Junction Top to Te More - Kaimanawa's
This section of "track" on air charter taupo permit only private land put a stop on our attempt to summit Makorako from Umakarikari carpark/ waipakahi hut last weekend.
We followed a very obvious track off the tops down a spur which was clearly signposted near junction top close to pt 1573. Once we hit the bush it just turned to hell. We ended up abandoning to cut a long story short.
The spur we followed down was pretty clearly tracked. However another spur branches off to the left off which we are thinking may be the correct spur even though there seemed no track down there. We have seen maps marked with a route down it (and even the spur which shoots off again from this)
Has anyone done this route pref recently?. Snow fall and windfall as well as years of no maintainence has obviously turned this section of travel into a bit of a nightmare.
If anyone can put any hope in our hearts we are up to give this another bash
Thanks :-)
I think you will be on your own as far as tracks go down there. A couple of mates of mine went through there a few years back and it was pretty overgrown then. You might want to look at this thread http://www.tramper.co.nz/?id=283&view=topic&offset=1 During the course of that discussion I emailed Arthur Whitehead at Air Charter Taupo and he confirmed what I thought, they have no intention of maintaining tracks in there at all.
Thanks. I did get some info from a recent trip taken by napier tramping club. apparently according to them the trip from Junction Top to the river is possible if you take the correct spur. The slog is from the river to Te More with a lot of wind/snow fall as you say.
Obviously this section is slow going so our next attempt will be from the hut, not from the road end to give us another 4 hours to burn. We just were too ambitious last week.
just a quick note to answer my own question. i got an answer to this from 2 groups including someone that did it the day after we attempted it a week ago. It is possible, there are even partly cut tracks, you just need to know where. we now do know where to go, so we will attempt again!!
Another update here. I have a friend that climbed Makorako return in a day from Umukarikari carpark (insane 19.5 hours) at xmas time last year, so the route part is all sorted, have gpx and advice - looking to follow in his footsteps next summer after training my butt off :-)
However now Air Charter have lost the lease to the private land section across junction Top and Te More/ Island Range.
Would be interested if anyone hears/ knows of any arrangements East Taupo Lands have made to lease/ provide access to any other party. I hear DOC is in negotiations but it is all tbc/ tba. If anyone closer to the action knows anything please drop a note! I am hoping the door hasn't been slammed shut on me.
FMC is working with DOC onthis and I gather the negotiations are delicate. East Taupo lands was leased to a group associated with Nga Tuwharetoa who will run a commercial operation there. The latest is inthe FMC newsletter at www.fmc.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/Newsletter/Club1101.pdf
Here's hoping - fingers crossed - very keen to cross from Makahu Saddle, Harkness, Boyd, Mangamaire, Te Wetenga, Te More, Junction, Waipakihi - out as soon possible - any one keen on this - bit of car jiggling - looks like DOC and East Taupo negotiating more for the Cascade Ngapuketurua route - met an Aussie guy who did this in Jan - he tried everywhere to get a permit - Air Charter, East Taupo, Doc Napier, DOC Turangi - no one gave him an answer so he just did it!
I hear today the negotiations with East Taupo Lands Trust ended with no public access at all.
So either time to find a new route or move on to another project!
News delivered via DOC Turangi: "ETLT are only allowing public use of their land via aerial access and this aerial access being through their lessee Tongariro Aviation. This means no public tramping/hunting unless flown there by their licence holder. There will be no permit system such as run by the previous lessee Air Charter.
This effects the track sections between Ngapuketurua and Cascade Hut, between Ngapuketura and Junction Tops (ie Waipakihi Hut), and from Oamaru Hut out to the end of the Poronui Poled Access Route, and the many 'wilderness' routes outside of the Kaimanawa Forest Park boundaries.
The DOC website is being updated as soon as possible to convey this information. DOC track entrance and boundary signs will be updated as and when we are able to be areas as part of routine operations"
http://www.easttaupolands.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=90
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| Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
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| Started by | CraigNZ |
| On | 22 February 2010 |
| Replies | 22 |
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