The Putaputa A-frame shelter in Kaitoke Regional Park had been on my to-do list for a while. (See: Putaputa Shelter)
Tantalisingly close to civilisation, but involving either some off-track bush-bashing and a steep descent, or travelling up a gorge (where Putaputa Stream is located). It seemed like the perfect half-day trip. The fact it was a half-day trip was a good thing, because it was scheduled for my wife’s birthday and she wasn’t keen on the walk!
We had been advised against going down/up Putaputa Stream (which would make it a loop walk). So we planned to walk in and out the same way.
We started walking at 9am from the main Rivendell carpark. We went on to the Swingbridge Track, and promptly overshot the pink marker on a tree to exit the main track and head up the bank toward point 642 (point on the topo map at 642 m elevation). While steep in parts, the footpad was quite good and we didn’t have too much difficulty getting up to point 642. We then made quick work of the ridge travel to point 641. We stopped a couple of times to confirm we were heading towards the correct waypoints marked on our Topo50 apps. It was good to see the navigation was a collective group effort.
A steep descent to the shelter awaited. It was steepest at the very bottom of the spur, where we needed to carefully lower ourselves down quite large drops. The shelter itself was very tidy, and we ate lunch, rested for about 20 minutes and then dropped down slightly further, where we were able to see Putaputa Stream. Even from the small amount of the Stream visible from the shelter, it was easy to see how it could have very gorge-like features.
We then picked ourselves up, clambered up the hill and made faster time along the ridge than we had earlier that day. Our one navigation error was descending slightly too far south-west on the spur down to the Swingbridge Track – this led to a steeper than necessary descent and brief bush bash.
We came out on the Swingbridge Track about 100 metres further along then we should have, and were amused when we saw a large family group watch us descending out of the bush.
All in all, a great half-day/day adventure that can be attempted by a careful group with good navigation skills.
Statistics
Carpark to Putaputa Shelter via pts 642 and 641 and return the same way: return trip of 12.45 km
Elapsed time: 6 hrs 46 mins
Moving time: 5 hrs 22 mins
Ascent and descent: 845m