Leader & Scribe: Sue Henley
This trip was initially supposed to take place in November but was cancelled due to unsuitable weather. Unfortunately, the hut on Waitangi weekend was booked out well in advance and as a result only three of us set off.
The forecast for the Saturday was for moderate winds with the odd shower so there was some consideration given to travelling the Speargrass route
However, when we got to Mt Robert car park the air was still with some low cloud. A decision was quickly made to go via the high route and after a short grunt up the Pinchgut Track, we reached the top. Here, the clothing layers quickly began to go back on. We stopped at the shelter for a quick break before continuing along the ridge, into the wind and cold soaking rain. It was miserable and the views non-existent; rest breaks were short, and after four hours we were rather pleased to smell the smoke and see the hut. The hut was about half full at this stage with plenty of Kiwis in the mix; quite a few of them local.
The next morning dawned bright and beautiful with hardly a breath of wind and it took little persuasion to head for Angelus Peak. After a short sharp climb we reached the top to be rewarded by stunning views all round, reaching the top was a special first for one member so after several photos and congratulations we eventually headed back down to the hut for refreshments. Some fit young men were taking a skinny-dip as we headed up to the ridge One young lady in our group suddenly needed lots of rest stops. (I think she also had a pair of binoculars stashed in her pack!) We made our way back along the ridge towards Mt Robert car park. On the way home, we passed lots of tourists and families heading towards Angelus
– the hut was going to be busy that night for sure.
It was a very enjoyable weekend. Thank you to both Kate and Liz for the great company.