Trip Reports

Re: Hat bagging at a new low

Quentin — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:29:41 GMT

potato=singular potatoes=plural. pity you didn't know Mturu gone, but at least you didn't brave a snowstorm to bag it.

Re: Hat bagging at a new low

Richard — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 19:18:33 GMT

Headed up to Rua-potatoe on the weekend ostensibly to assess the impact of the Lahar on the stability of the crater rim (ie to traverse the top of the mountain) and also to monitor any ongoing seismic disturbances on the mounatin (ie to camp on the summit plateau) but of course what I was really there for was to nip down the Mangaturuturu glacier and bag the Mangaturuturu High Level shelter. Sadly, as we were to find among the rusty nails and wooden detritus on the rock platform, it is gone.

Luckily it was superb weather and a glorious campsite watching the sun turn to a red orb and sink below the Pouakai ranges went some way to easing my disappointment.

Re: Hat bagging at a new low

Quentin — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:58:48 GMT

Richard, your 345 post seems to have disappeared! Centennial was bagged as part of a fun 2-day glaciology trip on the neve. Also added Makarora Hut to the list on the weekend.

Re: Hat bagging at a new low

Quentin — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 05:53:56 GMT

No hats were bagged, or bugged for that matter. But, hat bugging sounds like a new hobby I could take up.

Also, my the next hut bag mission is Centennial Hut on the Franz neve (believe it or not) - pretty much the other end of the bagging spectrum! I'll try and get a photo to prove it, because no one will believe me.

Hat bagging at a new low

Quentin — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 05:50:16 GMT

My sister-in-law was working in Ahaura today so I thought I'd catch a free ride and go and bag Jim's Flat Hut. Well, some hut bags are just not worth it. Jim's flat is about 20km up the Ahaura-Kopara road (10km sealed, 10km unsealed), then a few km down a metalled vehicle track. Beside the hut is a NIWA/Council automatic hydrometer (http://www.wcrc.govt.nz/river_level_rainfall/24_hour/ahaura.htm), and a cableway. The bush is cut over red beech/podocarp. I had a close look at the cableway ("NIWA. Do not use without prior permission") and noted it doesn't have any way to pull the carriage across (no pull cable or winder or hand-held gadget), so woe-betide anyone who goes for a spin... The hut itself is a tin garden shed that stinks of rat-piss, has 2 beds with snowfoams - not very attractive at all. Used mostly by local hunters. DOC planned to remove, but there is some local interest in the Ahaura community maintaining it, so it is waiting on an engineer's report to detail the necessary repairs to bring to standard - it will cost quite a bit I think.

So, if you're driving down the Grey valley in a high-clearance 4WD and need somewhere to stay the night out of the rain, you can drive to the door and it may be worth it. If you keep a hut list, and it is on it and unticked and that annoys you, then I guess you must also do what I did. Otherwise, don't bother.