This was my first club trip in a couple of years. I loved some of the changes and enjoyed how some things stayed the same.
One change was I had never been on a trip before where on Saturday morning we stopped for baked goods and coffee – the goat curry pie was a winner. I can recommend doughnuts as fuel for getting to Waiopehu Hut.
I love that the Club attracts wonderful like-minded folk. I am sure that this was the same in 1949 when the club went up to Te Matawai Hut using the map below. “MapsPast” is a fabulous internet resource where you can get maps dating back eight decades (http://www.mapspast.org.nz/). On this trip, there was a mixture of apps, paper maps, asking how close we are, and having good views.
Off we trotted, up the Te Araroa Trail and the Waiopehu Track. Coming out of the trees at Waiopehu, we were greeted with a stunning snow-capped maunga. It became obvious that I need to get out more, as I was struggling to remember the names of those peaks that I have tramped over since joining the club umpteen years ago. West Peak, Pukepukemore, Dundas and beyond. The photos really don’t do the memories justice.
A club kaupapa change that has raised a challenge, is the advanced standard of tramping lunches. There was a fair bit of lunch envy on my behalf. My semi-stale Tararua biscuit didn’t really compare to homemade focaccia with homemade mayonnaise, homemade habanero jam, roasted beetroot, mushroom and carrot. Then there was the homemade sour dough, Sir Breadwins and who would have thought folk even had hot cups of tea and coffee.
From lunch we made our way around Richards Knob. Giggling at spot height names became a theme of the trip. When we got to Butcher Saddle, it was time for head torches. I vicariously enjoy people’s first experience of this. It focuses your attention, and you develop the navigation skills to stay on the ground trail. Te Matawai Hut was a welcome site. Soon we were all employed in dinner preparation. It is always handy having a leader who was once a chef. Red Lentil Curry and perfectly proportioned rice, with cashews and coriander as garnish. Yum.
Over dinner the following awards were bestowed:
Muddiest: dirty jokes all day Heather
Best torch: aka night vision Thomas
Most learned: Illona
Best self-control: lunchtime consumption of the goat curry pie Peter
Best and newest: bright orange rain coat Calum
Most grateful: beautiful slip of day Jessie
Cutest falling down/sliding noise: Jeanna “oooôpa!”
Biggest knob: Richards Knob
The bushiest corner: Bush Corner
Lovely banter meant it was well past my trampers bedtime (in winter mine is mostly 7pm-ish). The rain lulled us to sleep and was still around when we woke up. We were lucky it only rained for an hour or so after we left the Hut.
So, apart from a bit of drizzle and mud, Gable End track made the loop a nice trip. Taking the Ohau Gorge track was possible thanks to the cut track that sidles above the slip. I for one didn’t want to head up another 300m to re-join the Waiopehu Track.
Thanks Peter for leading this trip.
Saturday: Poads Road via Waiopehu to Te Matawai Hut: 20km, 1709m elevation gain, 6.24 hrs moving time.
Sunday: Te Matawai via Gable End Ridge: 15.02 km, 521 elevation gain, 5.48 hrs moving time.