Tararua Northern Crossing 14-17 February
Mitre is up there in the clouds somewhere.
South Mitre Stream
Mitre Flats Hut. (The water tank had been disconnected and the roof sprayed with Moss and Mould Killer!)
John and Chris made up the team for this trip.
On the track up to Mitre.
Just above bushline - looking south to the Three Kings peaks (centre) and Baldy (left)
Time for a break - the Three Kings on the skyline.
Looking back to the Wairarapa - Greytown is out there somewhere.
Peggys Peak
From the right - Mitre, Brockett, Girdlestone
View from Mitre - Ruapehu in the distance.
View from Mitre - Mt Crawford and Kapiti Island at left, Girdlestone at right.
View from Mitre - Mt Taranaki in the distance, Waiohine Pinnacles at right.
High winds over the Wairarapa. (We had little wind on top of Mitre.)
Chris and John on top of Mitre.
John heading for Brockett (Girdlestone on the left).
Looking back at Mitre, with Peggys Peak on the right.
From Brockett we could see Tarn Ridge Hut.
Mitre and Peggys Peak with the Wairarapa in the background.
Looking north from Brockett along Table Ridge.
View of Girdlestone from Brockett
That's definitely a dog's head!
Chris is either posing for the camera or checking the map!
View of Dorset Ridge from top of Girdlestone. You can just make out Dorset Ridge Hut centre left.
Kapiti Island
View of Tarn Ridge from Girdlestone.
Looking back at Girdlestone - it's a gnarly old track coming down over those bumps!
Tarn Ridge Hut
Away next morning - looking back up to Girdlestone.
Slip on the Waiohine side of Tarn Ridge.
Slip on the Waingawa side of Tarn Ridge.
Looking up Tarn Ridge to the Waiohine Pinnacles.
Looking back south along Tarn Ridge.
A bit scarry - clouds coming in from the northeast over Mt Bannister. Pinnacle Spur in foreground.
Waiohine Pinnacles
Looking south along the Waiohine Valley. Carkeek Ridge in background.
Climbing the Pinnacles.
Looking back along Tarn Ridge and the Waiohine Valley.
John having a break before the "summit push" to the Waiohine Pinnacles!
Chris making his way carefully around one of the Pinnacles.
Pinnacle Spur
This hunter popped into view as we looked down Pinnacle Spur.
Levin and Lake Horophenua.
Looking west along the top of the Park valley
Looking north to Mt Arete on the left
Coming up to Arete Hut (Bivvy)
Arete Hut (basically a 2 bunk bivvy)
Kapiti Island again
Park Valley left, Pukematawai on right.
By this stage the clouds were coming over Mt Dundas from the northeast.
Looking northwest from Pukematawai - Te Matawai Hut can just be seen above middle picture.
John is still a wee way off Te Matawai Hut which you can see top of picture.
Tararua Main Range going south from Pukematawai - now part of the Te Araroa Trail.
