This article was first published in the Tararua Tramper Volume 89, no 10, November 2017
Waiotauru Loop M
October 4th 2017
After a rather sustained period of unsettled Wednesday weather, the forecast for this trip looked good, but as is so often the case, Wellington City weather was not the weather that we experienced in the hills. After an initial meeting at Plimmerton and an adjustment to the travel arrangements we drove to Otaki Forks to be greeted by light drizzle, fortunately of short duration. The usual easy walk up the Waiotauru Track had a more interesting dimension. Recent rainfall in the area had reactivated several of the slips on the track. Crossing them required care and added an interesting and unexpected challenge to the trip. Further rain may make the slips a more serious challenge in the future. One older and previously stable slip had a minor and a larger slip of recent origin. The smaller one was not an issue but the larger one required a small climb over stable slip debris before returning to the track. Past the last slip, an undercut part of the track left only a narrow, but stable, ledge to traverse. Crossing the slips was quite time-consuming adding about 40 minutes to the trip. The next part of the trip was to climb a south west bearing spur, but before doing so it was time for morning tea. Once refreshed we set off up the spur which climbs at a steady gradient through open forest. On reaching an elevation of about 450 metres, we headed north for about 200 metres before climbing a spur bearing north west to Bump 692 metres and lunch at ‘Shoe Corner’. After lunch in dull and chilly conditions we headed north east to join the Pukeatua Track which we followed back to the cars.
- Party members
- Linda Beckett, Tony Black, Justin Kerr, Alan Knowles, Howard Larsen, Jan Nye, Dave Reynolds (leader and scribe), Nina Sawicki, Zac Wilson, Warwick Wright