bit.

We head up the forestry roads and climb a good 200m in altitude which has me very happy.  We park up and continue to chat for a bit - it turns out he's a retired electrical engineer who stumbled into a part time roll covering for the caretaker.  He describes some of the features of the dam (there's a tunnel under it), and I discover it's not the only collection point in the catchment.  He's a bit concerned when I mention the leaks in the epoxy on the raw water line - there's shouldn't be any as they can get larger fast.  He also says to look out for the argillite quarry by the track on the way up.

 

Around 9.05am he whips the vehicle around and I wave good-bye.  The engine noise fades leaving a quiet and clear morning.  The lift and good crack have completely erased the irritations of the tedious road walk - I follow a trail around the east side of a wee knob to join the main track up.  

 

The track up is wide and well made.  It has the distinctive mix of rock colours in this area with lots of rust colouring but also lighter greens, whites and dark greens to black.    To the north and east the Maungatapu track and pylons climb the North Maitai River valley to the Maungatapu Saddle.  As I climb there are views back to the dam and the caretaker's cottage behind.

  

Around 9.30am I get to the Rush Pools (marked on the map).  These turn out to be a flat boggy area covered in rushes - there's a foot trail across which seems to go no-where.  There seems to be nothing remarkable about the spot apart from the existence of a sizable flat spot on the way up to the ridge.  There may be significant flora present given the location and rock type, but I head on none the wiser. 

A few minutes further on I notice a different rock type on the track - sharp flakes of hard grey stone.  Just off to the right a sign has fallen over - it identifies this as the (an?) argillite quarry.  

A few meters off the track there is a rocky outcrop.  This is apparently where Māori broke off chunks of argillite to work down into tools and weapons.  I assume all the flakes lining the area mark the factory floor.  The hammer stones used were reportedly large boulders wrestled all the way up here from the boulder bank.  

Argillite outcrop 

Some of the flakes are quite sharp and you can see the utility of the rock and why such enormous effort was put to the enterprise.  

 

The chap from the dam said this was not the only outcrop but I've seen enough to get the picture.  I head on up the hill through bush and open ultramafic landscape.

  

Around 10.45am the track has levelled and joined the track along the ridge.  I head left a short way to a sign pointing to the Dew Lakes.  These turn out to be a scrubby area with some tadpole filled ponds.  

The marrow is quickly sucked and back on the track at 11am a sign informs that it is 2 hours to Dun Mountain and 4 to the Rocks Hut. First though, there is the pyramid shaped Little Twin to get over - not so sure why the moniker 'little' as it is taller than Dun Mountain. 

Little Twin

The trail is good and soon starts climbing up and over the wee twin.  A slowish 40 minutes to the top from the track junction then a gentler drop to the saddle before Dun Mountain.  Here the track breaks abruptly out of forest onto the barren landscape the 'mountain' is named for. 

The rust-coloured track climbs the ridge then flattens towards the top.  

There's a dark coloured wee plant growing in the cracks which I wonder if it is the forget-me-not I saw a few days back - it's not flowering though.

12.20pm I'm at the top with good panoramic views.  Time for lunch, but there's a coolish breeze so I follow the track to the hut a few hundred metres away.

Dun Mountain Shelter is not being marketed as a hut but would do fine provided you weren't expecting bunks.  There's rainwater and a loo so fine for a bit of shelter over lunch.  A plaque inside identifies it as a city council not DOC asset.    

I head off around 12.45pm on a track that meanders along the ridge for a while before falling off the edge into Dun Saddle.

On the drop into the saddle the forget-me-nots start appearing again having seen none along the tops.  

At 1.10pm I'm back at the loitering signs I saw a few days back and back onto territory I covered on the way over.  

35 minutes later I'm filling in the Rocks Hut logbook a short way below my previous entry.  

With a bit of farfing about it's 2.20pm before I get away with map in hand and frequent reference to compass and watch.  I want to drop off the track at pt 956 and don't want to wander past it.  It should be straight forward as the track does bend at that point from south bound to west bound, but sometimes it doesn't do this as precisely as the map might suggest.  

A bit after 3.25pm I leave the track and head down a wide, gentle slope with no signs of any trails.  

This sort of navigation is the hardest.  There are no macro features like spurs to indicate the direction to go and no views, so it's easy to overread the significance of local micro features like wee gullies and wrinkles that take you away from your line.  There's also a lot of areas of close growing saplings and the flora shows the influences of ultramafic geology to a greater or lesser extent (i.e. some areas of stunted growth with low visibility).   

