Boulder Col from Washbourne Creek to Jagged Stream

I never imagined I’d be back to Jagged Stream with its slopes carpeted in a thankfully short type of Spaniard. This trip came on the Peninsula Tramping Club program and Frank shared my interest in revisiting this area.  The club newsletter described “a day-tramp up to this 2000m col promising magnificent Arrowsmith Range views”. The weather delivered and as a bonus we got to go over the col and down the other side on a circuit which is so much more satisfying than the there and back we had been expecting.

As the first day was only a short stroll up the Rakaia to the Thompsons Hut we didn’t leave Christchurch until 10am. Kerry was for taking Minarets but we opted for our 920g 2 person tent fly as it was below the bushline and camping adjacent to the hut (which was reputed to be derelict). He put his hand up to provide us with one of his tasty meals and I got to make the casting vote for his lentil curry.

Dan was nominated the driver. He’s been away from the club for 7 years or so. We set off in his spacious and commodious vehicle and after a detour of the back paddocks of Double Hill station, got it right. I guess those cockies had a smile as they saw us heading thataway! We parked up and set off but before long, stopped to chat to some guests of Glenfalloch at Lake Stream,who’d come all the way from Hamilton but were familiar with the area from horse treks in former times.

The stroll up the true right bank of the Rakaia was very pleasant, interlacing our way through leads of white moss amid merciful spacings of matagouri. At a rocky corner the wind came up and snatched Kerry’s hat. I paused in a little grotto for a sheltered drink. The first crossing of a tributary of the Rakaia lulled us into a false security as to the depth and current of the second crossing. Kerry and Dan soon linked up but it was apparent they were experiencing a near miss with the river well above the plimsoll line.

Frank and I retreated and moved a little upstream where the descent of the river, thus the current, would be less. Unfortunately we forgot that we should have been in the full MSC mutual support link-up so I was providing no support, only being a potential liability  to Frank should I falter. We concentrated hard on securing fully braced footing and communicating our readiness in turns to enable the other to make their move. Dan and Kerry came towards us and stretched out a reassuring pole. Frank made noises about being at his limit but going forward was by now the better option. In hindsight we needed to have crossed the river as a party of four.

A debrief had us committed to a proper link-up for the next occasion but Frank was thinking of returning to the car via a climb up a horse track from Thompsons hut to the 4WD track that runs over Prospect Hill. We linked up satisfactorily for the next 2 crossing that were only up to the tops of our thighs, The MSC method has us in a tight bulletproof formation after the shaky fragile pairs we had been.

to be cont'd...