Mid winter north island tramps?
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A couple of mates have recently caught the tramping bug and are keen to do a 2-6 day tramp in the next month or two. We all recently live on the north island, so aren't that familiar with nice spots.
As stated, they're reasonably new trampers, so avoiding anything technical (though all would be fine with low grade scrambles), likely to be snowy, or with too much off-trail navigation.
Lake Waikeremoana was suggested - and perhaps mid-winter is a good time to try it with presumably less foot traffic around (i'm not usually a fan of the groomed and heavy traffic of some of the great walks).
Huts aren't a necessity, but if the weather is poor, having them available will probably help morale!
But what other accessible, scenic tramps might you folks suggest?
Waikeremoana is probably as far north as we want to go (they both live in Wellington).
waikaremoana isnt that heavily groomed. its more like you average unbenched track for a lot of it with mud and tree roots
Heaps, heaps, and more heaps of options!
Holdsworth-Kaitoke in the Tararuas; Pouakai Circuit in Taranaki; Round the Mountain in Tongariro; multiple options in the Ruahines, Kaimanawas, and the Kawekas- spoilt for choices.
These options are all closer to Welly than Lake Waikaremoana. I would even suggest that Whirinaki FP is desirable over Lake W, but all the other options are way easier to access.
Thanks! Round the Mountain and Holdsworth-Kaitoke were both trips on my agenda (and I am real keen to spend more time in the Kawekas). I was wary of those two in particular for a mid-winter trip with inexperienced folk (I would be wary for myself as well, but definitely don't want to be the most experienced in any hairy winter conditions). Is snow not likely to be an issue even in mid-winter for those two? Obviously there's the obvious "pick a good weather gap" advice, but other than being colder and probably a bit slipperier, is there not much more to worry about for winter in those areas?
kawekas might be an issue on the highest part, icy or it can get a dump of snow in a storm
round the mountain can be a pain in winter, slushy show , postholing..
holdsworth, not usually an issue unless a particularly bad storm has dumped a lot of snow. the wind is the issue
Thank you Waynowski. If you had a inexperienced couple of mates new to the North island (I am too, really - didn't get to tramp at all over summer as I broke my hip just before holiday) - where would you go?
anywhere in valleys, stay out of the snow and stay off the tops unless the forecast is very good.
1
I'd second Gregor's Kaitoke Holdsworth trip, and if you have the time and good settled weather you can extend it to include the Holdsworth Jumbo tops (see below) or up the Atiwhakatu, then across the very nice saddle into the Waingawa to Mitre Hut, up to Cow Creek Hut, over Cow Saddle and down the Ruamahanga. Or out over Blue Range. That makes for an excellent 4 -5 day journey, with plenty of exit options and good huts, and short of torrential rainfall can be tackled safely in winter.
Tramping in the Lower Nth Island hardly gets better than this for a starter trip. Plus what wayno said - stick to the valleys and bush saddles in anything but the most perfect conditions - wind, snow and ice on the tops can and does kill the inexperienced.
Thanks Philip. Tararuas sound like a decent place to base with lots of options.
It would be at the shorter end of your duration but Waipakahi Hut is a great option. A variety of options for tops travel and/or the Waipakahi River.
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| Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
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| Started by | dreambroom |
| On | 13 June 2021 |
| Replies | 10 |
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