I find myself following the compass pretty much from tree to tree - which is fine until you get into areas of dense saplings with visibility down to a few metres.          

At 4.35 I pop into an open area (around 700m contour) that gives a view across to the peaks above the Wairau valley and to the point where I want to hang a hard right.  In between, my spur narrows and drops into a slight saddle.  The bush also changes markedly with larger trees and treefall to contend with.    

Mts Fell and Richmond on the horizon.  My spur in foreground. 

20 minutes later I've reached the turning point, ahead is tall, open beech forest - behind is a band of close growing saplings. 

Looking back  

Looking forward

I find my way down to the 360m contour as planned at which point I follow bearings aiming to come out on the Pelorus Track near the first of the bridges to get across to Roebuck Hut.  It ends in a bit of a steep scramble and sidle east to the swingbridge.  In retrospect it would have been better to head east at the 360m contour to follow a better-looking spur to the track.  

In any event, it's 5.45pm, I've successfully completed the day's navigation and Roebuck Hut is just visible in its clearing across the river.

  

At 6pm I'm at the hut (after a bit of a pause on the second swing bridge to study the Hoihere River which I aim to follow up tomorrow).

I settle into the empty hut and take stock.  I'm still recovering from the first leg across the range a few days ago so feel more tired and battered than I should after a day's walk.  The most significant thing though is my top has taken layers of skin off my middle and back where the pack weight is borne.  It's a synthetic top which was slightly over spec for the hot day so sweat and bits of forest have formed an effective grinding paste.  I slap some large plasters on the worst of it and hope for the best.

I'm a bit concerned about how tomorrow will pan out.  I plan to head up the river to the second junction and follow a spur up to Grass Knob.  All good, except the river has a fair amount of energy.  My impression of the Hoihere is that it is frequently cut into bedrock giving narrow, deep sections with steep sides, and significant change in character over short distances - all combining to make it a tricky river to reliably find crossing points with good runout.  

There was only one reference online about travel up this bit, and it only covered as far as the first junction.  This suggested there were a couple of river crossings required but it was ok going.  Google earth is little help as the section to the second junction just looks dark.  I suspect it is gorgy but there looks to be a bypass option. 

In between now and my last visit, the logbook shows a work colleague has been through with family - they came down the first section late in the day after a horrendous amount of treefall on the long spur from pt 1495.  This gives me more confidence about that part of the river at least.

Day six - Roebuck Hut to Mt Richmond Saddle Hut

In the morning I have a last-minute thought about checking the waterproofness of my pack liner -  potentially important if I end up chest deep in the river.  Initially this starts as an inch-by-inch inspection and application of squares of duct tape to questionable spots.  One 'doh' moment later, I chuck some water in and role it across all surfaces to discover no leaks - much easier.  

It's a late 8.30am before I get away. The scramble to the riverbed by the swingbridge is easy and there is space on the true right to make my way upriver.   

Just upstream from the swingbridge

With a bit of rock hoping there's no difficulties getting around the first slight bend to discover that there is continuing viable travel on the true right up to the next sharper bend.  Just one wade required around a rock.  

Looking up to the next bend

And around it

As it turns out, there's just a bit of a wade in a few spots but I can keep to the true right all the way to the first junction - under half an hour.  

Junction Hoiere and Mates - ahead is the spur to the main range near Slaty 

The Hoiere flows out of a deep pool to join Mates Creek.  The sides are not climable and after swimming the pool there would be a bit of a scramble up a cascade to who knows what upstream.  I don't fancy it. 

Plan B is to cross the river, climb the spur and sidle to drop down to the next junction.  The crossing is easy today as is the route onto the spur.  I possibly drop a little early to sidle - it gets a bit bluffy and steep above the river but I find a way through.  I think a smarter move is to stay on the spur top until it is about to veer southwest and drop to the junction there.   

At 9.20am I'm toping up water and looking down the gorge - definitely not worth trying to navigate.  The Hoiere comes in from my right and is much smaller now.  A few metres up stream I can cross and scramble onto the toe of the spur.     

The spur starts straight in with a steepish climb - there's no obvious trail but it is open enough.  At pt 548 it flattens into a delightful section through tall beech then climbs again more sedately. 

