Penn Creek Track - Tararuas?

Tried to find it about 2 years ago from Penn Creek Hut but we came to an old slip face (about 15 mins from the hut) with no real sign of a track. Before this we had been barely able to follow it. You can always go out via Field Hut probably easier and thats the way we did it. Just watch out for heavy rain as the side creek just before Penn Creek hut was nearly impassible after a night of light-medium rain. My uncle did the Penn Creek track from Penn Creek Hut a couple years before that and ended up late out since he ruined his knee somewhere on it then SAR had to go in since my grandad panicked since he was late out! So probably more has fallen into the river due to a couple big storms since then. I would not recommend it since the YTYY track (next one over) which is still being maintained has needed a couple of big detours around the top slip faces due to washouts.

Not only has the track been removed from maps, but there are signs at Penn Creek Hut and various other places (eg up near Table Top) warning that the (ex-)track is not safe due to slips. Definitely not recommended.

Ok - so I'm not trying that then! Shame it looked like a nice little loop :( Thanks for the replies. Anyone suggest an alternative in the area or in the (west) Ruahines??

This sounds like you want a trip you can do in a weekend? There's stacks of good options in the Tararuas. Following are some of the weekend circuit options. If you're prepared to do a there-and-back again you've got many more options. Holdsworth - Jumbo (behind Masterton) is a great circuit if you haven't done it, although the huts get crowded on weekends. Or you could do a circuit on the southern part of the southern crossing. Start at the Kaitoke youth camp past Upper Hutt, walk up Marchant ridge to Alpha Hut, then come back via Bull Mound Track and the track along the Tauherenikau river. Or Start at Waohine Gorge entrance behind Greytown, up over Cone and down to Neill Forks Hut; come back in a circuit via Totara Flats Hut. Those trips all involve reasonably full days (7-10 hours probably, at normal DOC times) and have some ups and downs - you need to be fittish but nothing extraordinary. They involve straightforward, well marked tracks. A slightly shorter option starts further up north, behind Levin from Poads Road, up to Waiopehu Hut (great views) and down via Gable End Ridge. I recommend anti-clockwise to get the days even-ish. PE

You could always check out my website got trips in the Tararuas and Ruahines from the past two years...ranging from day trips to Multiday, even lunatic... www.freewebs.com/hellmission/

My favourite weekend circuit, which avoids the crowd, starts and ends at the Putara Road ending in from Eketahuna. From there it's an easy day through Herepai Hut, East & West Peaks, Walker and Pukemoremore, then dropping 20 min off the ridge to Dundas Hut for the night. Day two is quite long, but everything is marked. Down to the Ruamahanga River, cross tributary, one hour sidle on true left, cross tributary, then long slog up to Cattle Ridge Hut. Steep drop to Roaring Stag Lodge, then easy three hours to road ending. Quite a diverse tramp. Normal safety rules for the tops apply.

That's some impressive territory your covering there John but I'd hasten to point out that our fella is a self-confessed fairly inexperienced tramper and there's a lot of tops travel involved in your route which I assume requires a fair degree of confidence in compass navigation. Maybe something for more experienced folk? Certainly something I'd like to do one day. Crowds never been my strong point when it comes to enjoying the great outdoors =)