Nearly two years on from my last tramp, I thought it would be a great idea to get back into the bush — with an 11-hour trek up Mt Hector.
No, this isn’t a tale of regret and sore muscles, but one of feeling reinvigorated through reuniting with tree roots and the rugged tops of the Tararua Ranges.
The day started as it would end – in the dark. Our group of six left Wellington Train Station just after 7am on Saturday in a club van. We were delighted that Ōtaki Forks Rd had just fully reopened, saving us an additional one hour walk to the start of the track.
Before we set off, we agreed that no matter where we were at 2pm, we would turn around and come back.
I had forgotten how punishing tree roots are as we walked up to Field Hut. We arrived there after 2.5 hours. Thank you Anne for the lovely surprise of homemade brownies.
As we reached Table Top, we were lucky that in mid-winter the skies were clear, the temperature was surprisingly mild and the sun kept coming out to say hi.
It was exciting to see patches of snow on the ridge, but we had to be careful at times, as some parts were icy, particularly close to Kime Hut.
We reached Kime Hut in time for lunch, and enjoyed the sun’s rays as we devoured our food and more of Anne’s brownies.
It took an hour to reach the peak of Mt Hector. The weather turned windy, freezing and cloudy up here so we didn’t stick around for long. We took a moment to reflect at the memorial for trampers who served in World War II before heading back down soon after 2pm.
Anne had lured the group to join the walk saying Mt Hector was the highest peak in the Tararuas. As it turns out, Pukeamoamo/Mitre is, at 1,571m, but Mt Hector, at 1,529m, is not far behind.
We enjoyed a brisk walk back across the ridge, enjoying the sun setting on Table Top.
After a brief stop at Field Hut, we got our head torches out ready for the quickly approaching dark.
Apart from my right knee playing up from walking downhill from Field Hut, I had an incredible time with a great bunch of people.
Hot tip – if you’ve also taken a long break from tramping, day walks are a fantastic way to test out your hiking fitness with a lighter pack.
Stats:
Distance: 27.5 km
Elevation: 2,068 m
Time: 11 hours
Carpark to Field Hut – 2.5 hours
Field Hut to Kime Hut – 3 hours
Kime Hut to Mt Hector – 1 hour
Mt Hector to carpark – 5 hours