(This would be the trip I'd love to run for this weekend... but I decided to stay in Wellington, after several weekends of tramping)
Loosely following Anita's instructions for planning a trip, I wrote up what is required:
We need you!
and a car, driver and some more participants!
This is a medium overnight trip to the eastern Tararuas, highly likely to have snow up there!
Powell Hut (see also Easy-Access huts DOC page)is pretty flash, has a good view, heating, gas stoves and toasters(if I remember correctly)!
(If you want to make it a medium easy trip, take more time on Saturday for walking to Jumbo Hut (is a bit smaller than Powell Hut, but has also gas stoves and heating) via Atiwhakatu Hut/Raingauge Spur, i.e. doing the loop the other way round. This is also ideal to have a second, independent group.)
The Holdsworth-Jumbo overnight trip (DOC page, map) goes as follows:
Friday:
get people and car sorted, grab gear from the gear shed (maybe also possible on Saturday: contact gear custodians)
gear required:
- a billy
- a frying pan for pan cakes, a wooden spoon! (not from the gear shed)
- some ice axes (to be on the safe side)
- map and compass
- group first aid kit
Saturday:
Start on afternoon from Hunter Car Park, drive to Petone, buy food at Pak 'n Save, drive to Holdsworth Carpark
Walk in to Powell Hut, the track is easy to walk - except that it goes up roughly 900 m (will take about 3 hours), you might remember half of it from the Freshers trip. The last 200m might be a bit windy on Saturday evening, but the track is wide enough to be safe.
Have a dinner party!
Sunday:
Get up (!), have an epic breakfast - the pan cakes are optional, but highly recommended , (wait for the clouds lifting) and enjoy the view! Expect snow!
The track to Jumbo & Jumbo hut has poles on it, it is easy to follow. Take ice axes as walking aids - easy to use for non-AIC people...
(A short-cut is possible via the East Holdsworth track. If you want to do more, do a side trip to Angle Knob.) In Jumbo hut, have an afternoon tea or coffee and get down via Raingauge Spur.
From Atiwhakatu Hut a less than two hours, cruisy walkout brings you back to the car...
(back to Wellington, drop off people, return the car.)
Monday: sleep in
Tuesday: trip report, epic photo session on facebook and return the gear...
Costs: between 15 and 30 NZD:
- Petrol: about 15 NZD pp
- (a hired car: about 15NZD for 5 persons as required...)
- One serviced hut fee: 15 NZD pp or hut pass (these expenses are normally ignored in the cost calculation.)
- Food for dinner, breakfast, lunch, snacks