I start getting into areas of tree fall, these give lawns of flowering hebe a chance to thrive and views across to the the bluff with the chain ladder on the ridge north of  Mt Fell, but also slows things down considerably.   

Flowering bushlawyer

I think it is on the climb from pt 793 that I get bogged into a nasty climb through a steep graveyard of rotting logs twined with bushlawyer.  I suspect I drifted a bit too far east and that the trick to try to keep west on the spur.  I fight my way out of the stuff and get a bit of clearer travel towards pt 1197 - arriving about 1.10pm.  

    

There's sign of previous visitors here with an old cairn and rusted wire - perhaps a trig at some point.   I'm hoping the worst is over with an undulating ridge ahead with a final climb to Grass Knob.  Wrong.  Within minutes I've dropped into more tree fall and there is plenty more along the ridge. 

You can try to bypass on the west but at times the only option is to clamber through.  Eventually I get into more stunted forest and leave the tree fall behind.  After pt 1272 I try a sidle east to see if I can bypass Grass knob to gain the ridge.  Not a goer, and not worth trying.  I end up in gullies and bluffs and have to clamber back west to rejoin the spur as it climbs to the crest.   

North East to Mt Fell from shoulder of Grass Knob

East to Mt Richmond

Spur to pt 1197

After a last climb up soft carpet grass I'm at the top at 3.30pm.  It's been a long, slow 6 hours from the river.  There are good views of course, but I'm most interested in the ridge that runs south and then west to Ada flat.  I can't see much of it from here, but fully intent to be back through this way again someday.  

Ridge to Ada Flat

After a rest and sit down I turn east to follow the ridge to Richmond Saddle.  The other face of Grass Knob is anything but - it's rocky with a few bluffs but nothing tricky.

Back towards Grass Knob

Grass Knob

There's more apparent foot trails through here and I'm able to bypass below the knob by pt 1323 to descend in forest to the saddle, arriving at 4.35pm.

It's a tidy hut in a clearing basking in the full force of the afternoon sun.  I give away the idea of continuing to Mt Fell Hut - there's daylight left but I'm knackered after the efforts getting up that spur.  Instead, I divest myself of smelly and damp kit and spread it across the landscape to air and dry.  

There's a sign board in the hut with a bit of history - including a lot about the plane crash on Mt Fell in 1942.  The first airline fatality in NZ; Mts Johnstone and Fell are named from two of those killed.    

I while away the rest of the afternoon doing crosswords and tending the airing kit.  

Day seven - Mt Richmond Saddle Hut to Fishtail Hut

Its windy in the night and in the morning a bit of clag is coming and going around the tops - towards Nelson though it's a sunny morning.  I rug up as it's a bit cooler today and head off a little before 7am.  Some one has left a walking pole at the hut so purloin this and a stick to help with the climb.

The hut info board promises an hour to the top of Mt Richmond and three more to Mt Fell Hut.  It's a steep climb with a fair amount of loose rock but not complicated.  Before long I'm in clag and getting colder as the the wind gets stronger.  

The track reaches the ridge and becomes less steep for the final approach to the top.  There's a rock wall to shelter from the wind and check the map to take a bearing for the way down.  It's almost 8.10am so it has taken a bit longer than the hut estimate.

The wind is a bit annoying on the way down - pushing me around and making footing amongst the rocks and boulders a bit tricky.  I keep an eye on the compass although it is reasonably obvious where to go.  I'm a short way across the saddle when the clag suddenly clears around me (8.40am) - looking back, Mt Richmond is popping in and out of view every few seconds.  I would quite liked to have had a bit of that clearance when I was up there.

Now you don't see it

Now you do

The track climbs gently to the ridge then turns north to sidle below pt 1613 and onto the ridge towards Mt Fell.  Ahead is the familiar tussock tonsure of Mt Fell with beach forest lapping the east face. Somewhere down there is Mt Fell Hut - the peak itself is obscured.  

 

I follow the trail along the ridge but rather than heading to the junction above the hut I cut across the face in the hope that I might see some sign of the plane crash site.  There are apparently some remains and a plaque but I find out later I'm in the wrong spot.  

Cutting across and down the face I drop into the trees about 20m from the hut clearing to arrive at the hut at 9.30am.  The times posted at Mt Richmond Saddle Hut are most random - I exceeded the estimated hour to the top and did the posted three hours to the hut in an hour twenty.  I had been a bit worried at the top that four hours to here would put me shy of time to get through to Mt Fishtail Hut in daylight.  I'm still a little apprehensive about the next ridge section and relieved to have an hour more than I had anticipated up my sleeve.

