Easyridgetravelonthe
approachto theSummit
of MtCloudsleywiththe
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in thebackgroundWILD FILE
Access At the end of
Coppermine Road outside
Woodville, Hawke’s Bay
Grade0RGHUDWHGLIĆFXOW
Time 6-8hr return
Distance 4.84km to summit
Total ascent 737mTHE MIST was still lingering in the
early morning sun, making the forest
eerie. Intermittent sunrays probed
their way through the trees, the forest
still except for the occasional bird
competing with the cicadas and the
gentle gushing of the creek.
I was on the Wharite Peak Track,
which starts 20 minutes along Cop-
permine Creek Track. I had stopped
at the junction and looked at the
leaf-carpeted track meandering to the
right. It led over farmland to loop back
to the car park. Another lovely wide
track led straight ahead into the creek
before heading back into the trees.
But Wharite Peak Track heads
straight up the sparse hill. Resigned, I
extended my walking pole and started
up the hill. The track climbs steeply
and after a long summer with little rain,
it was dusty. This, in turn, made it slip-
pery, but before long, it merged into
the classic hard dirt, leaf-strewn track.
A few markers line the track, but
they are few and far between. Often
the ferns, shrub and grasses crowd-
ing onto the trail were head high.
Navigation is tricky in places and a bit
of bush whacking and guesswork is
required to follow the track.
Point 904 is reached around 90-
minutes after leaving Coppermine
Creek Track with Wharite Peak loom-
ing up ahead. The transmitter tower
at its summit looked within reach to
the left.
Wharite Peak, while steep and over-
grown, was pleasant to climb. Below,
the Hawke’s Bay stretched into the
distance, baked dry from a relentless
summer sun.
However, the peak kept itself in
the distance, never seeming to ap-
pear closer. It took 45 minutes to
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it from Pt904. The track ends at the
transmitter tower that dominates the
skyline on the southernmost tip of the
Ruahine Range. Looking out from the
tower the views stretch to Taranaki,
Tongariro National Park, the Mana-
watu and across the Hawke’s Bay.- Jem Bakker
TheRuahine’s
SOUTHERNMOST HILL
Wharite Peak, Ruahine Forest ParkLEFT: View to Wharite Peak from
the road; BELOW: The view to
Hawke’s Bay from Wharite PeakJEM BAKKERk
Find the map and route notes for this trip at
http://www.wildernessmag.co.nz