Anatoki Peaks - Easter 1978

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Anatoki Peaks - Easter 1978 Trevor Bissell We shared the 10.40 sailing with a pack track. Tony, Paul and Trevor had large contingent of Galgoppa - a motorgot as far as Adelaide Tarn on the cyle gang from Wanganui and their Douglas Range during Labour Weekend Police escort. Even so it was possible 1977, but were forced to abandon the to get some sleep. trip because of very high winds, snow, sleet and low temperatures. This was Some further sleep was had on a rotat- Brian's first visit to the area. ion basis during the drive to Takaka, and by breakfast time we were at the Travel on the Haupiri Range Was good, road end in the Anatoki Valley. Extenbeing like grassy Tararua tops. Slate sive flats at the road end are being River Peak was sidled on the south farmed on a commune basis. Two or side in order to avoid a steep scramble three families live in makeshift with heavy packs. A steep descent accommodation surrounded by a few from Caesar Knob brought us to the animals and small areas of crops. shores of Boulder Lake. During breakfast the rain eased and the Brews, bacon stew and instant pudding low mist began to lift thus raising our were consumed by the lake shore. Smoke spirits. The climb up onto the Haupiri could be seen from the direction of Range was quite a grunt - 5000 feet in the hut at the head of the lake but we fact, but the views from the tops were felt a little too tired to be sociable. great. Farewell Spit could be seen to the north and the Anatoki Peak and Next morning was clear and frosty and Dragons Teeth stood like witches hats the fly was quite rigid. After breakto the west. We studied the major fast we called in at the hut to find spurs off the Anatoki Range on the the Alpine Club party who were enroute south of the river and selected one for to Adelaide Tarn. We left them to our route down in three days time. their breakfast and set off up valley to Green Saddle and onto the Douglas Our intended route was to traverse the Range. Haupiri Range to Boulder Lake, the Douglas Range past Dragons Teeth and Good time was made to Adelaide Tarn Anatoki Peak and part of the Anatoki by staying on the cairned and lightly Range before descending to the Anatoki disced route. This track sidles the

Dragons Teeth from Needles Eye (Labour Weekend trip)/ Paul Richardson Boulder Lake from Caesar Knob/ Paul Richardson more difficult parts of the ridge in a futile attempt to find a packing tops and passes through a narrow saddle route up Anatoki Bluff. We finally called the Needles Eye before descendhad to admit defeat and try elsewhere. ing to the tarn. We worked our way further and further eastward through the jungle scrub Gear was dried out during a leisurely along the base before we picked up the lunch in the hot sun while the log occasional disc. Our final route was book from the small hut was studied the ultimate scrub grovel which called for route information (not very encourfor strong arms. Near the top we aging). We then set out keen to knock found more remnants of the old track. off the rest of the Douglas Range before nightfall. Nightfall however, The rest of the Douglas Range involved found us only one map mile further broken rocky ridge tops below which south! were broad gentle grassy slopes interrupted by small rocky bluffs. There Our disced track had zig-zagged up and was no time left for a traverse of the down along scrubby ridges and ledges Anatoki Range so the route out would which skirted a bluff north of the have to be down the river. After much Dragons Teeth. The grand finale discussion it was decided to make an being a rock pitch with a wire rope early stop at Lonely Lake and make an bolted to the rock. early start out next day. The fly was pitched on broad grassy It rained heavily on the last day but slopes with very scenic views of jagged the early start (6 a.m. and still peaks to the north and the Anatoki dark) and easy travel in the upper Bluff to the south, close at hand. Anatoki, and existence of the super Later that evening Tony pointed out highway type pack track allowed the Venus, Mars and Saturn and we watched party to reach the road end in good the moon bathe the mountain scene in time. a ghostly light. We also heard the call of the kiwi coming from the Those on the trip were: Tony Gazley, scrubby bluffs below us. Paul Richardson, Brian Charles and Trevor Bissell. Next morning we spent several hours