Mt Fell is a tidy wee hut, the last visitor was 10 days ok and I'm interested to see that a Tararua Tramping Club group had set off to do the bit I'm about to do but had to turn back.  I don't note the time I leave but it was probably about 9.40am.

  

The ridge to Fishtail is a known route although some of the descriptions are a little daunting.  It looks lumpy on the map with some steep, possibly bluffy climbs.  

I follow the track to the old hut site then up onto the open east face of Mt Fell.  The aim is to sidle north along the face above the bushline for about a K then drop east into the saddle between Mt Fell and pt 1327.  Easy.

Rather than going for a high sidle I negotiate a few gullies then sidle 100m or so from the bushline.  There are random goat trails and I disturb a herd of 20 or so of the culprits sunning themselves in the tussocks.  It goes ok but close to the spur to the saddle I get into patches of scrub which are irritating.  It might pay to go further up slope and drop down the slope when closer.  

A little under an hour after leaving the hut I drop into bush to work my way down to the saddle.  It's flat for a start with long grass underfoot. There's some foot trail but not as strong as I expected.  It takes about half an hour to get to the saddle, it's mostly not too back travel with a high canopy and a reasonable amount of undergrowth.  I keep an eye on my compass as there is a bit of a kink around 1150m and you don't want to drift southeast off the spur.  Apart from the very occasional gap in the canopy there's no views.    

   

View to the ridge past pt 1327

The climb is steep but not complicated.  There's some rocky outcrops and as I get higher, views back to Mt Fell.  There's even the odd cairn.

Mt Fell and spur into the saddle

I take my time so it's an hour to climb to pt 1327 where I find an open patch for lunch looking north and a little west across the Hoiere valley towards Nelson.  If I stand up, I can see Mt Fishtail off to the east.  Although it's hot in the sun the air is quite cool.  

I get quite a good view of the northwest face of Fishtail - it's too far off to see details but this is the best angle I'm going to get.  It looks gnarly but I'm still hopeful there's a route down it - let's see if I can get there in daylight and have a look over the edge.  

The beech on the ridge is stunted and I'm expecting the next bit to be a bit tight but it turns out to be not too bad.  I drop away from the crest and find I can traverse easily but I work my back to the crest again as the rocky outcrops give views and a bit of variety.    

Back towards pt 1327

A bit over 2 K away I can see the Mt Fell Hut in its clearing with Mt Richmond behind. As I progress the angle changes and some of the scree slopes in the southern basin come into view.  My ridge looks very bumpy. 

It's good travel along the ridge and I even note the odd cut branch.  There's quite a few clearings which help with navigation and I use the compass a bit to work my way down to the saddle before pt 1260.  

At 1.50pm I'm in the saddle in tall forest.  This is over halfway in terms of distance and at less than 4 hr 30 from Mt Fell Hut I'm pleased with progress - but - the next bit is steep and rocky so I have no delusions about the amount of work left to do.

It's steep with rocky outcrops demanding some care, but there is always a way up.  The day gets cooler and dimmer with a bit of clag starting to toy with the tops.  On the descent from pt 1269 I find myself above some impressive cliffs on the north west face - I recall Mad Pom's note online about this and work my way east below the crest for a route with out the dramatic fall out zone.  

Another steep climb through rocky outcrops to pt 1345 and I finally allow myself to think that I'm getting close.  There's a break in the bush and I can see across to that ridge I'm obsessed with.   

Across to the ridge NW of Fishtail 

It's easier going now with the worst of the ridge behind.  I take a break in the bush edge to pull on some more layers - it's still intermittently sunny but there's a bit of wind now.  It's odd to be out in the open again after so long in the bush.  It might be tempting to look at the map and attempt to sidle to the hut from here but it's not recommended. I continue north east up the ridge.    

Ridge to Mt Fell - Pt 1345 with 1269 behind. Pt 1359 to right

It's steep in places but fairly straight forward travel. If it gets too scrambly you just drift east onto easier slopes.  I'm wanting to keep to the edge so I can see over that face - but each glimpse is thoroughly discouraging showing cliffs with no way down.

