Putara to Kaitoke - a pointless rogaine

Putara to Kaitoke - a pointless rogaine

Jenny Cossey and I had planned to do the L8-hour night rogaine in Marlborou on the weekend of December 7-2, but I left booking the ferry tickets a bit la f n an attempt to make Jenny feelbetter about missing

I out on the rogaine, and in a moment of weakness (in I need of a cup of tea), I suggested that we could always do a rogaine in the Tararuas - one where the aim was to go in at Putara and come out at Kaitoke.

The pain of the last P-K or S-K must have diminished over the past year as the idea almost appealed. Jenny jumped at the chance and so the stealth mission was planned. Sally Greed came to the rescue with transport

. arrangements, generously offering to drop us off at Putara.

And so it was that we came to be driving through the Wairarapa on a scorcher of a Friday afternoon with 38"C inside the car and not much cooler outside. It was a welcome relief to reach the roadend and seek the shade of the bush, leaving the heat of the car.

We left the roadend at 3.10pm in crop tops and shorts covering tfre short climb to Herepai and enjoying the opportunity to walk this part of the track in daylight for the first time. A brief stop at Herepai Hut saw us climbing through the leatherwood and out onto the tops - and what a sight. The views were spectacular. The only problem with views at the start of the trip is that you can see how far you still have to travel. Nevertheless, this was the Tararuas at their best. The tops were incredibly dry underfoot, and all the tarns were dry . But luckily the water stop at Herepai Hut kept us going all evening.

We had planned to spend the night at Dundas Hut but over a cold tea of the previous night's leftovers on East Peak then more leftovers on Dundas Ridge, we decided that the weather was too nice to stop. The temperature by now had cooled to a comfortable24'C. The torches came out at the top of Dundas Peak as we made our way towards ArOte. A cloak of mist enveloped us just before ArOte exposing doubts as to our ability to find the biv, and fears that a biwy under leatherwood might be in store as had occurred on our last P-K. But we managed to find the 100-point control (aka ArOte Biv) as the trusty compass led us direcfly to it. Just as we spied the biv, the mist cleared and we wereleftadmiring the sight of the full moon rising between Waingawa and Bannister peaks and stars everywhere. It was 10.40pm, 7' hours walk from the roadend and we were very tempted to continue walking, but the thoughts of further mist surprises and a long Saturday ahead saw us tucked up in the biv for the night after a wash in the spring.

I found sleep difficult to come by as the moon lit the hut up all night. The alarm went off at 4.15am and after a

Harriette Ci and alas there were no tickets available even for foot passenge brew and cereal as the sky turned orange then gold, r packed up and headed out into the day (5am) only to met by more mist. A slight geographical embarrassme saw us covering more of fuOte than intended but a review the map, compass, and a sudden clearing of the mist with t dawn saw our intended route open out in front of us.

The rest of the morning was spent with amazing viev high cloud that often looked threatening but never came anything, hot, humid weather, dry and hard ground. V arrived at Tarn Ridge Hut for morning tea and water, th, the never-ending Three Kings after which I was sick of singi

We Three Kings. . .. Soon it was the little patch of redlinir for me - the Broken Axe Pinnacles. No problem on su a fine day, then the climb onto McGregor and back to t familiar territory of Angle Knob, and the highway of Juml - Holdsworth. There were groups of sweaty people as I as the eye could see along the route. A chat with an c school friend, then up onto Holdsworth and the welcor shade of PowellHut (2.25pm).

A dog at the hut sounded like it was on its last brea panting from the heat. Off with the boots to air the tir feet, a snack. then it was time to head down to the bu

(2.40pm). The hard ground coupled with the heat was taki a toll on our feet, and the gravelled downhill highway d nothing to alleviate this. Unfortunately there was litter strev all the way down the track to Totara Flats. I only stoppr to pick up a 2O-point control (aka a $20 note) lying besi the track, as Jenny and I dreamed of the ice creams tha would buy on completion.

Arriving at Totara Flats Hut at 5.30pm, we walked in a 38"C hut. Jenny cooked up the couscous while I logg in our presence and dreamed of having running shoes r instead of tramping boots. After a brew and a feed, we L Totara Flats at 6pm, enjoying walking through the deep< pools we could find down the Waiohine. After almost i hour of pleasant walking we crossed Makaka Creek ar headed up the grunt to Cone Saddle - not the nicest tracks at the best of times, and even worse with failing lig and blistered feet.The torches came out on the downlto Cone Hut as we contemplated the merits of pretendi we were on the rogaine and walking out to the roader that night. However, as we sat down at Cone Hut (9.15pr a sudden downpour occurred and the decision was instan made to stay the night there. Thank goodness for rainl

I then spent a pleasant half-hour doing cryptic crossworc and revelling in the fact that this was a rather civilised P- Sunday moming was a two-brew morning, and after a la

Tramping and Mountaineering 2001 /2O te Carr

rough it late, tngers.

old, we ly to be rssment :viewof ,vith the lvlews, :ame to nd. We lr, then singing dlining rn such r to the Jumbo z as far an old llcome rreath, e tired e bush itaking ay did strewn opped beside that it rd into ogged )es on neleft zepest ost an k and :est of g light ,vnhill nding rdend

Tarn Ridge Hut (Jenny Cossey)

startwe headed offat 6am in lightdrizzle but 20-25T,. Passing through Tutuwai we were greeted by 19 tents and were glad we hadn't stayed the night there! Smith Creek was in immaculate order as we passed through there, and even the

Spm) ,tantly in! uords,

P_K. aluy

/2002

Tramping and Mountaineering 2OO7 /2002 pufferseemed genflerthan normal aswe reached Kiwi Ranch at 10.40am on Sunday moming. A very civilised tip - home for an early lunch and a nice cup of tea. Definitely a rogaine to be recommended!