Rangitikei River Valley

There are two routes. The first one you go in over Urchin to the Waipakahi and then from there there is a track that goes up onto Thunderbolt peak then drops down to a small saddle to the south, from there it climbs again before dropping into the Rangatikei down by Ecology Creek. I did this route many years ago. It would be a very long day all the way into the Rangitikei, probably easier to split into two days. It is also now difficult to find where the track climbs up onto Thunderbolt, due to river changes inthe Waipakihi. Let me know if this is the route you want and I will give you a better description. The other route is the southern corrridor which goes between Maori land and the Army land. The start of that is well marked with a big DOC signpost on the Desert Rd just north of the summit. I have been halfway along this track, it is a good route along open grassland. Once again, a full day to get to the Rangitikei. The old route from Waipakihi Hut across Middle Range to the upper Rangitikei goes through the East Taupo Lands Block and requires a permit. See http://www.tramper.co.nz/?2954 Anyway I doubt they would allow you to go in there fishing unless you paid them a big fat fee.

Thanks for the reply, The track over urchin to thunderbolt is definitely of interest. I'll have to get another map and check out the "southern corridor". I was in the waipakihi valley on the weekend and saw the start of a track that's marked on the map and goes up to the tops towards thunderbolt. This track was maybe a couple of km's up the river from where the urchin track comes out, is that the one you're referring to? The track had orange triangles at the start but I didn't cross the river to check out the signage.

Sounds like the right track but there were no orange triangles in February when I was there. Have a look at http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v424/pmcke/Tramping%20Trips/Waipakahi%20Trip%2017-2-08/ and go to picture 14 to 18. They are all taken at the spot. There is an old cairn on the true right and some old signs where the track begins on the true left but they were very hard to see. Maybe someone has been in and put some triangles in. Only a couple of years back there was room to camp on the river bank at the foot of the track so things have changed. That track climbs steeply to the tops and then along the ridge to Thunderbolt. There are camping spots and water on the ridge just north of Thunderbolt. But from the summit of TB you need to drop steeply into a small saddle directly to the south. We found a camp site in the bush just to the east of this saddle too but it was very small and we had to divert a stream. You then climb out of the saddle to the south, up and traverse to a ridge that drops into the Rangitiki. The track then goes down through the bush. As I said, it is many years since I have been there and this area is all remote experience zone so DOC will not be maintaining tracks there.

Thanks heaps for the info. It's definitely the same track I saw on the weekend I remember seeing that wooden sign from across the river.

That's fine, great to help. I have only been in the Rangitikei once and that was comming back from Boyd Lodge once. We planned to camp in the Waipakihi but it was 3pm before we arrived at the Rangitikei, so we dived down one side of the valley and then up the other. I must have been in the valley for about 2 mins. I remember it was very nice and thought it a pity that we couldn't stay and camp. We eventually got caught out in a thunderstorm, ironically considering the presence of Thunderbolt, and camped in pouring rain just below that little saddle. I have been along the Middle Range a couple of times since then and looked down in the valley but gone no further. A great trip would be to do a circut from the Southern access and then up the river and out over Thunderbolt. It would take 4 - 5 days with a couple of nights in the Rangitikei itself.