[Shane Connolly]

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone has done a trip down into the headwaters of the Park River in the Tararuas?
In particular Im interested to know if anyone has been as far down as Park Forks and if so what the travel is like.
Cheers
Shane Connolly

[Richard Davies]

Gidday Shane, I did a trip down there in January 2001. Dropped in from the low point between Lancaster and .1389. This is dead easy bar a bit of leatherwood. The Upper Park is beaut travel, however as you near the bushedge it gets a bit gorgier, still easy though.
Once in the bush the rocks are pretty greasy maybe even slightly more so than in the Waiohine.
Look out for the big rockfall which has created a waterfall at about GR125465. Can sidle this on the TL (steep but straightforward),.
Id say youd be looking at significantly more than Merv Rogers recommended 5 hours to Park Forks and a good bailout is either up onto .1212 and Carkeek Ridge or up onto Dracophyllum Knob (both spurs depart from the same place in the Park and are excellent travel),.
Cheers
Richard

[shane connolly (146.171.254.62),]

Thanks for the advice!
Think I might leave this for a summer trip with a few daylight hours up my sleeve. The upper valley just looks sooo inviting from Arete/Lancaster.
Shane ,

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