Waitaha - Wanganui

Machine-read text (unproofread)

Read from the scans by software, so it contains mistakes. Typing it up properly would help blind readers: use Suggest an edit.

Waitaha - Wanganui Jeff Bryant Right from our first night in the woolshed in the Waitaha Valley, Graham direct route cannot be too highly reshowed that our trip was going to be commended. The rest of the travel that far from mundane. Unpacking his pack day was up the Waitaha to the Reid Creek (which looked like a wool bale with confluence. Our campsite occupied a straps on) he brought forth a long pleasant site on grassy river terraces pair of bright orange rubber gloves - with the Waitaha flats before us and the sort vets use to deliver calves. the slot gorge of Reid Creek behind us. Ignoring our mocking laughter (he could On either side of the entrance to this see we were all insanely jealous) he gorge were two shoulders, the highest proceeded to show how versatile they and speargrass dominated one we avoided were by wearing them on every possible in order to get into the headwaters. occasion. No, he didn't wear them at This turned out to be a tactical error night but let's just say that Graham is as Reid Creek is deeply incised for most into rubber wear in a big way. Apart of its length so it was back down to the from Graham Hancox, the trip consisted campsite and up the other side, which of such keen tramping types as Gerry took us into a picturesque hanging basin. Kennedy, Brian Charles and Brian Hunt A suitable route out of this cirque was and the not so active members, Brian not readily apparent so Pete and Hunty Solomon, Pete Goodwin and Jeff Bryant. went off to recce a route and avoid a And last but not least was Norm Whiterepetition of the morning's wasted side, who, after a long absence from exertion. Above this cirque lay a active tramping, decided he needed to snow basin with easy access (apart be reminded why he had given it up. from the very soft snow) into the head If he hasn't already done so by now, of the County. Our camp that night Norm will probably be announcing his was amongst the moraine near the snout official retirement shortly. of the County Glacier. Anyway, by now you would probably have The route the next day involved a short thought that our trip was going up the piece of travel down the County, up onto Waitaha. No, that is far too common. the saddle between the County and the A much more interesting way, as des- Smyth (a tributary of the Wanganui) and cribed to us by one of the West Coast's a sidle high around Whirlwind Spur to more modest men, is to climb up onto the drop into the Evans River (the upper Mt Allen - Mt Hitchen Range and sidle extension of the Wanganui). Despite into Chainman Creek which takes you to good visibility the previous day of the above the bushline in the Waitaha route we were to follow, our route Valley. The first section of this route finding was hindered by navigational involves a 4500 foot climb up the alpine errors and mist envelopment. Making fault scarp - a steep heavily overgrown the most of a bad lot we made our way route in which the rubber gloves really down the rough and bouldery Smyth River came into their own. Norm, who rather to a hut at the confluence. One highenjoys a sauna as he tramps along, light of an otherwise dismal day was steamed well ahead of us with a heavy when Graham suddenly hit peak form and sweater on. He subsequently missed went out in front of the snow plodding. out on some of the more choicy moments Donning the rubber gloves he then when a rope was called for to assist proceeded to do a very good imitation in the most difficult place. Once out of a snow ploughing machine, allowing of the scrub things went from bad to the rest of us to follow nonchalantly worse as we missed all the obvious behind, three abreast. landmarks given in the route notes, times were twice as long as we were led Down at the hut a rest day was decided to believe, and, the travel wasn't on and another followed through various "easier than it looked". Nevertheless afflictions some of the members were we made our way down into a snowgrass developing. Weighing up the various basin where we put in our first camp. factors, it was decided to retrieve our airdrop in the upper Evans and head for From our camp we had no difficulty in our next airdrop in the Lord Valley via finding the route up onto Ridland Sada different lower level route. While dle and into Chainman Creek the next at the hut however, a stoat was seen * day. Although a bit loose and steep dancing around outside. Being hardcore at the top, travel down this creek was conservationists we armed ourselves with reasonably easy with one sidle being ice-axes, pick handles, shovels etc. and necessary to by-pass a section of gave chase. Sol, a hardened and veteran gorges. About half a mile above the campaigner of many a bunny hunt in the confluence we struck out on the true South Huxley and Marks Flat planned the left bank for a shortcut sidle to the tactics and under his command we soon Waitaha River. Unless you're into ran the beast underground. Despite flagellation with subalpine scrub this efforts to smoke him out we saw no more

