The Broken Axe Pinnacles Loop in the Tararua Range

The Broken Axe Pinnacles Loop is a fun trip in the Tararua Range. It is usually completed as a faster day trip, but sometimes as a slower overnight trip. As a rehab tramp we decided to complete it over the more leisurely two days. 

We walked in to camp just above the track junction to Baldy. There is a nice flat section in the middle of the track at the turn off for Pinnacle Ridge (water needs to be carried up from the river though this can be easily done if you have an enthusiastic resident packhorse).

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Along the way we met a group from the Masterton Tramping Club who had been out doing trap work and we enjoyed a long and interesting conversation with them. We then bumped into two guys from the Tararua Tramping Club who were doing the same loop as us but going clockwise and staying the night at Jumbo Hut.

Tony and Megan had been having a spirited debate about how long we would take the next day and we tried to resolve it by asking the TTC pair but even they seemed a bit uncertain on how long they expected to be. 

Tony and Megan had recently purchased lightweight camp chairs and I thought we must look silly with our tents and sitting on camp chairs in the middle of the track. But it was rather unfortunate no late-night trampers came across us for entertainment.

The next day we started the long climb up to Baldy while Tony and Megan kept me entertained with a spirited debate on windchill and freezing levels.

After passing Baldy and getting onto the ridge to start our traverse towards the Broken Axe Pinnacles we bumped into the TTC guys again who had made good time after an early start from Jumbo Hut. We told them to watch out for the “blizzard” we had got caught in on Baldy—us making fun of the tiny patches of snow that seemed to be just hanging around Baldy and nowhere else.

At the Broken Axe I dropped my pack and started the climb over the pinnacles while Megan and Tony kept an eye on my progress as previously I had only ever taken the sidle track around them.

Their recommendation to leave behind my pack and walking pole was good as it allowed me to have both hands free to pull myself up the first quite steep climb. I then took the sidle track back around to grab my pack before catching up with them.   

The windchill ramped up on Jumbo and we were all struggling to stand in the strong gusts so we were very glad to make it down to the shelter of Jumbo hut for a break before we started the last leg back out to the carpark.

Holdsworth carpark to Baldy Track junction campsite: 10km; 674m elevation.

Baldy Junction Campsite to Holdsworth carpark over Pinnacles: 19.3km; 1580m elevation.

For the story of a one-day Pinnacles loop go to Broken Axe Pinnacles – a day walk.