Mt Hikurangi, January 2013

This trip was a while ago, but was a superb one. 

Being from Gisborne, I'd always wanted to tackle Mt Hikurangi on the East Coast. Hikurangi is a striking peak, and I think it is one of the North Island's most distinct mountains, and a classic climb that every tramper should attempt. It's about half an hour's drive inland from Ruatoria, which is about 1 3/4 hours drive North East of Gisborne. 

At 1754m, it's the highest non-volcanic peak in the North Island, and a relative outlier from the main Raukumara Range, which forms part of the main spine of mountains stretching from the Rimutakas to the East Cape.

Unfortunately, most of the track (distance wise) up to Hikuarangi is across a sheep and beef farm, but this does mean that the peak can be reached relatively quickly and simply. Of course there's the option to walk up the farm track, but Ngati Porou (the farm owners) also offer the option to be driven up the farm track to the hut at the border of the Raukumara Forest Park. However, this does come at the hefty price of $200.

Completing the climb with my uncle, who had a sore knee, meant that we opted for the drive up to the hut. Although I felt lazy and as if it were cheating to get a ride up to the hut, if my uncle was getting a ride, I may as well too! It also meant that we could complete the trip in a day. We may have been able to do this regardless, with just day packs, but it would have meant a 9 hour day. Not that appealing on a day in January in the East Coast sun.

The views from the hut, only five minutes walk from the end of the 4WD track, are fantastic. 

Whanakao, with the Eastern Bay of Plenty in the background

The peaks around Hikurangi, and Hikurangi itself, are quite something. They appear as giant monoliths, seemingly out of nowhere. 

The hut (1200m), known as the 'Gisborne Canoe and Tramping Club Hut', and built by the club of the same name, is a short walk from the end of the farm track, just on the border of the Forest Park. It's not a particularly well cared for hut, with bits of the roof lining hanging down, holes in the mattresses and only a few patches of wood covering the exterior corrugated iron, but I kinda like it. Although the hut is rather lonely in a barren paddock, and not even in the bush, it still feels as though you're away from everything. It is probably one of the most isolated huts in New Zealand, being far away from any population centre. The sheer distance required to even get to the carpark to the hut gives it an immediate feeling of isolation. 

The longdrop is horrendous, with a door that doesn't close properly. 

The Raukumara Forest Park is a true wilderness area. The route (most of the way up) Hikurangi is the only track in the entire park, so travelling elsewhere within the park would be a true navigational and physical challenge.

The track climbs steeply from behind the hut, through a grassy patch with regenerating bush on the sides. 

The views on the way up are just fantastic. It's an amazingly clear day, with not a cloud to be seen anywhere.

Looking out to Wharekia, with Ruatoria and the East Coast behind, about 150m elevation above the hut

After a short section of stunted mountain beech trees, we emerge onto the tussock and the gradient eases off as we walk on the flanks of Hikurangi, behind it.

We pass a tarn, framed by remains of dead leatherwood. The tarn and surrounding alpine vegetation must be the Northern-most in New Zealand, and so this area is quite significant botanically. Despite this, I feel no more partial to my encounters with speargrass on the way up. If anything, its sharp jabs seem more arrogant than usual. 

After a steep section of scree, we reach a big gully for the final push to the top.

Steep section of scree on the flanks of Hikurangi

Bottom of the steep gully

The track/ route from the hut, up to the gully is poled and isn't difficult to follow at all. But there are no markers after you reach the gully, which is VERY steep, with lots of loose rock. But at least you can see the top of the gully in the distance, so there is a clear goal to aim for. In snow conditions, this gully would be quite an undertaking. 

At the top of the gully, the views of the East Coast once again emerge, and we can see the summit. Quite a reward after scrambling up that gully!

Aorangi with Ruatoria in the distance

The summit, with trig station

But the final section is probably the worst bit of the whole climb. There's an area (of which I didn't photograph), where you have to scale the side of the cliff, clinging onto vegetation, with a steep 1500m drop below. This is on the upper rocky knob in the photograph, just before you get to the knob with the trig on it. My heart is definitely pounding, but the adrenalin from seeing the summit so close gets me through it.

At the summit!

Whanakao from the summit

I've never before experienced a view as complete as the one we get from the summit. We can see the entire East Cape of New Zealand, stretching from Opotiki in the Bay of Plenty, down to Gisborne at the bottom of the East Coast. It's really special to be able to see such a large and distinctly shaped part of New Zealand in its entirely. It makes you realise just how small New Zealand really it. It's quite something.

We don't linger at the summit long. It's very windy, and I really want to get that cliff scaling section over and done with before I can start to relax on the climb down. 

We stop at the hut for lunch on the way out. By this time my brother and sister are really feeling the day's efforts. They had the beginnings of the flu the day before the climb, and for them the carpark just can't come soon enough.

The walk down the 4WD farm track is long, very hot, and tedious, but we make steady progress. I think the encounters with some staunch looking bulls in the paddocks give us an additional reason to keep the pace up. I look back to the mountain quite a bit on the way down. It's quite satisfying having climbed Hikurangi, and being able to look back on the achievement. We soon roll up at the Ruatoria Four Square for all those food items we'd been thinking about on the way down. Ice cream, ice cold coke. A pie. 

Back in Gisborne, I shared some pictures of the trip with my great-grandmother. Her next door neighbour popped around and mentioned that he had climbed Hikurangi some 30 times, but had never been on the mountain and had the weather conditions to offer the clear 360 degree views that we had received on our first climb up the mountain! 

Approx timings:

Carpark to Hut: 3.5hrs
Hut to summit: 2hrs
Summit to hut: 1.5hrs
Hut to road end/ carpark: 2.5hrs