TRAMPERS CROSS TARARUAS

Chronicle (Levin), 6 November 1947, Page 4

TRAMPERS CROSS TARARUAS

TRYING WEATHER MET WITH BY LEVIN PARTY A successful crossing of the Tararua Ranges from the Otaki Forks to Pakaratahi, near Upper Hutt, was made by a party of four members .of the Levin-Waiopehu Tramping Club last weekemd. Before arriving at Kime Hut bad weather and deep snow was encountered, and by the time Field's Peak was reached visibility was reduced to a few yards of swirling mi'st and snow, driven on a bitterly cold south-easterly wind. On.top of Mt. Hector (5016 ft.), the highest point on the route, which was reached at noon on Saturday, the party commenced the long trek through soft snow to Alpha Hut on the bushline. They reached the hut five and a-half hours later. Here they rested for two hours and continued on to Tauherenikau Hut by moonlight. The Alpha Ridge lay under some four feet of snow, which caused considerable difficulty, and it was not until midnight that the party crossed Omega and quickly descended out of the snow. The descent to the Tauherenikau River was made via the new Omega Track. Tauherenikau Hut was reached at daylight, 22 hours after leaving Field's Hut. Two hours' walk later in the morning brought the party to the main road at Pakaratahi at 2 p.m. They returned to Levin by train and bus on Sunday evening after a trip which, in good weather, is through some of the most beautiful country in the Tararua Ranges.