24-26 March 2023

Leader: Owen Cox

Seven of us could take the day off on Friday so we started walking just after 9am.

The walk into the picnic area in the Waiotauru took about 50 minutes. The slip over the road now has vegetation growing over it. We then plodded up the hill and after a couple of stops reached Fields Hut for lunch. Be warned, the water in the tank next to the door is disgustingly smoky. The climb around Table Top was clear but we hit mist near Dennan. Despite the mist it was warm with little wind. As we arrived at Kime Hut there was a short clearance. The remaining four of our party that had to work on Friday stayed at Fields Hut. Emily and Mark went in at Kaitoke to spend the night at Alpha Hut. The plan was we would pass them somewhere on the tops.

On Saturday the weather was not as nice - a bit of moisture and some wind. We kitted-up for a spell of cold and wet. Mark and Emily texted from Alpha Hut to say they were heading back to Kaitoke because of the wind. At about 10 am, the four from Fields Hut arrived and we set off to Hector and Alpha. Over Field Peak and to the top of the climb to Hector was windy but not a problem. After a break out of the wind in the hollow by the Hector Cross, we set off over the Beehives. From here we had a mix of windy stretches and sheltered going. Dropping off the south Beehive was a bit nasty - the ridge has steep drops on both sides and we were in the worst of the wind. A couple of people got blown over.

Matt won the distance stakes for the distance fallen - fortunately there was no real damage. The next stretch over Atkinson towards the Dress Circle was also less than pleasant.

Enough wind to be hard work and some light rain. It didn’t help that we caught up with another party and had to drop to their speed for a bit. Fortunately there were places in the lee of the ridge without wind and we had lunch in one of these. As we reached the Dress Circle the wind wasn’t so strong and we sped up. We were soon climbing Alpha, in light rain. After a brief regroup near the top we dropped down to the empty hut. It has a new roof so the drips are no longer there. As we’d had enough of rain we stayed in Alpha Hut rather than dropping down to the Tauherenikau. A small fire and enough people in the hut meant it was quite warm for the night. It rained most of the night.

Given the rain and probable river level on Sunday we decided to head out down the Marchant Ridge rather than the Omega track and the valley. It stopped raining before we reached the climb to Hells Gate. By the Omega side of the saddle we even had sun. Alpha and the other tops were in cloud all day though. I enjoyed the top of the Marchant Ridge but by lunch time, just north of Mt Marchant, it was getting a bit of drag. The drop off Mt Marchant is not especially nice and the walk out from the Dobson’s Hut site was a plod. The final drop to Kaitoke was the most dangerous bit of the trip. The track is relatively steep with just slopping hard clay with a greasy surface. A couple of people got bruises and Julie damaged her wrist in a slip.

After the trip Julie needed a plaster cast for some weeks. Bummer at the end of a good trip.

Those on the trip were:

Emily Wynch, Elisabeth Hynes, Julie James, Marian Cox, Mark Robertson, Matt Freeland, Owen Cox, Paula Richardson, Rob Dey, Stephen Bowler, Steve Knowles, Yingjun Shelton, Amanda

Currently there is no photo album for this trip.