Blue Range Hut

4-5 August 2012
Party: Myself, David, Sandra, Kath, Michael
Kiriwhakapapa Road, Tararua Forest Park

An early start at the railway station as we were sharing a van with others was mitigated by a lot of fun on the drive over the hill. And as an added bonus for a winter weekend, we didn’t camp out Friday night. Amanda and her group missioned off up the track ahead of us while we finished getting sorted and locked up.

This tramp was a little different for me. I was six weeks pregnant and completely unsure how my body was going to cope. While classed as an easy tramp, and only involving one nights worth of gear and food, I was still nervous and had considered pulling out, if not for the fact I had had a full trip list my first Wednesday back at club after our trip to Europe and my week at Photography Camp.

I probably should have listened to my gut. The climb to Blue Range hut is neither long nor steep, but it took forever. Thankfully we had good weather, because the walk I was expecting to take about 2 hours instead took 4 – although I wasn’t the only person taking it slow, thankfully. I was super puffed and simply not really up for the strain.

Arriving at the hut it was cold. This place gets no sunshine in winter. There was basically no dry wood and it had rained recently, so it took a very long time to get the fire going and heating the hut with any impact. David had bought along a travel coffee grinder and percolator and spent hours and hours in the afternoon making coffee. Most of us chilled out on the bunks in every warm item we had (thankfully we arrived dry, so didn’t have to also dry clothes), hoping no-one else turned up, as we were already 5 people in a 4 bunk hut – thankfully, we remained the only people for the night.

   

I spent my afternoon lying on the bunk, worrying, as I had started bleeding. Thankfully this turned out to be nothing once we got back to town, but the guys both took some of the weight out of my pack for the trip home and one of the girls gave me her walking poles to reduce my impact on the way down the hill. We started late in the morning and were caught not long before the carpark by members of Amanda’s party, and after changing into non-sweaty clothes, headed home.

Navigating the Blue Range

October 12-14 2007

Tararua Forest Park, Kiriwhakapapa Road End

Team: Ray (Leader), Jackie, Jane, Corwin 1 other (aplogies, I have forgotten names from then!), Me



Starting in the usual way, with the group meeting at the railway station at 5.30, we proceeded over the hill and stopped for my first dinner at the great kebab shop in Carterton. The Kiriwhakapapa road end was reached with no great drama (which was great given we were in the crapper old bus!), and beds were constructed in the shelter.

Saturday dawned clear and quite warm, and we wandered along the track towards Mihimihi, looking for a spur heading off the side where we would leave the track and start bush bashing. It was surprisingly obvious and easy to find! The plan from there was to head up the ridge to Te Mata, a small peak, then down and on to the track and on down to Cow Creek.

The navigation was something we only did because we wanted to, as it turned out that the ridge was an old track of some sort, and was clearly marked every couple dozen meters with pink markers of various types. Hence, Te Mata was reached without too much ado and lunch was had.



The track from Te Mata down to the river and Cow Creek Hut is steep and nasty, and I have vowed never to do it again. Once at the bottom, there was a bit of track that had washed away in a slip and a short river sidle was required, before we reached the bridge that marked we had arrived at the hut.

Cow Creek Hut is lovely, and if there was an easier way to get there, I would definitely go again! 6 bunks, old forest service style with a wonderful potbelly that we stoked up before all taking a nap before dinner. Sleep was early for everyone, since the was no table to sit around and play cards and the weather was packing in.

In the morning we headed back out, straight up and over the hill towards the road end. The short sidle in the river had turned into a well beyond knee deep mission due to overnight rain, which had also made the track slippery in many places.



While the others all headed off to Blue Range hut for a visit, I kept plodding along, worried that if I didnt I would be entirely left behind. The track down from Blue Range is also very steep, and VERY suddenly flattens out. I was caught about 10 minutes from the end of the track, and was very glad to get home!