Hey all just looking and dreaming about maybe future tramps in the Ruahine Ranges and was just wanting some approximate times and ideas of times and tracks. My tramping buddy and I are relatively fit-ish and so far a few walks that I am eyeing up are walking from Sunrise hut over the main range to Sparrowhawk biv, Sentry box over to Upper Mak hut and/or Kylie biv and North block to Waikamaka Hut. If you have any comments or advice about the track conditions and times that you may have done it I would love to hear from you and also the walks that you may want to do. Any ideas I would love. Thanks guys!!!
well. izogi is definitely asleep when you most need him, where is he???
Having another pit day, probably, that southerly was savage...
If we're talking Easterm Ruahines I didn't mind the southerly too much, it was the fierce nor-wester that preceeded it was the problem. It's all good till you run out of tussocks to cling on to.
For what they're worth, here are my times. As a guide - I generally get there in about half the green-plastic-DOC-signposted times, so apply your own conversion factor.
Sentry Box to Upper Makaroro:
Good, well maintaind track - but steep ascent and descent. Was there for an early lunch so probably a bit under 4 hrs (so say 7 DOC hours) with snow on the tops. Walked to Ikawetea that day, via Ruahine Corner. Wonderful trip with ice on every strand of tussock on the tops ...
Sunrise to Sparrowhawk.
Never been to Sunrise on account of it being on the east and dogs being thus not welcome. However, I gather it's a good easy walking track up to the hut. From Armstrong saddle along the ridge is an untracked, unmarked route. A bit more tiring than a track: pushing through the tussock, but not too bad. There's a few ups and downs on the ridge, but nothing too strenuous or long. Waikamaka to Sparrowhawk took 6 hrs, so I'd guess Armstrong to Sparrowhawk took about 2 of those (so say 4 DOC hours). Account of the trip is here - but sadly with no times recorded:
http://tramper.co.nz/?1648
North Block to Waikamaka
I walked this earlier this year with the missus on our way to Waterfall for the night. We generally equal DOC times when walking together. Took us about 4-5 DOC hours to Waikamaka via Triplex & Waipawa Forks. Good tracks to Waipawa forks. Riverbed route (dry feet) on a wide shingle valley to the base of the climb to the Waipawa Saddle. The climb to the saddle is steep on a narrow, rough but well-defined track. The 1st part of the descent into the Waikamaka is loose and exposed - take it easy - but again the track is well defined. Then it's down the river to the hut - mainly in the stream (wet feet) with increasing sections of riverbank track.
Cool thankyou madpom, I have done most of the easy access huts on the eastern side of the the Ruahine`s like Kiritaki,Travers, Cattlecreek, Longview, Happy Daze, Awatere, Daphne, The one`s around Sunrise etc but just wanting to broaden the horizens abit. Cheers for the info. Might even try for a loop of Irongate over the tops to Alice Nash for a over night sometime aswell. Thanks
Nice walk that - assume you mean a loop over to Iron gate / heritage from Kashmir Rd? Great along the tops, though the Oroua sidle track between I/G and Heritage goes on and on ... especially when you've walked it a dozen-or-more times!
A longer variant - but with more tops time would be a variant on a loop I've only walked from the opposite side of the range. I started at Rangi Hut (where I was possuming) and headed over to Howletts via Te Hekeenga. I came back via Iron Gates Hut and the unmarked 'up-and-out' route that heads up the ridge from Iron Gates Hut to Mangahuia highpoint (starts at the top of the 'up-and-over' track to triangle) . That loop could be done from the Kashmir Rd also, though it may end up being 3 rather than 2 days from that end due to inconvenient spacing of huts.
A wonderful trip with some amazing tops travel - but definitely one for late summer. The tough bit is the ridge below Te Hekeenga. The ridgeline is impassible, and you have to drop to a fairly clear sidle track on the south face. However, that sidle is still the most frightening bit of tramping I've done in the Ruahines. The sth face seems to hold the previous winter's ice-chutes right through to Easter, and I've not had an ice-axe with me on either visit. Scary - but would be no worries when free of ice.
Yea I had read some where that head up to the tops from Iron gates to just down from Otumore then head down to Tunupo and drop down to Heritage lodge. But I would also like to get to Toka Biv aswell as Top Gorge Hut(even though it sounds like abit of dive). Hopefully I get to move back down that way sometime so I get more time to get out and about down there. The Pureora Forest park just doesn't have the same sort of attractions to me, ah well.
@ Madpom
Just wondering if you have any idea of the time from Aranga Hut to Parks peak. I saw an old photo of Aranga Hut before and it had an old sign outside saying Parks Peak was 2.5 hours, Just wondering if this is a good indication or if they are telling porkies. I don't think I will stay Aranga but would be good to see before it falls down by the sounds of it.
Cheers
Hmm. Trip notes are at home - will have a look this evening and see if they say anything more useful. The writeup of the trip is at the link below - but only has the 2nd half of the trip and no times (so not much use in answering your question). But it made for a good story.
http://tramper.co.nz/?6083
I recall it being about 2-2.5 of my hours from Aranya to Sentry Box roadend, so that would make it a bit under 2 of my hours Aranya to Parks Peak. That would be 3-4 modern-plastic-DOC-sign hours. I guess that puts the sign you refer to in the old wooden ex-forestry / early DOC era with more ambitious times. There were very good tracks on an easy ridgeline between the 2 huts. Plus I'd just had a good snooze at Aranya.
I guess I'm late, but...
I haven't covered the entire short stretch between Aranga and Parks Peak, but I've covered both ends of it and looking at the contours I'd not be surprised if a reasonably fit person with reasonable conditions could cover it in a couple of hours. In 2007 I was in a group that went from Sentry Box to Parks Peak in just under 3 hours, and that involves a 700 metre climb up to the junction which marks the 2/3 point coming from Aranga Hut, so 2 hours from Aranga to Parks Peak also wouldn't seem too unreasonable from that metric.
If you're planning to stay at Aranga, be aware that it's a dump on the way to rat-infested dereliction, unless anything's changed in the last year or so. I think it's been generally un-maintained since it ended up on the private land boundary, and legally it's also a private hut. You could likely find somewhere to camp outside if you preferred, though.
