Maungahuka crossing, Tararua Forest Park, New Zealand
No plan survives first contact. A saying that is a pretty safe bet for any trip into the hills. I had made the mistake at the tramping club’s happy hour of signing up to lead a ‘medium-fit’ trip into Maungahuka. Maungahuka is one of those places that are almost impossible to get to in a weekend, but if you can it is SO worth it. We’d devised a cunning plan to head in from the Waiohine on the eastern side of the range and swap keys with a party heading in the opposite direction. After work on Friday we planned to stay at Tōtara Flats Hut. Saturday would have us climbing above Hector Forks, dropping to Neill Forks and then climbing up the steep route over Corcertina Knob to Maungahuka Hut. Sunday we would battle the infamous Tararua Peaks to Field Hut and Otaki Forks where a car would be waiting for us.
Continue reading for free on Sam’s blog: https://medium.com/@bush-lawyer/head-in-the-clouds-fcf7274b3426?sk=bb8aecbba964073b48312c3b0435a767