Maungahuka Loop

Sunrise at Maungahuka Hut

Our group of four decided to take advantage of the long Wellington Anniversary weekend to get up onto the Main Range of the Tararuas. Starting (and finishing) at Holdsworth carpark, we’d gain the Main Range via Powell Hut, Mid Waiohine Hut and finally a climb up onto Aokaparangi, before traversing the Main Range to Maungahuka … Read more

Aokaparangi Loop

Aokaparangi

INTRODUCTION This route is one of the few opportunities to make a weekend loop from Holdsworth that gets you onto the stunning middle range of the Tararua Ranges. It does, however, require quite a bit of effort to make it work, with multiple steep climbs and descents, and with Powell Hut currently out of commission … Read more

The 2018 Tramping calendar – by Harry Smith

Lake Chalice

One of my favourite pieces of poetry is a prose poem by the great 19th century French poet Charles Baudelaire called Get Drunk. In English translation it goes like this: Get Drunk! It is essential to be drunk all the time. That’s all: there’s no other problem. If you do not want to feel the … Read more

Jumbo-Holdsworth Circuit

Our journey to Holdsworth road end was more eventful than usual, with a few van issues to contend with. Let’s just say that Mark had a very warm bum from a and there may have been a tiny bit of ! Anyway, we arrived safely and set off to Atiwhakatu hut in the rain, arriving about 1hr … Read more

Powell-Holdsworth

First of all here’s the stats from Richard’s GPS: Sat 23 Aug 14 09:55 – 16:30 hrs From Holdsworth Road End to Powell Hut and top excursion. Distance: 11.1km Average Speed: 2.3 km/h Min Elevation 300m Max Elevation: 1425m Height climbed 1500m Height Descended: 630m Sun 24 Aug 14 08:05 – 14:00 hrs Mt Holdsworth … Read more

Turning into popsicles on Baldy…

See more photos from Sarah Friday night saw our group doing an extremely quick march to Atiwhakatu hut after which I declared there would be a mutiny the next morning if we were walking that fast the rest of the tramp as my pack was stuffed full of an abundance of warm clothes. We arrived … Read more

A Tararuas weekend with a deep swift river and a terribly windy ridge

The idea Following the thrill and tranquillity of water-focussed South Island tramps at Christmas, I was keen for aquatic adventures closer to home. Spencer floated the appealing idea of a weekend pack float along the Waiohine river from Mid-Waiohine hut to Totara Flats. It sounded fun and challenging. The planning Meticulous research and preparation happened … Read more

Broken Axe Pinnacles – The Not Tappy, Light and Fast Daywalk

Broken Axe Pinnacles viewed from Baldy

Broken Axe Pinnacles The Not Tappy, Light and Fast Daywalk A day hike loop from Holdsworth carpark over the Broken Axe Pinnacles “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley.” And so they did. What was to be a three day trip to climb Tappy became a furtive dash in the Tararuas … Read more

Holdsworth Jumbo

Rory: Well, after an exceptionally early 7am meeting at the train station, (I am used to 9am) introductions were made, bacon and egg English muffins were crammed into mouths and we were on our way with Paula only stalling the manual van a few times before getting to the destination. Rory: After about a 1.5 … Read more

E/M/F Trip to Atiwhakatu and Jumbo

One of the easy aspects of this E/M tramp was the Friday evening to sort out your stuff and fill your pack, although a little voice in the back of my head kept telling me we had to get up reasonable early on Saturday. Indeed the alarm went off shortly after 6AM, allowing us to … Read more