Cross Club Ruahine Ranging

This trip is guaranteed to involve the following:

Lots of chocolate (in both easter egg and alternate forms)

Mountain views

Cool huts

A few cheeky bush bashes

Tops travel

Great desserts (I have recently discovered that banoffee pie makes an excellent tramping dessert)

A wee bit of scrambling

A treasure hunt

AUTC (Auckland Uni Tramping Club memebers)

Are you into hug bagging? Easter egg hunts? Off-track tops travel? Our Ruahines Easter trip has this holy trinity and more! We are heading into the Ruahine ranges with the Auckland Uni Tramping Club this April and are looking to coax a few VUWTC members over to the dark side. 

We will be heading down from Auckland and doing a 4 day mish in the Ranges, hopefully including Sawtooth Ridge in a loop from Renfrew Road end (near Rangiwahia Hut). People from Wellington can drive up to meet us.

Depending on how many VUWTCers are keen, there are two options:

1. (Default option) One or two people from VUWTC join us AUTCers in one big group for the 4 days.

2. Two groups, one from AUTC  and one from VUWTC and we meet at a hut halfway. This will require a VUWTC member willing to take charge of organising/leading this group. 

Both of these options will be dependent on VUWTC members being able to sus transport to the track end (we will help facilitate this where we can when going through any expressions of interest).

If this Easter inspired scheme has grabbed your attention, or better yet your enthusiasm, you sound like exactly who we are looking for! Have a read below for details of the plan and how to get in touch if you are keen. (We have very limited spaces so get in quick!).

The Rough Plan (i.e. what AUTC is doing):

6th April

Meet and drive most of the way to the track end 

7th April

Drive the rest of the way to Renfrew Road end and walk in to Longview Hut via Iron Gate Hut (9hrs).

8th April

Longview Hut to Tarn Bivvy (6hrs).

9th April

Tarn Bivvy to Triangle hut via Black Ridge and Sawtooth Ridge (9hrs).

10th April

Triangle Hut to road end via Rangiwahia Hut (6hrs).

Map stuff:

Day 1: Red 

Day 2: Green

Day 3: Orange

Day 4: Blue

Things to note

• The times provided are estimates only. 

• This route is highly weather dependent and subject to change. We will make final route decisions in the week leading up to the trip however will try and remain in the Ruahine/Kaweka (if they are open)/Kaimanawa mountains.

• Bush bashing and off track tops travel is involved in the chosen route.

• There will be significant elevation gain/loss each day.

• Fear not if you have heard tales of the Ruahine leatherwood, we will be doing all we can to avoid it because that shit hurts.

• Costs will depend on the final group size but a rough estimate is maybe around $60 for transport and group dinners. 

• Further details will be provided once trip members are confirmed.

Keen to come?

Email me at hollyanne33j@gmail.com with your tramping experience (especially with bush bashing, tops travel and longish days), why you’re keen to come, whether you have transport there (i.e. have a car), whether you are keen to lead a VUWTC group, and all that fun stuff. Please only email expressing interest if you have experience with trips of similar difficulty as we have limited spaces. Feel free to email through any questions as well, I’m always keen for a chat!

Cheers,

Jack & Holly