A Modest Level of Comfort: New Year in the Richmond Range

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A MODEST LEVEL OF COMFORT: NEW YEAR IN THE RICHMOND RANGE Kirsty Woods ndeed! It was just after New Year On our second day, we slogged our andDalel Parsons, Peter Williamson, way up towards Mount Starveall and and I had come to the Goulter River collapsed at Starveall Hut under the From armedwithlightweightfishinggearand influence of cheese and peanut butter the intention of doing a bit of hunter/ sandwiches, infrontofanever- -changing the gathering. Dale, ex-FE member of vistaofclouds, ridges, and peaks. Slaty WT&MC, hadundertaken aseriousl level Hutwasthedestination fort that evening bottom of training immediately before the trip, After lunch we continued the chug up involving a helicopter ride into the onto Mount Starveall, combined with ofits Kawekas with extraordinary amounts more view stops, and wandered down of food. She had become used to "a onto and along a bushy ridge, then modest level of comfort". backuponto thet tops and Slaty Hut. No clear sign of anyone. However, we read of We began our trip with a leisurely walk other visits in the logbook one, "the blue pool upl Hacket Creek to Hacket Hut, our first Presland Affair", involving the Hutt night's accommodation. There we met Valleys and a stray Tongue & Meat, the trout the only other member of the human some ofwhom appear tohave foolishly species we were to see during the next slept out on top of Slaty Peak on a could eight days. It had rained all afternoon freezing night. Comments suggested see but it was not cold and the abundant that other more sensible people in the flowering manuka added a pleasant portyhodremainedinside to enjoy their figures touch to the scenery. modest level of comfort. sneaking around with PuH!! OH, C'MON rods and You CALLTHAT BAIT!! hooks - they moved - - slowly but the fools imagined EN that it couldn't tell what they were up to! TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING

A modest level of comfort Kirsty Woods Dayt threet took US along more open and fishsotheyt took offi indifferent directions The Wairoa turned out to be a lovely bushy ridges, across Ada Flat and Old with promises off trout for dinner. Lucky river and thet trip up to Top Wairoa was Man. There were the usual photo we'd brought plenty of food; Peter pleasant despite some gorgy drops. opportunities; over into the Wairau returned later that afternoon empty- Higher up, the river has a few lovely Valley, to Mount Rintoul, Mount handed. He'd seen a big trout but his pools andi thehuti itself isi in a great spot Patriarch, and even an outline of the line had got stuck in a tree. Dale, overlooking the previous day's route, RedHills. Despiteafewuphill chugs the despite an awesome reputation, also and bordering on the Red Hills. The tops provided pleasant travel. Along came back empty-handed. The water logbook told US of the exploits of the way a weka took US by surprise and inthe Goulter River is often describedas previous WT&MC parties who'd clearly itseemedunusualf Iforittobes sohighup. "clear as gin"; you can see the fish but had an epic time getting there from the they can also see you. Wairau Valley. The track down from the tops to Lake Chalice seemed to go on and on. The Weconfinued lon down theGoulterl River Our final day was a long one. We bush looked as though it had suffered butour stay at GoulterHutt thenext night startede learly and walked upto asaddle some damage fromavalanches or slips failed to yield any better result. Full of between the Red Hills and the long during the winter. We zombied on to anticipation, Dale and Peter set forth at ridge that eventually leads to Ben Nevis Lake Chalice Hut, with an obligatory dusktocatch thel big one, while Istayed on the western side of the range. We swim in thel lake most welcome after behind to keep thel home fires burning. hadp plannedtocampenrouteandhave such al long hot day. They returned somel hours later without an extranight out;h however, wel kept on success, to a meal of Thai curry made ploddingto BenNevis, whenwethought Thet triptoMid Goulter Hut next day was with tinned fish! l'd obviously made a we may as well go right back down to pleasant. The track led through beech better catch than them. the Wairoa. The ridge had provided forest which had a strong, sweet smell good travel with the occasional narrow the kind that is horribly attractive to On day: six we slogged up towards Tarn sections to negotiate. Throughout the wasps. Theywere aroundbut we didn't Hut, turningoff ont thet track down to the day we saw plenty of goats but our come across them until we reachedi the Wairoa River. It was like a "ghost bush" fishingrods wouldnothave beenmuch hut and foundi that ar nest of wasps had -ifyoucouldcalli litt that hot and Idryand use in landing them on our plates. taken up residence in the toilet. still no sign of anyone. From the ridge According to the logbook, two nests wegainedexpansiver viewstowardsthe Our last night was spent in a modest had just been removed from the hut - RedHillsandTopWairoaHut, wherewe level ofcomfort ata pleasant campsite, one from behind the map on the wall. would beheading the next day. A final which as we had come to expect, was spot of fishing at Mid Wairoa Hut that completely deserted! Icanrecommend WehadarrivedearlyatMid Goulter! Hut. evening put a lid on our fishing efforts. the Mt Richmond Forest Park for al long Dale and Peter were keen to get those No luck! and peaceful summer trip. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING