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After chatting with the staff at the info centre at Whapakapapa Village we decided not to risk an unnecessary turn around if the river was indeed too high, and instead parked at the village and walked into the hut via the Bruce Road. We have been coming to Whakapapa to ski since we were in our teens, yet this is the first time we had both walked up the Bruce Road. It was one of those misty, cold, wet days where you couldn’t see the mountain, actually you couldn’t see very far ahead of you in any direction. From the start of the track just past scoria flat it was another 3km or so to the hut and by then the rain had stopped and the mist was lifting somewhat. Coming into the track from the upper access wasn’t what we had planned but we happily traversed across the undulating rocky terrain before climbing to the highest point on the trail. As we reached the crest, we were literally stopped dead in our tracks by the view that opened in front of us. Waterfalls cascaded down sheer cliffs from the slopes of Ruapehu into the Whakapapaiti Valley below. It was an incredible sight. We sat in awe of what was less than an hour’s walk from the place we had been visiting for over 40 years. From the crest of the trail it was another half an hour or so down a steep slope via a succession of switchbacks to the turnoff to the Whakapapaiti Valley Track and another half hour to the hut. As we dropped in elevation, the terrain changed from bare rocks to mountain beech trees that had taken hold alongside the tributaries of the Whakapapaiti Stream. It was here that the hut was located, an 18-bunk spacious serviced hut with a great fire and an even greater deck with views up towards Mt Ruapehu and the cascading waterfalls. After a relaxing lunch we headed down to check out the river, and were glad that we had chosen the upper access as we were unable to find a safe crossing. Hiking in early November, we encountered only one person on the trail and had the hut to ourselves. There was a certain freedom to having the valley all to ourselves, including a skinny dip in one of the waterfalls only minutes from the hut, secure in the fact that we wouldn’t see another person for a while yet. So, you can imagine our surprise when we woke around 5.30am to the sound of voices. Peeking out the hut door we saw two guys running past the hut, stopping for a quick stretch before taking off again. They were running the Round the Mountain Track, being picked up later in the day by their dutiful partners. Although impressed with this level of fitness and commitment, we could not help but wonder what they missed along the way by running the whole thing in one day, however, each to their own. Previous page: One of the good things about hiking in the rain was the abundant waterfalls Above: Looking out from the crest of the hill not far from Scoria Flat Top Left: Whakapapaiti Hut / Top Right: The start of the Whakapapaiti Track above Scoria Flat
Top: What a differnece a day makes Second row left to right: Always heed the warnings when it comes to river crossings Our delicious dinner, Backcountry Cuisine, Roast Chicken The faces say it all, stoked that the sun has come out and the river level had dropped so we were able to cross the river and hike out down the valley Left: The impressive Whakapapaiti Valley ADVENTUREMAGAZINE.CO.NZ//41
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