Crossing Ridland Saddle to Waitaha Valley/ Brian Hunt County Glacier from col on Blomfield Range/ Brian Hunt

Camp in Stoddart Basin, Lord Range beyond/ Brian Hunt of the stoat and so claimed an our heavier packs and climbed up to ideological victory. a high basin on Mt Stoddart. Although raining on arrival (our first rain Travel down the Wanganui from the hut of the trip) and the following day, was rough at first with big goolies our campsite on the snowline proved hindering travel. But the valley soon to be one of the most attractive opened out and good progress was made. when the weather cleared the follow- Two bluffs blocked travel on the true ing day. This spot was supposed to left bank and after climbing 500 feet be a launching place for a Garden of to bypass the first (and unnecessarily Allah traverse via a high sidle on in retrospect) we negotiated the other Mt Stoddart. However, lingering mist by river crossing. Reaching the and second thoughts on the part of Wanganui - Lambert - Adams confluence some people necessitated a change of in late afternoon, Hunty said "Wouldn't plan so it was decided to head for it be fun if we all climbed up to the the Adams River via the head of the bushline to camp tonight". Amid dark Lambert. mutterings and mutinous thoughts we staggered up the hill to a campsite Whilst descending a gutty creek into amongst the bluffs. The next day the Lambert, a big gooly up and threw Pete's verbal diarrhoea had started itself at Norm as he was passing by. to afflict the other parts of his However, a frantic last minute defence body and persistent mist put navigwith the ice-axe saved the day and ation out of the question so another Norm was lucky to escape with a few rest day was called for. From Blue flesh wounds to the thigh. The small Lookout the travel was across fairly flats where we had lunch were bound easy slopes high above the Lambert by a ring of bluffs at one end and gorge then down to a bench overlooking the impassable gorges of the Lord and the Lord River. Dropping down the Lambert at the other end. Our route true left of a waterfall we gained went up another gutty creek and over the Lord River and made our way up a fairly easy pass into a large basin to our second airdrop on an idyllic drained by an unnamed stream which campsite just upstream from the Mad flows into the Adams River. Aciphylla Water confluence. Resisting the Stream has been tentatively suggested temptation to camp, we shouldered as being appropriate on account of the prolific speargrass or spaniard Our camp was pitched among myriads that grows there. of celmisias or mountain daisies just as the first signs of rain Definitely our best campsite, so far, reached us. After heavy rain all we decided on another rest day which night and the next morning till noon, most spent lazing in the sun. Sol, we left the camp to tackle the rugged our ace photographer, spent the day Adams Valley. The Forest Service exhorting the maximum amount of mood have recently tracked this valley and emotion from the local foliage and give travelling times of between and Brian explored an alternative 6 and 8 hours. Comparing the distance route onto the Garden of Allah. Jeff on the map with travel in the Tarauas and Gerry spent the day climbing Mt we thought we could make short work Lambert by a glacier arising from the of the times. However, it was not pass crossed the previous day. Aluntil 9 p.m. that we staggered into though this route does not have a Hunters Hut at the Wanganui - Adams high laxative potential, the going - Lambert confluence, physically and was made difficult by the very soft mentally spent! Our last day in the snow and the occasional slush slide hills was a more civilised stroll which peeled off the surrounding down the lower reaches of the Wanganslopes. ui River. Travelling back to Hokitika some elected to stay on and sample the Aciphylla Stream leaves its basin by local hospitality that has been enjoya series of waterfalls so a crossing ed in the past, while others headed over to a low spur on the true left for home. Thanks to Brian for a is necessary to reach Adams Flats. superbly organised trip. 25 December 1977 - 9 January 1978