 

Top of Mt Fishtail on right 

That's the ridge but no way across from here

Meanwhile, I've come a ways above the basin and can see the track to the hut across the distant scree slope.  The top of Fishtail is coming and going in the cloud.  I'm not so interested in it as I figure I'll be through again another day. 

 

At 4.30pm I reach a wee notch on the ridge to the southwest of the second knob from the big north face slip. I peer over the edge and decide it's worth a look. Dropping my pack I clamber down and find a bench descending north across the face towards the ridge. There's some unpleasant looking chutes off down to the left, but nothing feels too precarious and I get down to a point where I'm satisfied that I could get to the ridge.  

The notch

I'm stoked  with this outcome.  It's an elegant wee route and it's pleasing to have found it.  I have no doubt that others have followed it but having studied the face from all angles and speculated about the possibility for some time, I have quite a proprietal feeling about it.  There's still the small matter of a couple of rocky knobs on the ridge that look a bit tricky but I'm looking forward to getting back and seeing if I can get through to pt 1173. 

 

Back at the ridge it's getting towards 4.50pm.  I decide not to divert to the top but sidle below the next knob and start a diagonal sidle down the boulder fields towards the hut.     

The hut is  tiny dot below.  I pick a way down trying not to step on the areas of vegetation.  There's a wee stream that flows down the wee wrinkle in the contours you can see on the map - it would be a useful feature to catch you in clag - i.e. wander across and down the basin 'til you hit the stream then follow down the bank above it until you see a yellow topped stake and a pool in the stream - cross and you are metres from the hut.  Without clag it's a long walk down but pretty straight forward.

About 5pm I'm at the empty hut.  It's a tidy wee four bunker - not much space inside but clean, dry and neat.  There's a wee foyer for gear and a bench inside. 

I was a little concerned about timing today but it has worked out well.  About 2hr 30 from Richmond Saddle to Mt Fell Hut and 7hr 20 from there to Mt Fishtail Hut.  10 hours on the ago including breaks and a wee side excursion.

No-one else turns up so I spread out and settle in.  In the morning it is clagged in.  I'm in no rush to get away and have a lie in, finally getting underway at 11am.    

Once underway I make good time, getting to the stream crossing 1000m below in an hour 15, and to the carpark 40 minutes later.  It's a beautiful walk out on a benched track above a pretty river (Pine Valley Stream).  

   

It looks like a very popular summer spot with space for camping and swimming holes.  At the car park the trip isn't over.  A twenty minute walk through forestry churned up roads gets me to a gate covered in fierce signs and after a further half hour walk along the gravel road it's 1.45 before I reach Northbank Road and any prospect of a lift.  A fair amount of teeth grinding goes on as, but for the forestry, I would have been in the car and back in Blenheim by now. 

It's a couple of K walk before a driver responds to my thumb and slows to pick me up.  The woman jumps out of the 4WD, apologises for the dog and removes her rifle from the front seat.  She's Irish and has just been hunting up near Mt Patriach.  We have a great yarn during which I find out that her young dog is developing an interest in pigs but she's wanting it to be a deer dog.  She's telling me how she comes out this way at night to run over and pluck possums when a black pig and a couple of piglets appear by the road.  She screeches to a halt and leaps out to grab the rifle before pausing then regretfully climbing back into the car.  She explains that if she sticks a dead pig in the back she'll never get the dog to be interested in deer.  

She drops me on the other side of Renwick as the best place to hitch to Blenheim.  I head off down the road and have another lift within 400m.  Dave runs a home handy man business and has just been tidying a woman's property in Renwick - he's happy to drop me right outside my sister's house.   

JACS Biv - Tararua

Every now and again Janine forgets what it was like last time we went tramping and suggests a trip.  This time we have Labour weekend and some loose plans to visit McGregor Biv, maybe the Shingle Slip Knob plane crash, and a few other possibilities in the area.  She has the sense to suggest that I can bugger off and do crazy things if I want but she is intent on enjoying a birthday weekend in the hills.

What:     Long weekend tramp
Where:   Shingle Slip Knob area
When:    22-24 October 2022
Who:      Janine

 

I swing past and pick her up and we're at a packed Holdsworth carpark on a clear and sunny morning ready to leave around half eight.

There's a lot of runners and walkers about and DOC has mounds of gravel to redo the tracks around Donnelly flats.  East Holdsworth Track is closed at the bottom but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary for the amble up to Atiwhakatu.   It takes a little under 2 hours - we're not in a hurry as we're planning to stay at Jumbo or MacGregor Biv.  

