6-7 December 2019

Leader: Owen Cox

This trip had been delayed because the Trip Leader had another comitment. The weather forecast for 7 December was terrible for Kapiti but on the maps it looked like the monsoon would start later in the day.

Because of this we left lunchtime on Friday to go to Hinerua Hut and along Sawtooth on Saturday. On Sunday we thought we might be lucky and get down the Tukituki back to the car before it got too wet. So after a quick stop for coffee and food at Dannevirke we started walking to in hot conditions to the start of Hinerua Ridge. Only a small bush bash on the first hill to the ridge shoulder where the track starts. We then followed the ridge to the hut a couple of hours from the shoulder.

We had an early start on Saturday with high overcast but the tops were all clear. It took a couple of stops and hours up Hinerua Ridge to the main Ruahine Range on the end of Broken Ridge. There was a bit more wind than expected here. The wind made the climb out of the saddle onto Ohuinga a bit of a grovel. The wind dropped a bit after Ohuinga as we dropped down the first bit of Sawtooth before the gnarly bits. After a stop for chocolate in the low point we started with a wrong lead around the first bump which resulted in a bit more sidling than normal.

Once we got past this we stuck to the ridge and the normal route. A few of the narrow bits were a bit more interesting than normal. On a couple the wind was high enough to warrant a couple of short crawls. Most of it was straight forward though there is a major rockfall below the route just before the climb to Tiraha. This last climb was made difficult by strong and variable winds so we each went up at different speeds and slightly different routes. We hit the top and regrouped there about 12.30. There was less wind here so the drop down onto the shoulder leading to Howletts was pleasant. We had lunch by the tarn on the shoulder. After lunch we headed to Howletts for a brew. On checking the forecast after 3 it looked good for Sunday morning but not so flash for Sunday afternoon. So we dropped down Daphne Spur to Daphne Hut for the night. The drop down was hot so I dunked in the river at the crossing before the hut.

We were up early on Marcia time on Sunday. As we left there was some fine rain which drizzled on and off for an hour or so as we walked down the river. Not hard though, the rain never hit the ground under trees and only dampened the tops of the rocks. We got to the car before lunch and hit rain near Dannevirke. Rained pretty much the whole way home.

Those on the trip were:

Owen Cox, Marcia Goode, John Sturgess

Currently there is no photo album for this trip.