Thread: Ruahine Tops Monday Week - Anyone Keen?

I gps marked the spot photos were taken so I could get a clear day shot, didn't take a photo today, used Sunday nights one, but it was the same lol. But this is it without cloud


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Where's the pic's of the Deer?

Originally Posted by Shootm

Where's the pic's of the Deer?

Originally Posted by craigc

Thats some bloody nice improved pasture for tops public land

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Thats some bloody nice improved pasture for tops public land

45 years of me carting grass seed up there is at last taking an effect.

Trip report: It was cloudy. Oh and I am unfit.

Originally Posted by Dorkus

Trip report: It was cloudy. Oh and I am unfit.

LOL, you got broken hehe

Ok so now that I have had enough time on the couch to recover I will regale you with great tales of adventure, adversity, heroism, glory and triumph... Well not really.

I arrived at the Renfrew Road carpark at just after 10am on Monday. After lacing my boots and shouldering my pack headed off up Deadman's track thinking it would be a pleasant 2 hour stroll up to the tarns to meet CraigC, HNTMAD and Flicka. 13 steps in and I was a panting sweaty mess, 10 minutes in and in hot mess I passed a couple on their way down - They weren't sure whether to call an ambulance or try and talk me out of the climb. Heroically, I pressed on. 3 hours later, half naked, blistered and on the verge of collapse I stumbled through the tussock over a crest and into the boys' camp. A sleek canine Eva growled a welcome at me as I approached and crumpled in front of Craig (a great first impression I'm sure). Not long after HNTMAD and Flicka returned from their tramp with great stories of deerless landscapes, bad wind and other such excuses.
We enjoyed what would turn out to be the last few hours of actual sunshine as HNTMAD gave me the glassing 101 and Craig and Flick had a nap to the soundtrack of duelling chainsaws. A plan was hatched for HNTMAD and Craig to glass the valley closest to camp and Flicka and I would head south a bit (turned out to be heaps). With a thick blanket of cloud rolling in and our fingers crossed we set off in our different directions and the first thing I noticed was that Flicka was leading me down, as in straight down... A lot. After losing about 300m in elevation we sidled round to a beautiful big head basin filled with cloud. We sat down and began glassing what little bits of the basin we could see below the cloud, not long after sitting down we spotted a hind below us and on the next spur over. I pulled out my new range finder and ranged her at 251yds (even I should be able to shoot that!) whilst discussing how we might go about retrieving her after the shot she made her way out of cover and revealed a young fawn.
With the hind being a no go we continued to sidle round the basin trying to get some visibility to no avail and with light fading quickly we decided to head back to camp. I don't know how to describe the walk back to camp other than to say I would rather slam my D*** in a car door than do it again in a hurry. A combination of already being knackered from the walk up, dehydration and a lack of sustenance (turns out a pie, a coke and a mussel bar is not sufficient for that kind of activity) meant I couldn't manage more than a few minutes of uphill before collapsing in a pile of shit to get myself together. What should have been a more than manageable hour long walk took 2 and a half painful hours. We arrived back at camp, scoffed a feed and collapsed into our tents.
Daylight came and revealed no change from the grey cloud blanketing the whole area, the wind was blowing souwesterly and cold. To make the others' decision even easier it was drizzling intermittently. After breakfast the other three packed up and went home, leaving me all on my lonesome but with assurance that the weather was on the improve and I should get some hunting in that evening and the next morning.
By 5pm the weather had deteriorated to constant rain and 40kts of SW wind, yay! I packed up camp and headed up Mangahuia with the intent of camping somewhere between the Rangi junction and the ridge down to Triangle. As I made my way up the wind got stronger, the rain got harder and the temperature dropped. By now it was 6pm and there were no signs of anything getting better any time soon so I decided to pull pin and head for the shelter of the hut.
An hour later I was sitting down in front of a warm fire with a cup of coffee and a backcountry meal brewing.
Four young ladies who had just finished school for the last time ever had made the climb up the hill to spend the night in the hut as a last adventure together before heading off to different universities kept me company for the evening.
Next morning was still cloudy with no chance of any glassing so after breakfast I was on my way back down.

I got home just before lunch on Wednesday a broken man, every muscle in my body aching, blisters on both feet and feeling a little demoralised at the lack of hunting. Would I do it again? Damn straight I would! It's all character building and a great experience in a beautiful part of the country. I got to meet some good guys who clearly know what they are doing and I learned a lot in the short time out there. Cheers guys for letting me crash the party and I look forward to any future opportunity to hunt with you in the future.

Good write up mate 4 girls you say......is this the full story?

Originally Posted by Gibo

Good write up mate 4 girls you say......is this the full story?

Of course... I'm not the type to omit important details

Originally Posted by Dorkus

Of course... I'm not the type to omit important details

Fair enough

Originally Posted by Gibo

Good write up mate 4 girls you say......is this the full story?

Gibo you know only to well that what happens in a hut, stays in a hut.