5 Days in the North-Eastern Ruahines

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5 Days in the North-Eastern Ruahines On 6th September (Monday) I made on maps as "Hut Ruin") about 2.30 p.m., my way to Palmerston North to meet our and immediately filled all the billies with local T& M rep. in that city. Dave Ryrie water from the ice-covered tarn outside, and I piled into Dave's car and we and closed the door, brewed up and pit eventually reached a road end behind the bashed to thaw out. Aranga Hut is also Gwajas State forest = this was about situated in a damp area, the place later 2 p.m. We had to assure the farmer's dripped large quantities of condensation wife that we were not carrying firearms, from the walls and roof, when we whereupon she quite happily let us warmed it up. through their property. We were bound Wednesday was again a terrible day for Ruahine Hut, but in the myriad of weatherwise, but it improved about midbulldozed tracks we ended up on the day. Dave and I got a couple of hours wrong side of a river and aimed our- of chopping, and dug some drainage selves in the direction of a little building ditches to clear the pools of water round on the bush edge, some distance away. the hut. We also went for a short walk We arrived there about half an hour and gained a few glimpses of our inlater to find it was N.Z.F.S. Herrick's tended route along the tops next day. Hut we had cut off about two miles Thursday morning I a brilliantly clear or more of our intended trip. However, morning, a heavy frost and absolutely it was good enough for us for a night. dead calm. We were up at 5 a.m. and We were, it seems, the first W.T. & M.C. away before 6 a.m. A full moon was still members to use it, but that is no great shining but dawn was fast breaking. We honour. It is situated in the middle of witnessed one of the most beautiful suna cattle-tramped bog, and very damp and rises creeping over the horizon, bathing musty. us in beautiful warm light, while away Next morning (Tuesday) it was misty, below us, the coastal towns of Napier windy and raining but we decided Lo and Hastings, et., and the lower valleys attempt to reach Aranga Hut. It was not and ridges weer still in shadow. long before discrepancies between the There was plenty of snow about, with map and the actual surroundings became all the tarns frozen up. It was easy iat apparent. 1-The place where one would going for a while, but the saddles soon expect the track up. Herricks Spur, we got deeper. and the climbs out of them found a track all right, but it became correspondingly higher and harder. There obvious it was a wet-weather route to are one or two slightly hairy bits of Dead Dog Hut. So, bush bashing up a ridge - steep bluffy areas to negotiate, suitable ridge, we eventually reached an but it was pretty straightforward. In exposed top, and some time later after mist this would be a difficult trip, the taking a compass bearing, stumbled upon bumps in many cases are flat and gently the track we should have taken in the rounded, and the exit ridges are not easy first place. This was good. We followed to see = frequently a turn of about 90° it easily till we reached the junction of or more is necessary on top. Further, the Herricks Spur and the main "No Man's access to and from thé tops in bad Hut" to "Aranga" track. At this paoint weather would be via steep spurs making there is a long open rolling tussock unpleasant going if caught by foul stretch. It coincided with a vicious squall weather up there. with horizontal snow and sleet, while we A pleasant lunch stop with plenty of literally ran for it. Unfortunately Dave sun in a sheltered part of the ridge by cramp, and we had to get some cover a frozen tarn, and we plodded quickly on got the bush about 30 yards to our left. until about 5 n.m., when we reached our A hurried putting on of storm gear, and bush saddle and spent the night there. It chocolate to eat, and we plodded on. was not an ideal campsite. the water The last hour or so is on a wide, well- was dirty, but we had a splendid view cleared, easily graded section of track in of the lights of the previously mentioned scrub. The place was saturated with sur- places. During the night the wind got up, face water with a raging torrent cascad- so after a leisurely breakfast we left at ing down the centre of the track. We 8.30, climbed our last bump and bombed eventually reached Aranga (also marked off down the track from the Armstrong

Saddle. The wind on top was so strong good roaring fire, a good feed, and we it made walking difficult, and seeing the hit the pit for the last time on the trip. next bumps were over 54 thousand feet The weather forecast was bad, so we with lots of snow and ice, we decided to decided to push out on Saturday, leaving retreat to lower altitudes. The track the rest of the tops for another day, down, though steep, was pleasant to probably summer. wander along, and many sunbathing stops Saturday morning and the wind was later, we stumbled across an unmarked up again, so we walked to Wakarora Triple Creek Hut. We followed a new where the local schoolteacher was very cut to the Waipawa River where a long kind and entertained us until our transdrawn out lunch stop was made. Both of port arrived in late afternoon. We us drinking copious quantities of cordial arrived back in Wellington about 11.30 and brew. In this area the Forest Service p.m. in a really nasty storm. The boys at are doing a lot of work opening up the the flat had a party going, so what area way for family walks, etc., and we later way to finish off the trip? Those on the met some of the chaps involved. Some of trip, if you haven't already guessed the stories they told were horrifying - Dave Ryrie and Dave Minard. i.e., roads to here, there, and every- This area has impressed me as having where. tremendous potential for large-scale After lunch, we had ideas of working tramping trips, which seem to be relaover to Smiths Stream, but the effort of tively unknown here. There seems to be following an ancient track proved too only one tramping club using the area much. At Middle Stream, we found a regularly, and they don't do much more beautiful grassy flat with plenty of fire- than medium trips it seems. So, you FIT wood. So, what better place to pike? A and FE types, what about it? * * * * * * No Queues at Ruapehu Monday, 8th November 1971, arrived other side kept us going. Before heading and there were still two skiers on Mt. down, however, another rest under Ruapehu. The bright sun, the clear blue Cathedral Rocks was the order of the sky and the sparkling snow lured us on. day. Tony and I left the A.C. Hut and it was two strange looking creatures skinned our way Restful Ridge. We who sat there in the sun that morning. motored past the "hekent and on to the One was sitting there with his trou round Summit Plateau. A more beautiful place his ankles, no shirt on, and a paper bag we had not seen in a long time, and it on his head. The other also had his trou was all ours. Quickly we skinned across around his ankles, no shirt on, but was the Plateau and stopped under Cathedral munching a stick of celery. Such odd Rocks. The necessary adjustments were garb! made to skis, then we raced off down Huge billowing clouds were now surthe Whangaehu Glacier. And race down rounding the mountain, but before they we did. The snow was so perfect we just covered the sun we were on our way couldn't go wrong. Without stopping we down. With whoops of delight we skated meandered our way down the superb our way across the plateau then bombed snow until we could go no further. Here it non-stop down Restful Ridge. Turning we collapsed in a heap, exhausted, but was simple. In the beautful snow we just overcome with joy. couldn't have fallen over if we had tried. You might say we just blew our minds. Slowly, with the sun beating down on