Thread: Summer tops humt

We usually bush hunt in Te Urewera and thought to take a trip to the Kaweka tops for a change of scene.
Hopes were high busting out of Orkland at 5am on New Years Day with a coffee and BP steak pie in hand.
We were planning on 4 nights in and around the back ridge hut and studholme saddle area with fly camp out dependant on weather and shelter.
Weather forecast was pretty good with a 'fresh' westerly change.
Saw a deer on the road around littles clearing on the way in.
A pretty steep climb up to dominie biv where we filled up with water and enjoyed the view while chatting with an elder gent of 84(yep, 84) who had a few tales to tell about the area from the last 50 odd years.
Things were 'clagging in' up top and it started raining as we made our way down the north ridge to back ridge hut. Plenty of sign on the face opposite the hut, we climbed the opposite face in the morning and had a good glass for a few hours while warming in the sun...nothing seen.
Heading off toward studholme hut we found a likely looking spot and decided to camp. A good classing through the afternoon and evening with nothing seen.
Next morning the wind was up (well faarken up) so we packed up and headed for studholme.
Now you mountain goats might say the wind was a bit 'fresh' but to these bush hobbits the howling wind with gusts was only a little short of dangerous...we took a few low routes below the ridge line in parts to allow for a few shuffles and a spin or two.
Looking down into the studholme area we thought 'this is what we came for'...mint looking faces with spurs and bushy guts....Hopes were high.
Stayed at the biv and went for a reccy with very little fresh sign found...parked up and glasses a few hours with nothing seen.
After a conflab. we decided to head back a day early as the forecast wasn't too flash for the saturday...we figured the wind was enough over the j without driving rain as well.
Great country, learned a bit...coulda stayed the extra day as the weather held. Bit disappointed...a dude noted the lack of animals the day before us.
Good to visit a different to be..Kia ora Hawkes Bay.
Watched a mint utube clip in the same country with heaps of animals seen...insult to injury...wanna go back next weekend.
CheersC