Napier Tramping Club

based in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

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A mixture of weather and terrain – a good walk

November 7, 2010 by John Dobbs Leave a Comment

Kuripapango, Kiwi Saddle Hut, Castle Camp, Kaiarahi, Rogue Ridge, Saturday November 6 2010. Map: BJ37 Kuripapango

Trampers: Colleen Perreau, Julia Mackie, Ted Angove, Paul Exeter, Murray White, Colin McNatty, John Dobbs, Paul Hendy, Denise Payne, Ali Hollington, Sue Marshall, Ray Slavin

Spring provides more variables than any other time of year, and this was one of those days. We left home in drizzly rain but the view out towards the Kawekas was actually pretty good. Arriving at the Lakes car park, we saw a couple of young hunters and a group from Auckland Tramping Club, the latter on their way to overnight at Kiwi Mouth Hut and tube their way down the Ngaruroro. They were carrying their rubber tyres, wetsuits, helmets and their packs looked huge and heavy. The river would be cold, so not everyone’s cup of tea. We wished them all well!

Colleen and Ray opted for a trip into Mackintosh Hut, and the rest of us started up the track to Kuripapango.

Christmas had arrived early...

It was pretty cold to begin; the climb up towards Kuripapango generated some heat, so off with a layer or two. Everyone walked at their own pace and we soon split up, walking in and out of cold breezes as we made our way to Kiwi Saddle Hut. At times, the tops of the other ridges were visible in between the cloud. A small dusting of snow on the pines on the ridge tops made it look like Christmas had come early. We regrouped at the hut, and had a break for morning tea. Some decided that the next knob up the track was their goal today, before they returned to the hut and back to Kuripapango.

Five of us (Colin, Julia, Paul H, Ali and myself) continued on the loop walk. Lunch was to be at Castle Camp, and we reached it at noon. The views of Back Ridge and the tops where we were heading were in and out of view, due to rain cloud. We seemed to miss it and the wind had dropped, making it a little warmer. Some interesting rock formations took Paul’s photographic fancy. At Castle Camp, we had a good 35-minute break and watched Paul boil some eggs in his tiny old aluminium camp stove. There is a story behind it, but that would take a book…

The climb up Kaiarahi was achieved in good time, and the warmer clothing and rain jackets were required while a squall passed over. The loop swings around to head south-west and we had been expecting high winds, but not a grass or pinus contorta moved. We reached the Rogue Ridge junction at 2pm. The track descends steadily to the Tutaekuri and on the way we passed the two hunters who had set up camp near the track for a later hunt. After a quick chat, on we went. After having dry feet all day, it was a bit of a pain to get wet crossing the Tutaekuri but it was running average and clear. Crossing the Tutaekuri at the end of the day is one good reason to walk this loop in the clockwise direction. Otherwise, going anticlockwise as some of us did a fortnight ago, just makes a change.

Paul Hendy, pointing to himself on the DoC board

We reached the van a little before 3.30pm, so a good time of 7.25 hrs all up. The other trampers had all returned and had picked up Ray and Colleen only 15 minutes previously. Our timing was impeccable and it had been a good fast trip. We all viewed the photo on the DoC information board at the Lakes carpark, taken by Murray Goss of Macintosh Hut, with many members of the club sitting on the new extended verandah.

Filed Under: Recent trips Tagged With: Castle Camp, Kuripapango, Rogue Ridge

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About us

We are a group of like-minded people who love the great outdoors. We tramp mostly in the Hawke’s Bay province, in remote areas such as the Kaweka and Ruahine Ranges; but we also travel longer distances to new places, for longer walks.

The Napier Tramping Club was established in 1974 and has about 70 members. We belong to the Federated Mountain Clubs of NZ Inc (FMC) and run Saturday, full-weekend and Wednesday tramps, every fortnight.

Interested in joining us?

Enjoy the great outdoors, keep fit and get to know others with similar interests.

More information

Latest news

March 2023 News

Tramp List Amendments and Road Closures Due to the inability to access most of the Ruahine Forest … Read More

February 2023 News

Mokai Access to Iron Bark and Colenso Huts Copied from the Ruahine User Group (Private) Facebook … Read More

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The (local) hills are alive with trampers

Useful links

  • Dept of Conservation
  • DoC Huts Use, Kaweka Forest Park
  • Federated Mountain Clubs of NZ (FMC)
  • Heretaunga Tramping Club
  • New Zealand Tramper
  • NZ Walking Access Commission
  • Wanganui Tramping Club

Useful links 2

  • Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society
  • Weather forecast

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