Mangaweka (1,733m)

At 1,733m above sea level this is the highest peak of the Ruahine range situated nar Palmerston North.  Completed this one with my 15 year old nephew on a stunning spring day.

Mangaweka (1,733m)

The track begins inland from Mangaweka village or alternatively you can travel north from Kimbolton on some back roads which is what we did.  A carpark at the end of a long dirt road is where the track begins.  Initially crossing over farmland, a small steam and then following a fenceline up a very steep spur leads to the Ruahine park boundary.  Here you enter the bush and meander your way up towards Purity Hut which is situated just above the bushline.  We refilled our water bottles here and had a snack before heading up through the tussock towards the open tops of the range.  A series of ridgelines leads to a summit known as Wooden Peg where the track splits.  A little further on is Iron Peg and then a short side trip leads to the Mangaweka summit proper.

Looking toward Mangaweka summit from Iron Peg

View of Mt Ruahepu from Mangaweka

The views all the way up are spectacular with Mt Ruapehu, Mt Ngauruhoe, Mt Tongariro and even Mt Taranaki visible in the distance.  From the summit the full extent of the Ruahine range is seen with views in every direction.  It is also noteworthy that there are several sharp drop offs around too.  To cap it of there were large patches of snow still around despite it being now November.

Looking over ruahine ranges from Mangaweka summit

Our trip back down was fairly rapid and we rereached the hut in a very short time.  Tramping across open tops is so much easier than walking through bush, a fact our knees appreciated greatly.  Once back to the park boundary we picked up the fenceline again and very gingerly made our way down it.  A final push to the carpark ended this one in a little over seven hours, but worth every step.

Another peak successfully bagged...