Te Araroa: Egmont National Park

10.12.2019 Day 51 (0km)

It may have been a zero day, but it wasn’t a rest day. I spent the morning at the library, then made a split second decision to hop on a bus to New Plymouth to do a bit of off-trail hiking. I’ll be making up a few kilometers around Mt Taranaki, which is not a part of the Te Araroa, before heading back to Taumarunui to do the 42nd Traverse and Tongariro Crossing. Hopefully, by then the weather will have improved. 

Day’s Highlights: Having a lie in this morning. 

11.12.2019 Day 52 (10km)

We made a hitching sign, unsure if it would help or hinder our efforts to reach the North Egmont Visitor Center at the base of Mt Taranaki. It took about an hour, but we finally had some luck and caught a lift with a mum and her son. They weren’t heading to the mountain, but they loved it so much and were so excited for us to experience it, that they offered to take us all the way. 

We thanked them profusely and had a leisurely lunch before starting our climb through fern forests and out into the barren, low-bush landscape. The sun lavished its rays on us as we lost our breath in the endless ascent. Our intended goal was a hut, but after seeing the lovely shelter at the ski fields, we decided to call it an early day and enjoy the views. 

Day’s Highlights: The view and not dying in a rock slip where I might have fallen

12.12.2019 Day 53 (11km)

The rocks slid beneath my left foot, carrying it down the hill, while my right leg attempted to hold firm. Next thing I knew I was grabbing at the fragmented stones with my hands, trying to halt my downward momentum. I let out a little cry of panic as the slipping came to a stop. It was only one kilometer of climbing, one kilometer and over 400m of elevation gain (1,200+ feet in less than a mile). I found myself wishing for stairs, boulders, anything but the scree shifting below me. 

Despite the altitude, I wasn’t breathing heavily…well, I was, but not from exertion. At one point the thought of having to climb back down in the morning almost had me turning around. Yet, I knew I would regret it at the bottom, and probably never forgive myself. So, I dug my poles in deeper and kept moving forward. 

It took about an hour and a half, and when I reached Fantham’s Peak all my regrets blew away with the wind. The hut kneeled at the side of Mt Taranaki, whose slopes were ribboned with snow. The sky was at its bluest against the steel and white peak, and misty clouds drifted in to pay their respects to the dormant volcano. 

I didn’t need the summit of the larger mountain. I was content with my climb and my view, gazing down over the river we had crossed that morning and the quilt of farmland that extended out towards the distant Mt. Ruapehu. 

Day’s Highlights: The view from Fantham’s Peak

13.12.2019 Day 54 (22km)

To my surprise and relief, I survived the steep descent down Fantham’s Peak. After only falling once, we continued our journey across the barren ridges, down deep gullies, and back up the windswept cliffs. Eventually, the foliage transitioned to fern forests and moss-riddled trees. 

At times I felt spoiled by the easy-going bridges over rivers and mud. Other moments, however, I would look at the trail and exclaim aloud, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Like when there was an eight foot drop with one foothold and I almost fell forward over my pack trying to shimmy down. 

Once I was safely down, I looked across a ravine at Robin and yelled, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” He laughed and told me he hadn’t gone that way; he had avoided the steep climb and descent all together by cutting across at a lower point.

Later, in the forest, there was a five foot drop…I’m only 5’7” so it was a bit too far to hop. I sat on the edge and eased myself over until I felt a sudden unpleasant tug. My underwear and shorts had gotten caught on a knob sticking out of a root. I straighten my arms to push myself higher, but it wasn’t enough to get unhooked. 

I only had one pair of shorts and I was not prepared to rip them. My feet scrambled at the muddy slope next to me, futility trying to get a secure hold. I glanced around, how the heck was I going to get high enough to unhook my shorts. Then I noticed the tree a little above me; it was narrow enough to wrap my hand around. After a bit more scrambling I managed to reach up, grab the tree, use my other hand to free my clothes, and then drop down to solid ground. I paused for a second before turning around to look at the tree root. 

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I shook my head and continued on. If only someone had been around to record the whole thing. 

Day’s Highlights: Sunrise on top of Fantham’s Peak.

14.12.2019 Day 55 (20km)

One of the most unpleasant sensations is realizing you are lost, with no reception, on the edge of a treacherous river, in the pouring rain. Somewhere along the way, I must have missed a marker, because the only way forward involved swimming, which was not in the trail description.

I backtracked to the last marker and realized it was pointing across the river not up, although there were no markers on the opposite bank. Once I was on the other side, I stood there yelling, “Trail marker please show yourself.” 

A minute later a guy named Philip appeared; I don’t know if he had heard me yelling and really didn’t care. I was just glad to see another human being. 

Before getting lost the track had not been easy. I had walked through tree tunnels so thick I had to push my full weight against them to get through. There had been a section of boulders, where I felt like a kid playing “the ground is lava.” I had gone up ladders, hoisted myself down drops, rolled over my ankle to fall back on my bum, and seriously questioned my sanity. Essentially, it had not been easy-going but it had been one hell of an adventure, and it wasn’t even eleven in the morning. 

Philip had been on several hikes in the area and pointed me in the direction of the next trail marker. It wasn’t far to Holly Hut, where I planned to lunch, but I took a quick detour to Bells Falls. After that, the trail was almost laughably easy compared to the morning, being composed predominantly of boardwalks and manmade stairs.

After claiming a bunk at Pouakai Hut and making a few new friends, I walked down to sit by the tarns and wait for the clouds over Taranaki to clear. As I sat on the boardwalk exhaustion took over and I was relieved to be done with the day.

Day’s Highlights: All the times I looked at the track and said aloud, “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.”

15.12.2019 Day 56 (17km)

The clouds parted just enough to expose the peak of Mt Taranaki. It was one of those beautiful moments in nature that inspire tears to come to your eyes. I could have lingered to see if the clouds continued to dissipate, but I was tired and anxious to  finish my trek round the mountain. 

Initially, the way was more of the well-maintained track like the day prior. Eventually, nature took over, leaving me with root hopping and mud dodging. Although, I have to say it was NOTHING compared to what I had covered the two previous days. 

Near the end, I had the option to take the 45 minute road route or the 1.5 hour track to the Visitor Center. I’ll be honest, I was already spent, but why take the road when there is a path through nature? Silly me…the road path would have continued gradually uphill. The route I chose began with a steep decline down stairs and ladders, then across a small stream and straight back up the opposite side via root ladders and rock scrambles. Each time I came up over a ridge I hoped it would be the last, but there was always another down and up. 

At long last I saw a sign at the top of a hill, indicating the end of the path. I trotted down to the North Egmont Visitor Center and sat on a couch, drinking a soy mocha, while I waited for Paul and Paule, two German guys I had met at the hut, to finish the trail. They had been kind enough to offer me a lift back into Whanganui. 

Day’s Highlights: The soy mocha, and chilling with the Paul(e)’s on the banks of the river with beer and pizza. 

16.12.2019 Day 57 to 18.12.2019 Day 59 (0km)

Over the past three days I’ve had a business day, catching up on my blog, resupplying, and cleaning some gear. I treated myself to the cinema to see Frozen II, was the only adult in there without children. To my surprise, I ran into some friends I made while hiking in Egmont National Park and we decided to meet at a pub to catch up.

Then I took the bus back to Taumarunui to start the section of the TA that I skipped due to weather. Part of the reason I took three zero days was to rest, but mostly I was trying to avoid bad weather. There is still some rain in the forecast, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a clear day during the Tongariro Crossing. 

Days’ Highlights: Running into all the friends.