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Powell Hut
he Thursday before we were due to go tramping in the Tararuas, I’m sure all the members of the group had second thoughts about our destination. Wellington was
By Kate Hunter
were enough woollies and raincoats to withstand anything. turning orr-a weather tantrum: horizontal and torrential rain, hail in short, sharp bursts, and icy blasts off the snow. Our “Easy” trip from Holdsworth roadend to Powell Hut was not looking enormously appealing; however, a little sun on Friday seemed to encourage everyone to turn up. By the size of everyone's packs it looked like there
I’m glad to say we didn’t need all the storm gear. Saturday morning was a little drizzly, which did turn to hail after gaining alittle altitude, but overall it was not as cold as it could have been and the climb managed to keep -us all fairly warm. Imust say that there were one or two in our party who did confirm my (Australian) suspicion that
7-9 July 1995
Kiwi trampers are mad - what temperature does it have to be before some trampers cover those bare and freezing legs? The track to Mountairr House is like a bicycle path (in width and evenness, if not in gradient), and the beech forest is spectacular. Young saplings are banded and speckled, shedding silvery bark and tiny leaves in the gusty wind. Older trees stand positively festooned with mosses and lichens in an enormous range of textures and shades of green. Fungi of all manner of size, shape and colour dotted fallen logs and hollows between tree roots. The snow and ice wasa solid ground cover from just below Mountain House, adding to the picturesqueness of the open forest.
There was slightly less admiring of my surroundings going on as we pushed up from Mountain House to Powell Hut. The track is much steeper and much more typical of Tararua tracks - sloshy, and lots of clambering over tree roots. It was still a remarkable landscape, and clearing the bushline and climbing onto the ridge, whilst not affording any: views owing to the mist, was wonderfully exposed and was an enjoyable, if strenuous, scramble through the snow.
Powell Hut is palatial! This impression was indeed heightened by the fact that the fire had been going for some days and it was very warm and dry! There was hot water on the stove (thank you, Masterton Tramping Club) and lots of comfortable beds. Our main problem seemed to be finding something to talk about or do until it was late enough to go to bed!
The trip down was aninitial scramble-
slide-slip owing to the few more centimetres of snow whichhad fallen the night before, but it was great fun. And from Mountain House it was a gentle run back to the carpark. it was a terrific tramp - great for the winter tramper! Thanks to Pat). fora good lead and congratulations on a great maiden voyage (I don’t think we traumatised her too much, so she may lead another trip yet!). And we all promise not to speculate on why she spent her 12th wedding anniversary with thirteen of us up a mountain in the snow and not with her husband!
The Medium Trip...