Mt Taranaki is iconic. One cone shaped mountain with a snowy peak, and the Pouakai Range sloping from it's west side down toward the Tasman Sea, is what the skyline is famous for.
The caveat? As the local saying goes "If you can see the mountain, it's going to rain. If you can't see the mountain, it's raining already!" So when I put a hut and hiking trip on the list of things for Mark to experience in New Zealand, I knew that plan was weather dependent and the experience would itself would be conditional on how amazing the views might be while hiking.
The route:
Leaving the trail head at Mangorei Rd in the early afternoon of December 26th, my dad drove us and indeed hiked with us for the first part of the trail, which we appreciated so much. This was my first time on this particular trail and we were headed for Pouakai Hut - also a first for me.
We hiked steadily uphill and there were times it felt like the steps would never end. The air was muggy and the forest gradually decreased in height. Three hours later Mark and I reached a bustling hut and were relieved to find that most of those people were day-trippers with no plans to stay over. Pouakai Hut is located in the Pouakai Range. It features 2 bunkrooms with beds for 16-20 people in total and a shared common area with wood burning stove, counter space and community dining tables. Outside there is a nice wee deck that is perfect for hanging out and catching the last rays of the day and of course, a good place to leave those hot, damp hiking boots! Rain water collects from the roof into barrels and is available for cooking, drinking and washing up - Boil first! There are a couple of compostable (?) port-a-loos too.
We picked a room that was unoccupied as of yet, then went exploring. Five minutes further up the track was the first sensational view....
15 minutes up the track was one of the reasons we had come to this particular spot. The Tarns. A small pond perfectly positioned to capture the view of Mt Taranaki and it's reflection if the clouds departed, the wind died down and the other people didn't monkey around with the surface of the pond!
We got lucky. VERY LUCKY. And enjoyed the early evening light as we photographed Mt Taranaki.
The next day, having chatted with a National Park employee and consulting various maps and signs, we opted to take the lower route back to Egmont Visitor Center, where we were to be picked up.
The track took us back past The Tarns, to Henry Peak.
Then it dove back into the native forest and for the next 5 hours (including cheese and crackers breaks!) we trekked up and down ridges, across rivers, through mud. Our backpacks slowly adding discomfort to our feet.
What an experience, eh?! It goes without saying that we were happy to see my mom/Sandra and her sister, Kathryn at the road when the track finally spat us out. A shower and some more left over Xmas food was waiting at home... Mmmm.
Were we sore the next day? Heck yes! And the next day... and the day after that too.
And so, our first New Year's Resolution was born. Get back in shape or trekking in Nepal is not going to be pretty. :-(
The caveat? As the local saying goes "If you can see the mountain, it's going to rain. If you can't see the mountain, it's raining already!" So when I put a hut and hiking trip on the list of things for Mark to experience in New Zealand, I knew that plan was weather dependent and the experience would itself would be conditional on how amazing the views might be while hiking.
The route:
Leaving the trail head at Mangorei Rd in the early afternoon of December 26th, my dad drove us and indeed hiked with us for the first part of the trail, which we appreciated so much. This was my first time on this particular trail and we were headed for Pouakai Hut - also a first for me.
We hiked steadily uphill and there were times it felt like the steps would never end. The air was muggy and the forest gradually decreased in height. Three hours later Mark and I reached a bustling hut and were relieved to find that most of those people were day-trippers with no plans to stay over. Pouakai Hut is located in the Pouakai Range. It features 2 bunkrooms with beds for 16-20 people in total and a shared common area with wood burning stove, counter space and community dining tables. Outside there is a nice wee deck that is perfect for hanging out and catching the last rays of the day and of course, a good place to leave those hot, damp hiking boots! Rain water collects from the roof into barrels and is available for cooking, drinking and washing up - Boil first! There are a couple of compostable (?) port-a-loos too.
We got lucky. VERY LUCKY. And enjoyed the early evening light as we photographed Mt Taranaki.
The next day, having chatted with a National Park employee and consulting various maps and signs, we opted to take the lower route back to Egmont Visitor Center, where we were to be picked up.
The track took us back past The Tarns, to Henry Peak.
Then it dove back into the native forest and for the next 5 hours (including cheese and crackers breaks!) we trekked up and down ridges, across rivers, through mud. Our backpacks slowly adding discomfort to our feet.
What an experience, eh?! It goes without saying that we were happy to see my mom/Sandra and her sister, Kathryn at the road when the track finally spat us out. A shower and some more left over Xmas food was waiting at home... Mmmm.
Were we sore the next day? Heck yes! And the next day... and the day after that too.
And so, our first New Year's Resolution was born. Get back in shape or trekking in Nepal is not going to be pretty. :-(
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