Kaimanawas - Queens Birthday

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Kaimanawas - Queens Birthday Neil Woodrow Friday night and a quick check of south of Thunderbolt. I began to the paper - looking good. That big remember why fitness makes trips 'H' was slowly moving onto the more enjoyable and noted that a bit country, the rain and snow departing. more training might be a good idea Waiting at Johnsonville for the bus, for next year. it was very chilly. A good sign, I said. Bits of snow along the road We reached the saddle on the bush before Waiouru, the inside of the edge just as the last light disbus windows icing up more good appeared. A scrub fire provided a signs? Well, maybe? bit of psychological warmth and our steaks were devoured quickly before After an exercise in reversing the we crept into our warm pits for the bus back to the last turning point, night. we spent a perfect night with the other trips by the power station. Another crack of dawn start and we raced up onto Thunderbolt, the Dawn, still fine and very cold. We weather still clear but with a cold packed up early, leaving the others southerly breeze. Travel on the still in their iced over pits, and Middle Range is fast, with small headed up the stream to begin our saddles and gentle climbs. Before climb onto Umukarikari. Buncks long we had passed the track to the provided the entertainment by Waipakihi and Urchin. The ridge falling off the frozen boulders in does a big dog-leg here so we the middle of a crossing. Once we sneaked through the basin (which gained height the track was covered would be a great place to camp). with windfalls from the storm of the previous Easter. We thought it odd Before long we were on Karikaringa that they hadn't been cleared, and and heading down our chosen spur suspicions were confirmed when the into the Waipakihi. The pinnacles Hutt Valleys told us of the newly marked on the map as being on the cut track on the next ridge. The flat main ridge were in fact down views of Tongariro National Park this spur and took a few minutes started to fill camera lenses as we reconnaisance to get past. As usual crunched our way over the frozen for the Kaimanawas the bush bash was ground on the tops. Then down the lousy and we reached the valley for long flat ridge to the Waipakihi for a lateish lunch. Then it was an lunch at the hut. After lunch a hour and a half at full speed slow haul up onto Middle Range and through the freezing cold valley to down into the Rangatiki to camp in the road end. a snow clearing. Obviously no sun shone on our chosen campsite, even Three perfect days with shade in the middle of the day, as there temperatures probably well below was still a lot of old snow remaining zero is unusual but it does happen considering the low altitude. The occasionally. An earlier trip Hutt Valleys arrived just before dark. (1972) to the Kaimanawas experienced the same weather. We are planning Up early and away soon after dawn, the next one in 1994 already. Any the first obstacle being the river. takers see Ian Bunckenburg, Chris My boots still had ice on them when Garton, Jack McConchie or Neil we finally reached the bush edge of Woodrow. the Island Range. Travel was untypical of the Kaimanawas; many ups and downs, but the cold air kept us moving past the ridge to Makorako. A small interlude as our intrepid hunter chased a couple of deer, but they survived for another day. Half an hour further on another couple appeared and one fell over shortly after Buncks fired a round in their direction. Then another stop to add some extra but welcome weight to our packs. We then plodded off over the last bump on the ridge, and down to the Rangatiki again for a late lunch. We headed off up a very frozen creek that led to the saddle on Middle Range just Ngauruhoe from the Kaimanawas