Rip it up ......
The plan for a trip across the Blue Range ridge had been floating around for a while, with a
rough idea of a full crossing in one day.
The unavailability of the trip leader for a scheduled trip meant that the plan was a useful fill
in, and with increased fitness in mind, it was proposed as a fit trip, with a bit more than just
the crossing in mind.
The trip evolved into a crossing from the Pines to Cow creek , taking in the Blue Range ridge,
before coving the ridges on the northern side of the range on the second
day....Unfortunately, no one else seemed to think this was a good weekend out and it was
going to be a solo trip. Saturday arrived and 24 hours of illness meant I ripped up the plan
and started again. Not the only thing to be ripped up over the weekend as it happens....!
Sunday’s final plan involved me being dropped off at “the Pines”, with a pick up to be
arranged for either Kiriwhakapapa road end or the Mt Bruce bridge on SH2, depending how
my fitness showed.
The first part of the trip onthe Barra track crosses farm, following the Waingawa river
towards Mitre flats hut and Mitre peak on the skyline. At this point I could also see the ridge
that I intended to follow up to Blake peak. Nothing too difficult, with only a 500m climb
from the Barra track...I passed the first stream crossing the track after entering the Forest
Park, and started the climb up towards point 688. The steepness showed itself, along with
the fact that I was travelling up loose slip material, making travel quite hard. I found some
footpad on the ridge to the north , which disappeared very soon after, and which I
occasional saw for the rest of the way to Blake.Then I came to an area of supplejack, the
Kraken of the Ngahere, slowing travel further, before arriving at the open area of forest on
the map, which of course was tight new growth, and even more difficult to traverse
through! While there were occasional views of the other side of the valley, and also down
toward Winzenberg hill, mostly it was just micro views of the bush.
The scene was set for the rest of the climb to Blake, with occasional periods of travel on old
footpad, all overgrown tightly, causing small cuts and rubs to exposed parts of the arms and
legs.
It took almost 4 hours in the end to get to Blake from the road end start, partly due to my
poor fitness, and partly due to the hard going terrain. Plans definately moved toward a trip
to Kiriwhakapapa road end rather than SH 2 at this pace!
I passed over the southern of the two Point 865’s and was on to a piece of footpad that I
had previously traversed on a route between Mikimiki and Mitre flats hut, not that I
recognised it at all, since it continued to look just like the rest of the intermittant footpad
with new growth camoflauging the way.
I finally made it up to Bruce peak 7 hours and 30 minutes from starting the trip. This is a
peak that I have travelled upto on a few occasions from the Mikimiki valley and had
traversed the ridge in the opposite direction from Te Mara once before, so this was the end
of my red lining for the day. I was feeling fairly deflated by my travel speed.
Te Mara was finally arrived at just under 8 and a half hours from my start point. The ridge
has cell phone reception all the way along, so I made my call for a pick up from the
Kiriwhakapapa campsite for 2 hours time. Having been to Te Mara a number of times, and
knowing the Blue Range route well, I felt as if the navigation part of the day was over,
however, I let my guard down too early, and managed to follow the spur from the peak in a
North Westerly direction, away from the Blue range junction! I stepped out on to the Cow
Creek track, slightly suprised at not being where I thought I should be, then the mistake
dawned on me......I had added nearly a kilometer extra to the trip!
The track down from the Blue range junction was very familiar, and passed relatively
quickly, with the final stage from Te Mara to the road end taking Just under two hours, not
too bad for a nearly 10 and a half hour day.
I arrived just before dark, so felt as if I had used the summer daylight to its fullest extent, 5
minutes leter the car headlights shone down the road and into the campground.
It had been a long day, I certainly didnt beat any records for speed, and had emerged fairly
ripped up across the arms and the legs where I had dared to bare skin.
A trip crossed off the list, and maybe to be ripped up and consigned to the no need to do
again....
Conrad ( leader/scribe)
