RANGIWAHIA HUT

The first time I did this track, it was in my fourth year of vet school at the peak of our delirium. Having recently crossed paths with the infamous Gatien Cremades (Gecko) an epic friendship blossomed…

I’m not sure who’s idea it was to leave at 10pm on a Tuesday in the middle of winter but there we stood at the gate, blinding each other in the beam of our head torches. The bush creates great illusions in the dark and at times I was confused as to if I was walking uphill or downhill. Towards the summit we were met with a thick blanket of snow which somehow is even more beautiful in the dark. When we finally reached the hut just after midnight we were cursing ourselves for not bringing matches to light the fire and our rapid onset of shivering sent us on our way back down.

 A solo round two in daylight was slightly more lonely but equally as beautiful. I’m often not one for manmade structures in landscapes that are meant to be wild but the rounded bridges did take me back to my childhood. Despite not seeing any whio this time around, I did luck out and spot a few whitehead (pōpokotea) and the picturesque sunset over Ruapehu was a treat.