The Atiwhakatu logbook shows no-one has recorded intentions to head towards MacGregor Biv - a chap arrives who is heading to Mid-King Biv but that's the closest so far.

Part way up to Jumbo we come across a party that is enthralled by a kaka - it's mate had just flown off but this one sticks around for a bit and exchanges squawks with one of the group.   I hadn't heard that they had established in the ranges but have seen them in the past.  It's a bit ironic that you see them in central Wellington, but they are a rarity and a treat to see out here.

As we set out, I had alerted Janine to listen out for shining cuckoo, but they have so far made a fool of me with their absence.  I'm delighted though to hear one not too far off - we don't see it, but nothing says summer is coming quite so definitively.  

Just before the bushline there is the tiniest pieces of snow behind a couple of trees - a reminder that although we're heading towards summer, cold weather is never far away.  

Around 1:15pm we're at Jumbo which is well tied down now (it was closed sometime back for better wind protection).  There are bags of wood outside that have been recently choppered in - it seems an awful lot of cost and carbon but I guess it means that people don't try to harvest from the local forest.  

We arrive along side two largish parties - one is a family group (sounded European), and the other a group of retired army mates who are out for their annual bash in the bush.  They're good fun giving each other a hard time and delighted to discover that one of their number comes from the same part of the UK as Janine.  

Again, the log has no-one heading our way, so we decide to head on to MacGregor Biv.  Janine advises the groups that the bunk space she booked at Jumbo is available and we grab some lunch.  A chap turns up that is heading to the Biv but he says he's happy to stay in his tent.  We get under way again around 1.50 - a few clouds and coolish but still clear with good views.  

There is a steady trickle of people coming through including quite a few doing the circuit in a day.  Powell Hut is still closed for repairs following a lightening strike a few months back which may explain Powell being full.

I arrive at the intersection on Jumbo ahead of Janine and take the essential shot of what must be the most photogenic signpost in the Tararuas.  It's aging beautifully with the weather scouring the soft wood away to reveal the grain.  

A chap arrives from the Holdsworth ridge, he's thinking of staying at MacGregor but when he hears there's three others for the two bed biv he decides he will likely head on for Mid-King.  

Ridge to Mt Holdsworth

The chap from Jumbo (Steve) catches up with us and we chat - he seems to be getting back into tramping trying to fit it around work and family.  His gear is old school - not old, old school like wooden external frame pack, but early '90s and Fairy Down branded.  He's going about our pace and is happy to join up.  

It's easy enough travel along the ridge and we have no concerns about daylight as we sidle just below Angle Knob and head into the saddle before MacGregor.  The tiny dot of a sky lark whitters somewhere high above the saddle.  

It's quite an unusual treat to come through with full visibility - as we round the shoulder of the knob the view opens up ahead.  The main range with Nichols hut a bright dot reflecting the sun, Carkeek, Dorset and Tarn Ridges with Dorset hut just visible on the bushline.  As we drop down the spur towards the Biv the view north opens further.  This is the interior of the range - well travelled but few tracks marked on the map.  

Below us, the wee tarn on the ridge marks where to look right for the bright orange dot of the biv on the bushine.  

It's about quarter to six when we arrive at the biv.  I haven't seen any footprints and it turns out that the list visitors were three months back on 24 July.  It's a bit damp inside so we get it airing and I chuck the mattresses on some scrub to dry in the late afternoon sun.  

There's just enough space for Steve to pitch his tent and we get on with dinner prep.  Janine has quite a bit to do as she is going a bit gourmet.  Crackers and cheese go down a treat and we clamber up to the heli pad to watch the sun go down somewhere around Junction Knob.  Fantails catch the light as they flit above the canopy on the slopes below.

Steve is intending to head over the Broken Axe Pinnacles to Mid-King so is in no hurry in the morning.  We're going to head to the plane crash on Shingle Slip  Knob then split up - me to head down to Jacs Biv (or 'JACS' as apparently it is the first letters of the names of the guys that put it in).  I'm not sure what I'll do from there but outline a few options.  The good thing about my new GPS is that you can indicate a range of intentions and then ping your location home so they know which way you're going.  Janine will head back to Angle Knob and then see how much day is left and either go for a bit more of a walk or head straight to Jumbo hut.  

We get away for the climb back to the ridge just after 7am on a cool but not cold morning.   

