I’ve not been to the Tamaki West Road entrance to the Ruahines for a few years, but recently we went back with an intent to cross to the other side, following what seemed to be the most obvious route along rivers. There’s a nice campsite, with a shelter and toilet blocks, about 200 metres in from the gate at the road, and we slid into here to camp on Friday night.
Dates: 26th – 28th November, 2010
Location: Ruahine Forest Park, from Tamaki West Road to Pohangina Valley East Road.
People: Tim, Richard, Éamonn and me.
Huts visited: Stanfield Hut (0 nights), Cattle Creek Hut (0 nights), Mid Pohangina Hut (1 night).
Route: Starting from Tamaki West Road, follow the Holmes Ridge Track to Stanfield Hut, then to Cattle Creek Hut via spot-height 908. Continue along the river route to Mid Pohangina Hut for Saturday night. Out to Pohangina Valley East Road via sidle track on Sunday.
[Photos]
[map:https://93a12629bf06.ngrok-free.app/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/20101128-cattle-creek-mid-pohangina.gpx%5D
The four of us left at about 7.45am on Saturday morning, at first aiming for Stanfield Hut. There are at least three routes to Stanfield, one heading straight up past Travers Hut, along the tops on the true right of the West Branch of the Tamaki River, and straight down. If a 700 metre climb feels pointless, it’s also possible to walk straight up the West Branch of the Tamaki River, or otherwise do what we did, which is to follow Holmes Ridge along the true left of the river. The weekend’s forecast was to involve lots of sunshine, but things stayed very muted for us during most of the morning—I think if we’d gone via the highest route, we’d have simply been walking in clouds all morning.
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