t231

Hihikiwi Track

Hihikiwi Track是一值得推薦的步道 沿途有很不錯的森林景觀 兩段boardwalk極美 尤其Hut是到Cone的一段 有極濃密的苔蘚 更是驚艷 但週六的Hihikiwi Track登山蠻艱難 因前兩天下大雨 沿途佈滿泥淖 處處陷阱 因此費時近8.5 Hours 比以前的記錄7 Hours 多出近1.5 hours 除了兩條boardwalk 其他都要繃緊神經低頭前進 有些人掉進泥淖 或太專注地面 撞到樹幹 眼冒金星 更不消說腳陷泥坑 還真不容易拔出 狀況連連 被多數當日參加登山的人列為不受歡迎步道 但個人仍推薦此一步道 But a good weather is the must to enjoy its beauty!

all walk to The Cone (953m) and a few also walk to the Pirongia Summit (959m) 

the first section of track climbs steeply via a series of steps

a stedy climb at the beginning

forest is dense and primitive

the ferns growing up to the tree trunk

many serious muddy sections

(photo from Jane and Eric)

非常多處爛泥 不小心還會深陷到腳踝 行走不易

need to negotiate over sprawling tree roots and boulders

abundance of ferns, mosses and lichens covered plants

高度越高 苔蘚越濃密

wonderful elevated boardwalk

Hihikiwi Lookout (900m)

挑高的boardwalk(elevated boardwalk)想相當長

 Hikikiwi Lookout到Pahautea Hut長達千米

good view from the lookout

boardwalk 景觀迷人

極佳視野

boardwalk沿著多處很大坡度的山谷建造 非常獨特

Pahautea Hut (800 m) - a new hut and can sleep up to 40 people

lunch time

walking to The Cone

這一段步道有極濃密的苔蘚 更是驚艷

The Cone, our destination, in the front

The Cone (953m)

great view from The Cone

group photo

(photo from Jane and Eric)

group photo

t230

Stanton Memorial Loop Walk

The last 6 members left for the Tongariro National Park Summer Tramping 2016 finish the last day walking. 

It's an interesting walking, very rough terrain, lots of massive rocks and waterfalls and most important is to recall the significance Stanton Memorial rock. Most off-track and about impossible to finish it if without the GPS information from Taupo Tramping Club.

starting from the Round The Mountain Track carpark

off-track through some very rough terrain

(photo from Jane and Eric)

distinctive bluff

(photo from Jane and Eric)

group photo

seeing waterfalls after not long walking

several times walking down to the vellay and climbing up to the ridge

several waterfalls on the way

(photo from Jane and Eric)

standing at a good lookout point

distinctive rock formation

large rocks

Thanks trampers setting up the cairn for guidence

approaching the Stanton Memorial rock

Stanton Memorial rock

Memorial plaque

having group photo in front of the Stanton Memorial rock to recall Warwick Stanton who passed this way in August 1931 aged 18 years.
The history is:

In August 1931, 14 university students set out from the Chateau Tongariro in fine weather to climb Mt Ruapehu. Blizzard conditions struck while they were at the summit and they descended into the Whakapapaiti Gorge instead of the Whakapapa Valley. The party spent a night sheltering near the rock and then split into three groups. Warwick Stanton and a companion set out to get help, but Warwick eventually succumbed to exhaustion: his body was later found many kilometres west of the Chateau and a memorial that reads ‘In proud and affectionate memory of Warwick Stanton who passed this way in August 1931. Aged 18 years’ marks this spot. The others in the party, some of whom spent three nights on the mountain, all survived.

lots of waterfalls

series of waterfalls

distinctive rock formation

spectacular waterfalls

crossing Whakapapaiti Stream then connect the Round The Mountain Track

a grunt up the zig zags and some valleys then returning to the car park