Tararuas route - Jumbo to Dracophyllum

Unfortunately that comes down to your speed and fitness versus the weather for me 2 days and I suspect that for mad pom a rather long day. From jumbo to tarn ridge is a walk in itself and testing in its own right especially if the clag comes in.

Recall it taking all morning (in winter) from Jumbo to Tarn - probably 4 or 5 hours. But then you've still got the pinncales to do to get over to Arete. I'd guess at 4 - 5 more hours for me from Tarn to Dracophylum. So 8 to 10 all up. Plus lunch! I generally take about half of the DoC signposted time, so that would mean a DoC signpost saying something like 16 hours for the full day you are planning. So it comes down to how much you generally divide DoC signposts by to get your own time. There's a lot of peaks to go up and down in this section. I'd certainly be satisfactorially buggered after a day like that - and would appreciate somewhere nicer than dracophylum to stay. Though that said, maybe it takes a tough day like that to make Dracophylum seem welcoming.

Thanks for the replies guys, I guess it will be an early start then. Will most probably pull out if the weather is not looking flash anyhow, can also cut it short by staying in Arete and make for a very long day out to Otaki the next day, or take an extra day.

Which way you going out to Otaki? Waetewaewae or via Mangahuka & Field along the main ridge? The latter (main ridge) would be a VERY long day, even from Dracophylum. Normally do this comfortably from Andersons in a day. Either way, can see why you;d want to get at least as far as Dracophylum

I had the misfortune of attempting this last week & was foiled by the weather. The day everyone was being blown over in Wellington (the Monday) I was stuck in Maungahuka hut as the wind shook the hut and rattled the spouting, thank goodness for FMC bulletins. Even the walk in on Sunday afternoon over Tararua peaks started to get a bit scary, I did appreciate being blown UP some of the steep bits though. So ended up doing the main range trip, from Maunga to forks via YTYY in a day. I think I would plan 5 days to do this trip next time, 4 was probably pushing things a bit, but was all the time I could spare.

The main thing is you used commonsense. Today i was to the top of Mt Holdsworth on an absolute stunning day , light NE wind ,bit of clag in the Wairarapa early but cleared pm The wind thing is not easily predictable this time of year, equinoxial gales and quick southerlies being the norm til Dec-Jan. I have been snowed in , in January !The best weather in the Tararuas is (hopefully) Feb to May, gets cooler at night further to May but long fine days, usually.On average there are 52 reasonably good days in a year in the Tarrys.Try to plan so you dont get up tight about schedules. A little poem ! High in the Ranges by S Kohler,Kapiti College High in the ranges along the tops Where the line of alpine tussock stops, The rocky ridges stand together Beaten by the wild weather; Travelling clouds amongst them fly, Mountains high against the sky. Summer warms the lichened ground; Man goes where the skies are found; But winter slams the gate of entrance, Buries the land for a four month sentence. Brings the ice,the cold,and snow, The blizzards come,thetrampers go. Now the few, the mad, the brave Will choose a mountain for their grave; The icy winds absorb their lives- Strife to the searchers,and the wives. Two men set off from the hut one day Skipping their breakfast to be on their way. A hand thrust in an open pack, Sleeping bags bags lying on the track The searching party had come too late, Their frozen posture showed their fate. Life or death,sun or snow, High in the ranges the trampers go. This gem was written after the demise of two university students on Mt Alpha.