A Long Walk Home

I’d been aiming to complete the length of the Tararua Main Range in a weekend for a few years, and this January, Ben was keen and we were on. We raced down to the railway station after work and caught the train to Masterton to be met by Tim Baker esq. our ride to the start of the track.

As Tim drove us into the Putara roadend, our hopes of a Putara-Kaitoke (PK) appeared to be sinking beneath the mane of thick wind cloud that clung to the spine of the Northern Tararuas. We tooed and froed a bit, but Tim wasn’t going to entertain any dilly- dallying, he had big plans for Summer. He dropped us off and we stood watching his car speed back to Masterton. Oh well, we shrugged our shoulders, nothing for it now but to walk home. We checked the time and trotted into the bush. The clock had started, the PK attempt was underway.

We made good time to the swingbridge and the start of the stiff climb up to the top of the ridge, arriving at the signpost only 52 minutes after leaving, it always feels good to reach here on a Putara trip, the huts are not far away, it’s a bit like the Rainguage clearing or the Arapito Stream, your thoughts turn to the pit. We flew along to Herepai Hut arriving at 10.14, 1hr and 14mins from the roadend. The hut was being buffeted by the wind, but optimistically I set the alarm for 5am. After what seemed like only a few minutes the piercing electronic pips woke me and I popped my head outside, it was calm but raining. Ben grunted something about more sleep and I was happy to oblige. At 7, Ben woke me, it was calm and misty outside. Action. I forced down some infant formula and a muesli bar.

We were away at 7.42, 1hr 12 saw us at the top of East Peak and after snapping some photos of the clearing mist/emerging peaks we trotted on. We were at the turnoff to Dundas Hut in 3hrs 13 from the Hut. Dundas looked remote as always perched on the bench high above the Ruamahanga, no time to linger though, no time to even entertain the thought of popping in, the hut was quickly behind us - as was the mist - it was under hot sun that we grunted up to Arete, arriving on top exactly 5hrs after leaving Herepai hut. Drac Biv was scheduled to be our first big stop, but I ran out of water just a little early and struggled into the biv at 2.37. Still, only 1hr 25 from the top of Pukematawai, things were looking OK. We took a 28 minute stop here, and I drank some more infant formula and ate one of the sandwiches I was carrying. The next section between the biv and Nichols peak was the only bit of redline for Ben and I all trip, and we didn’t hang around. We were on top of Nichols at 5.15 having taken 2hr 10 from the biv. We charged on and over Mt Crawford, I don’t think I’ve ever been over it feeling that fresh, it was a nice change to be moving up it at speed – we were surprised to work out it had only been 5hrs 29 from Arete to Crawford including our stop at the biv. We quickly dropped down to Andersons Hut where we had another longish stop (23mins). The hut was full of gear and rubbish, but no people – hunters. It was less than 2hrs to the top of Aokaparangi, some fantastic evening light, and cloud settling in the Waiohine valley far below us.

Up on Aokap we had to don torches and the next section was the hardest of the trip. It was another 2 and a half hours along to Maungahuka - not a tramping highlight, we were both mauled by the scrub, and our running shoes struggled for traction on the slippery leatherwood branches. It was just over 16hrs from Herepai to Maungahuka, a good day. Unfortunately, the hut was wet and cold, and had two already in residence, so rather than stay up and stretch and replenish as I had hoped to do, I crawled into a dry polypro top and my lightweight pit. I didn't sleep much but lay there cramping up and listening to Ben shivering in the bunk below me. A wet rotten hut is less than ideal in these situations. At about 2am I sat up with cramp and forced down some more cheese and salami sandwiches to quell the nausea. All the liquid I’d consumed during the day caught up with me and I had to get up 5 times in the night, it wasn't that comfortable, a hot feed and a decent sleep would have been great!

The bad night meant we had a sluggish and long stay at the hut in the morning, but this provided Ben with the opportunity to talk about Eastbourne with the two in the hut (they knew of Clendon Mountain!!). We didn't get away till 8.31, it was windy and cold, and the southern main range didn't do a lot for me (it never does) - the grunt up to Bridge Peak was merciless and seemingly endless, but we arrived at Kime Hut in 3hrs 40. We had a 29 minute break here and I managed to drink a lot of infant formula and also a Mighty-Milk shake. I forced down some powergel and another sandwich and pysched myself up. I knew we were on the home straight now, Bridge Peak was the last big climb and it was behind us. From the top of Hector it was all downhill, and we reached Alpha Hut after 2hr 20. Here we had a really long stop (34 minutes) - for once at Bens request - he spent about 25mins wrestling with a poo. I had another Mighty-Milk shake and ate my last sandwich. I was wary of burning out down Marchant Ridge, but I just started feeling better and better, and we jogged some of the way out from Dobsons, reaching the carpark and Gerad with the ride home in 4hr 27. We were ravenously hungry, but otherwise felt pretty good.

It was 8.02pm, a 47hr 1 minute PK. Walk in the park mate!

Ben Clendon and Richard Davies (scribe) did the following splits

Friday

2101 DEPART
2125 BRIDGE
2154 RSL/HEREPAI TURNOFF
2214 HEREPAI HUT

[1hr 13]

Saturday

0742 DEPART
0854 EAST PK
1055 DUNDAS HUT TURNOFF
1242 ARETE
1312 PUKEMATAWAI
1437 DRAC BIV

[17hr 36 (total time)/6hr 55(leg time)]

1505 DEPART
1715 NICHOLS
1813 CRAWFORD
1833 JUNCTION KNOB
1912 ANDERSONS

[22hr 10/4hr 7]

1935 DEPART
2132 AOKAP
2351 MAUNGAHUKA

[26hr 50/4hr 16]

Sunday

0831 DEPART
1211 KIME

[39hr 10/3hr 40]

1240 DEPART
1500 ALPHA

[41hr 59/2hr 20]

1535 DEPART
2002 KAITOKE

[47hr 1/4hr 27]