Rangiwahia – Triangle Hut – Deadmans Ridge

25-26 September 2022

Leader: Owen Cox

The trip was originally a normal weekend, but as the weekend came close, we found we had Monday as a public holiday as well. Unfortunately the weather forecast was terrible for Friday and Saturday so instead of extending the trip we just bumped it back a day.

Left home at dawn 6.30am (as it was the start of daylight saving it felt like 5.30). After picking people up in Levin and Palmerston North we got to the Rangiwahia car park before 10am. As we headed up the track to Rangiwahia the cloud cleared so we arrived at Rangiwahia Hut before midday. The hut was full of gear and some of the people. The others had taken kids up to the top. We had a brew and a leisurely lunch. While we were inside, the mist had returned so we started up the ridge in calm, misty conditions. The mist burnt off well before we got to the main ridge. After a good laze in the sun on the main ridge, we headed along to the spur leading down to Triangle Hut. There is the odd steep section near the bush edge. Below this the track is plain sailing through some nice bush to the river. The river is normally not much above ankle deep. I was glad we had held the trip back as it was deep enough to cover my shorts and it was motoring. If we we’d come in on Saturday we would have spent the night on the wrong side of the river. We linked up for the river crossing and got wet shorts. With daylight saving we had good amount of light left so we collected a pile of firewood, lit the stove and had dinner. We had a tiny bit of drizzle just before dark. After dark a couple arrived and about an hour later two more people came in, giving us a full hut.

Trip Report Photo 1 — Rangiwahia in the mist

On Sunday the two on the floor headed out a 4am in the dark. Our group headed off about 8.30am and found the river was much easier, with slower water. We then plodded (except for Inny), up the ridge back onto the tops. Inny went a faster way and we periodically caught up while she snoozed in the sun out of the wind, under tussock. Nice sunny day but a cold wind for a short distance over Mangahuia. We had lunch by a tarn at the top of Deadmans Track and then spent a couple of hours wandering down the ridge to the car.