7-8 September 2024

Leader: Tony Quayle

Spring has sprung and with it the archetypal equinoctial gales. This weekend’s scheduled trip was meant to be a moderate walk over the Whanahuia Range to Triangle Hut, with a plan B of Iron Gate if there was too much snow. As it turned out there would have been little if any snow but in the spirit of the season Hughie dished up severe westerly gales instead. After a bit of procrastination on my part we opted for Iron Gate. A very good choice for an enjoyable weekend.

The Oroua River track is officially still closed as a result of cyclone damage, but Sue Pate and I had walked it with a friend last November and established that although crossing the slips required care, they were navigable. This time round, the first slip - roughly midway between Cumberfield and Tunupo creeks - was sketchy but easily traversed (you wouldn’t want to lose your footing, because the consequences of a fall would be terrible). At the top of the second slip, about half a kilometre further on, the track has fallen away. Most of us carefully climbed up around the top edge of the slip to regain the track, while David and Owen opted to follow the river, rejoining us in Tunupo Creek. Significant cracks in the ground immediately beyond this slip, and again north of Tunupo Creek, suggest further major slipping is likely before long.

Iron Gate Hut, which we reached in a bit over 4 hours, is modern and very comfortable, retaining the feel of a back country hut far better than the likes of Powell in the Tararua Range. After a pleasant night there we reversed our route on Sunday, taking around 30 minutes less than the walk in.

Those on the trip were:

David Williams, Marcia Goode, Matt Freeland, Owen Cox, Rob Dey, Tony Quayle

Currently there is no photo album for this trip.