Waikato Tramping Club is going to hold a festival of Tramping and see how much we can fit into the Easter weekend. We will have tramps arranged for all fitness levels from ‘Coffee and a good book’, to Easy, Medium and Fit. We are keeping the programme flexible to accommodate the weather, and the wishes of the trampers, but
an indicative programme is that we will travel down to the mountain on Thursday night, leaving at the usual time of 7.00pm and set up. This will give us plenty of time to do everything. Some options may even be offered twice during the weekend. The following trips are suggested and selection will depend on weather, snow and inclination.
Easy trips
1. Silica Rapids – dropped off at track entrance on Bruce Rd, past rapids, down to Whakapapa Village (could look in at Visitor Centre) then on down the Whakapapaiti river banks to below the Chateau (watch out for blue ducks and mistletoe); picked up here or back up road to Chateaux. ½ day.
2. Taranaki Falls from Village, do the loop. ½ day.
3. Knoll Ridge You can follow the T-bar up Knoll Ridge from the Café or climb up the Gut to the west of the ridge, or climb to the top of the ridge by sidling up from The Valley.
4. Pehi Wall (also known as Ruapehu Crags)
Medium trips
1. Stanton Memorial – out from Hut across slope and back ½ day, or carry on down slope to Whakapapaiti Valley/Hut and back along round the mountain track to Bruce Rd pickup - for a full day trip.
2. Tama Lakes and back. Could walk over Meads Wall or start at Village.
3. Tongariro Alpine Crossing. Current situation is that the track is closed from the junction to the Oturere track (Emerald lakes) through past the Ketetahi hut. We could go up to Emerald lakes from Mangetepopo and
return.
Fit trips:
1. Ngaruahoe and Tongariro circuit
2. Ruapehu; Pinnacles ridge and amphitheatre
Current situation is that a circle of 2km around the peak is closed due to level of activity – but we could do a trip up to the Pinnacle Ridge and return.
Contact John McArthur 8564394 for further details.