 

At the ridge the sign to the Biv is a good spot to pause and admire the view.  Kapakapanui is emerging like the back of a whale above the morning cloud and the distinctive shape of Kapiti Island hovers above and beyond in the haze.  The peaks of the main range march to Mt Hector in the distance.   

About 8.20 we pause again on Angle Knob before dropping off the back towards the scrambly bit.  I've come up this way once but not down - on the basis of full disclosure I've been careful to describe it as accurately as I can for Janine: "It's a bit tricky in places."  I don't remember much except to keep to the north face and not drop over the south side.  Although that's exactly where the foot trail seems to head.  It must have been an animal trail as, despite casting around I can't find a route I'm comfortable to take someone else across.  Scrambling back to the ridge I slide down a wee chute and find a bit of a trail leading on along the face.    

We take it easy and thread a way down across the steep bits - a bit exposed in places but the footing is good and it's dry.  The highlight of the day, and possibly of the trip comes when a falcon drifts around the ridge riding an updraft.  I can see the yellow around its eyes as it checks us out before disappearing into the distance without a wing beat.  Later we see it as a small dot catching the sun as it cruises the bluffs in the headwaters of Angle Creek.  

With the steep bit out of the way we head on across the broad tussock slope below pt 1412. 

My recollection of the next bit is that it is hard to find and stick to a foot trail.  This is the case again but we find a path of least resistance as we drop to the wee tarn in the saddle before the short climb to Shingle Slip Knob. 

Around 1020 the site of the plane crash comes into view from pt 1348 - the silver metal catches the light and from here the shape of the plane is clear on the slope below the ridge.  Janine catches up and walks past with her head down completely missing the plane and me lying in the tussock. 

The first and last time here for me was in 2018 on a fun wee trip scrambling around some of the local spurs and creeks.  The weather is much better this time.  

We head over to the memorial crosses before dropping off the ridge to visit the crash site.  Last time the grey metal crosses merged into the grey clag making a somber scene.  This time is a complete contrast. 

We pop over the edge of the slope towards the crash site - it is a bit tricky as you are completely unsighted until you are virtually on it - I overshoot a little and end up having to cross some steep scrubby channels to work my way back while Janine finds a more direct route.   

It's as I remember it - the tail section quite recognisable, the wings laid out on each side and mashed bits of the cockpit in between.  An engine with broken propeller in front.  Tussock and leatherwood is growing through holes in the wings.  My previous post on this has an old photo that shows how much the elements have eroded the wreckage.

 

This is where we part ways - I leave Janine taking photos after outlining my intentions.  I'll either see her at the hut tonight or at the car tomorrow arvo.   My plan is to follow the same spur down to pt 736 that I took on the last trip - then drop to the river to visit the Biv.  From there - we'll see.

A slightly scrubby sidle around the slope takes me to the spur running WSW from the ridge near the marked shingle slip.  There is a bit of low leatherwood and scrub to negotiate but I get down to the bushline easily enough.  Once in the trees the slope is broad and it is easy to drift too far north.  I cut back SW through cutty grass and soon enough pick up a bit of a foot trail on the spur - not strong and no old markers that I notice. 

The spur drops steeply then swings SW and eases.  It's nice travel along the broad top in mature forest.  I cheat and use the GPS to confirm when I start dropping steeply west as I don't want to miss the wee saddle by pt 736.  

At Pt 736 I'm aiming to be clever and take the wee wrinkle of a spur running parallel and just south of the main spur to the marked stream junction.  I'm thinking this will come out with the least river travel required to the Biv.  I realise I've muffed it when my compass leads me to the edge of a deep gully.  Ah well, I back off and take potluck scrambling down the steep face of the valley.  Sunlight on water through the trees reveals I'm on a cliff edge that I won't be climbing down.  I sidle along the slope, scramble through a stream gully and eventually find a way down to the water edge.  It's just after 1pm and it has taken about 2 hours from the crash site.

 

It's always a pleasure sitting by a river that you know not many people get to visit - not quite the wilderness experience you get in parts of the South Island but on a day like this with sun glinting on the water it's pretty special. 

I figure I am downstream of the biv but in the interests of time confirm with the GPS.  It looks like I've come out just upstream of the big slip marked on the map.  I cross the river and work my way up, passing opposite another smaller slip face also on the true left that has bush regrowing on it.  

