It’s an ill wind that blows us to a (possible) new route

North Kaweka, Unknown spur to Kaweka Flats track, Kaweka FP, Saturday 4 December 2021
Map: BJ37
Banner Photo: Unknown Spur, and Pinnacle Spur seen from Dominie Biv

With November having been a very unpredictable weather month, this continued into December. The forecast was for a cloudy day with light winds. Just in case, three of us checked ‘Windy’ before setting out. The winds were forecast at 15kt all day, so manageable.
On arriving at Makahu Saddle car park, winds were very light, so we had no inkling of what was to come.

We headed up Trial Spur to Dominie, where we started to feel a little chilly. The biv is a good shelter and water resupply. Continuing up, we started to experience more wind, so some donned more layers. Just about three quarters of the way up, we popped around a corner onto a small saddle, and wham. This did not bode well. We had a discussion, whilst several runners descended from the tops. They were nimble and travelling very lightly, and had the wind on their backs when coming from Ballard Hut.We were going to be heading into the wind on the tops, so a rethink was necessary.

Options:
– Continue up and battle it out to North Kaweka before heading down the unnamed spur. We would be exposed all the way down, too.
– Continue up and head south and come down Don’s Spur.
– Abandon the attempt to reach the tops, and develop another option.

We gave it one more test, heading up, but realised this was not fun. The third option won through.

Barry suggested that we try to find the exit onto the Kaweka Flats track from the original planned tramp. I last did this tramp in February 2010, so memories were vague.

I did, however, have an old NZTopo50 map (2009) which had it marked. It is not on the newer maps or on Topo50 GPS maps. We reached the turn-off and headed up through windfall and bush lawyer. Wanting respite from this, I headed up for open ground. There I could see across to the spur we were aiming for, but a drop down to the Makahu River was required. This was not the right place.

We lunched out of the wind, while rethinking, then headed back to the main track and decided to continue to the base of the spur. We started to call it ‘1179 spur’ as that was the only high point. We reached what we now believed was the right spot Grid Ref 1893762/5646864, and noted that there were old pink and orange tape tied to a tree on the track (they could signify anything).

We took a bearing (275), and went in ten metres or so to check it out. Mature beech, and no windfall here. Barry headed in further and reported that it was easy going. So maybe we have found a different way down from 1179. The proof will be when we try this tramp again, heading down. But first we’ll need the right wind speeds to reach the Kaweka tops.

We headed back to our vehicles and home after a thoroughly interesting day. I will get to camp up by the tarns near North Kaweka one day, perhaps checking out this alternate route down. Or even try Pinnacle Spur.

Trampers: Alison Greer, Campbell Living, Juliet Gillick, Kate Fuller, Barry Doak, and reporter Julia Mackie