Friday 14th Feb
We combined resources with the MF trip group who were heading to Holdsworth trailhead. We all set off in the club van from Wellington Railway Station at 4.30 pm. We had decided on this earlier meet up time to give us more time for the walk into Mitre Flats Hut on the Friday night. However the Wellington traffic had other ideas- by the time we started walking to the Hut via the Barra Track from the Pines carpark it was already after 8.00 pm.
Head torches were deployed fairly soon after entering the bush. The Barra Track has a lot of ups and downs as it drops into a side creek and sidles high above the Waingawa River Gorge. The walk to Mitre Flats Hut took 3 hr 38 min and was quite challenging- especially the warm muggy conditions, and the final descent to the bridge at Mitre Flats.
After arriving at Mitre Flats Hut, we quickly pitched a tent, set up a groundsheet on the balcony, and grabbed the last bunk inside.
Saturday 15th Feb
Saturday morning was busy, as three different groups at the hut headed off to climb Pukeamoamo/ Mitre (Editor’s note: Pukeamoamo/ Mitre, at 1571m, is the highest mountain of the Tararua Range). It’s a 1200 m ascent from Mitre Flats Hut – with about half the climb in the forest and the remaining climb above the treeline.
Despite our short night’s sleep, we made good progress and climbed about 300m elevation per hour with light day packs.
Our first main rest point was at the treeline, where we looked out over the North King Peak and tried to spot the MF group. The top of Pukeamoamo/ Mitre still seemed a long way off, so we kept our stops to a minimum.
We passed a couple of groups coming back from the top. One group had decided to turn back, abandoning their plan to cross to North King. As we looked out over the rugged ridgeline, we definitely thought they had made the right decision.
The views from the top of Pukeamoamo/ Mitre were spectacular. The Wairarapa valley was visible all the way to Greytown in the south, and the ridges to the north looked very impressive. We had a late lunch at the top and then returned to Mitre Flats Hut. The return trip took just over 7 hours.
The swimming hole in the Waingawa River, near the Hut, was a welcome relief for our hot and tired legs.
We had another busy night at the Hut with some of the groups returning for a second night and some new arrivals.
Sunday 16th Feb 2025
After a relaxed morning, we headed back down the Barra Track to the Pines carpark.
In daylight the Barra Track looked every bit as challenging as it did under torch light. We made good progress and had time for a swim in the Waingawa River – the water was cold as it had just flowed through the Gorge. Our walk back to the Pines (13.6 km) took us 3 hr 24 min.
We drove back to Holdsworth Road end and picked up the MF team. A quick café stop in Carterton was well earned by both teams.
Thanks to Josh for leading the EM trip, and to Faye and Ellis for driving.
