We met at Wellington Train Station at 5pm and piled into the van for the trip north, stopping in Levin for dinner on the way. We’d neglected to heed the notice on the DOC website that Fletchers Crossing Bridge was closed, so we unexpectedly came across a very-much-not-there bridge and had to backtrack to the main highway and take the alternative route to the road end. Fortunately this didn’t add too much time to the journey.
We parked the van and trekked 5 mins across paddocks to Triplex Hut, which we were expecting to have to ourselves, but discovered a group already in residence without a booking. To their credit they immediately cleared out a bunk room and handed over a mattress, so with a couple of people sleeping in the kitchen everyone had a bed for the night.
The next morning was cold but clear. We departed the hut by 8.15 am and headed up the track to Sunrise Hut.
The track was a steady climb the whole way and was in excellent condition. So we made steady progress, and with a few snack breaks along the way, it took us about 3 hours to reach Sunrise Hut. Our early departure that morning turned out to be well timed, as it started snowing shortly after we arrived at the hut.
After lunch, during a break in the weather, we decided to head out to explore the ridgeline, and head to Armstrong Saddle. However our first attempt was hastily aborted, because as we crested the hill behind the hut we got hit in the face by a polar blast.
Some of the more valiant trampers, like Eoin, waited outside the hut in their full gear and gaiters for the weather to clear. Meanwhile, other people, like Marie-Pascale, took cat naps. Others snacked. About 1 – 2 hours later, some people decided to head out to the ridgeline again, while others decided to remain in the warm hut.
The weather had cleared, but there were still some strong wind gusts. The group made it to the Armstrong Saddle (20 mins away and 70 min elevation gain) and marvelled at the views. No marked poles or track to the summit of a nearby peak could be found, so the group decided to head on to Top Maropea Hut. They got to within 1km of the hut, and decided to turn back at that point, not wanting to take a chance on the weather turning to horizontal snowfall again. The views were clear and stupendous.
The rest of the afternoon was spent napping, snacking and chatting at Sunrise Hut. The Hut filled up over the course of the day and we had a full house of 20 that night.
At dinner time, the group’s chefs (Marie-Pascale and Victoria) whipped up a delicious chickpea stew with couscous and home-made chocolate cookies for dessert. A round of cards followed before we retired to our bunks for the night.
The next morning’s forecast wasn’t the best for the eponymous sunrise. But I woke up at 5.45 am to try my luck, and was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise.
We packed up and departed the hut at around 8 am. It was then an easy cruise down the hill, with the bonus of gambolling spring lambs near the carpark. We got back to the van at around 10 am, and piled in for the long drive back to Wellington.
Stats:
North Block Road road end to Triplex Hut: 5-10min
Triplex Hut to Sunrise Hut: 3hrs (including breaks)
Sunrise Hut to North Block Road road end: 2hrs (including breaks)