There's a bit of grass on the true left river edge here and I figure the Biv must be close.  I cross the river to peer into the bush and am soon rewarded by the site of framing up on a wee terrace in the bush.

The framing is in front of the biv and I assume intended to take a tarp cover to extend the living space.  Someone has tied a tarp over the biv itself.  It's a cheerful spot in the heat of the day and I'm happy to sit in the biv doorway to eat my lunch.  It's a little moldy but tidy, I can't find a hut book which may be why some idiots have scratched their name and dates on the door.  I'd quite happily sleep here but that won't be the case today.

I have a few options but most of them involve lots of river crossings and some involve swimming.  All of them involve a long climb at some point.  In the end I do what I suspected I would be doing all along - head back the way I came so I can check that Janine got back past Angle Knob ok.  

I get on the way again at 2.10 - heading up to the marked stream junction and disturbing a family of goats on the way.  I find the stream and top up my water, then notice that there looks like another stream cascading into the river a little further up.  I don't go to investigate as I figure getting up to 736 is just a question of following my nose.  It could be that the stream splits shortly before hitting the river.  It's a little messy and steep at the start but soon I am slowly grinding up the well shaped spur and reach pt 736 at 3pm.  

There's no marking for the spur but if you're heading down and take a bearing for the spur from this tree and keep the steep slope on your right you should be fine. 

It's a bit of a grind back up but at least I don't need to spend time navigating.  When I get to the bushline I follow along the edge a little way and find an animal trail that takes an easy way through the leatherwood.  The day is still sublimely clear but the wind is getting up beyond what was forecast.

In my mind, I've broken the trip back into three challenges - getting from the bushline to the top through the scrub, the tussock face from the tarn to pt 1412 (I had a miserable trip up there last time), and the scramble up to Angle Knob - after that it should be a doddle along the ridge and down to Jumbo. 

It takes 25 minutes to work up the 150m through scrub and tussock to the top of Shingle Slip Knob and is not as bad as anticipated.  5pm, about 2 hours 20 from leaving the river.  On the tops the wind is becoming quite a nuisance - the possibility of bivvying out is not looking like a goer - depending on how things go I might be making it into Jumbo by torchlight.   

 

At the tarn I follow closer to the southern side of the slope (right looking up), and it seems easier than last time when I came up the middle.  The wind is now buffeting and I'm having to be careful about balance.  But the route is familiar from this morning, and I make good pace along the steep sides of the pinnacles leading up to Angle Knob.  A final slow scramble up a tussocky slot and I'm on the top.  6pm so I'm looking good for daylight.    

Back towards Shingle Slip Knob on the right

I'm feeling pretty cocky as I get onto the foot trail leading down off Angle Knob - this is short lived; as soon as I am out of the lee of the knob the wind comes in hard up from Francis Creek and gets stronger.  I can still maintain a reasonable pace but have to be careful about my footing.  In the saddle before 1397 though it is smashing through and I have a great deal of trouble walking.  Soon I'm being pushed to my knees and shoved off the track.  The wind pummels and bullies me along the ridge, as I grab handfuls of tussock (and Spaniard) to stop from being tipped over.  

It should drop once I get in the lee of Pukeahurangi (Jumbo).  And it does for a few minutes - but it comes back again.  By the time the hut hoves into sight I'm battered and buggered.  

Phew

Kicking off boots I head in to see if there is a spare bunk.  Janine advises that there is, and cheerfully informs me that she didn't think I'd make it tonight so she's just finished all the chocolate dipped strawberries.  She does however take pity and makes sure I have hot water to get dinner underway and a few shots of brandy to revive flagging spirits.

She has also had a tough time on the way back - first finding the way up Angle Knob and with the wind on the ridge.  Sensibly, she didn't do any diversions but concentrated on getting to the hut.  

From being fully booked the hut is only half full and through some fluke there are no snorers.  It's a noisy enough night though with the wind buffeting the hut and the new stay wires doing their business to stop it blowing away.  

In the morning there is no particular hurry, and we head off around 8.35am after a bit of tidying.  The wind is soon left behind and it's a pleasant and uneventful wander to the valley floor and out to the carpark by 12.15pm. 

And that's it.  The only red line for me was the briefest bit into the Waiohine River but I'm pleased to finally get to Jacs biv which was a delightful wee spot on a sunny day.  Janine ticked off a number of milestones and time will tell how long before the scars and memories fade enough for her to suggest another trip.