Marchant/Tauherenikau Step

My birthday walk, the best present I can give myself. A simple Saturday walk and a up and down Sunday walk. The whisky is this non-peated cask strength Arran Malt got from Mid City Wines and Spirits

Arran 12yo 53.9%

Saturday 03/05/2014
Drove North out of Upper Hutt on state highway 2 and approx 400 meters past the Kaitoke waterworks turned off and parked up at Kiwi Ranch. Put five bucks in the donation box for having a safe place to park.

Headed up Dobson loop tramp and dropped down to Smith Creek.

Smith Creek Shelter

Left Smith Creek shelter and headed along the Tauherenikau Track to Tutuwai hut

Wire crossing

Did a quick wander up the Reaves track to point 629m, then returned to Tutuwai for  food, beer, and whisky. Enjoyed a fine meal from Japan, wish we could buy these in NZ.

Yummy food from Japan

Sunday 04/05/2014
Mornings entertainment was this massive pack and its exit from the hut.

How not to pack...

Left the hut and headed up the Tauherenikau Track to Cone Hut for a density check. Nope no density.

Cone Hut

Then back down the river and up Bull Mound.

View from 1048m on way to Bull Mound

In the open

View of the palains

Headed down Marchant ridge and down Block XVI and along the track to just past Smith Creek. A fresh crop of wood ear fungus, good for food tea.

Auricularia corea?

Auricularia cornea?

 Up to the ridge again and then down to  Kiwi Ranch, car and a drive back to Wellington.

Sunday was a blast, covered 23.4 km and did just 1763 of up and 1760 of down over nine hours.

Trip Times
Saturday 03/05/2014
1200 Left Kiwi Ranch car park
1226 Top of Dobson Loop
1327 At Smiths Creek
1340 The one wire
1344 The bigger bridge
1522 At Tutuwai hut
Total Time: 3h22m
Sunday 04/05/2014
0854 Left Tutuwai hut
0859 Omega turnoff
0936 Bull Mound turnoff
0946 Cone hut
0954 Across the river on way up Bull Mound
1215 Marchant Ridge
1222 Lunch
1247 Off again...
1254 Tutuwai turnoff
1333 Block XVI track
1428 At the river
1558 Smiths Creek
1715 On Marchant Ridge
1831 Car at Kiwi Ranch
Total Walk Time:9h5m

Map of Trip
Well its sort of a map if google with topo overlays counts. The red is Sundays wander.

Red is Sunday

Elevation Profile

Density Report
The only two huts I visited, Cone and Tutuwai; and they be density free.