This is the day I've been most worried about on the whole trip. I've had nightmares about getting as far as the Motu and finding it in full flood, and from what I've read it happens as often as not. And its still raining.
I somehow manage to get dressed, pack up my sleeping bag, deflate and pack my pad and pack all my dry clothes without leaving the 1 man bivvy, tho it takes almost an hour. I seize a break in the rain and its a quick but wet pack up and im on my way, just as the rain reterns. Checking my instruments( rock and billi), we've had 15mm but the river hasn't changed. I always knew they'd be some days I'd have to walk in the rain, i just hoped it wouldn't be this one.
Its a couple of ks down the Te Kahika, then a couple up The Big Unknown stream, both in gourges but its still easy going. The Big Unknown is well known for providing access to a low saddle into the Motu, thus bypassing some unpassable rapids. Its Pissing down by the time i turn right up the second side stream to start the final crossing to the Motu. The small streams already in flood, a torrent of brown, muddy water cascading over its rocky bed. Its not looking good for the Motu. There's a well marked track heading up between the first forks, the starts not obvious tho and it takes a bit of bush bashing to find. Its steep and muddy, but its the only maintained bit in the Rakumaras.
It stops at the saddle, and its a bush bash to the final stream leading to the river. Like most of the streams up here, its rocky, tight and blocked with windfall and log jams, difference is its steeper, with several waterfalls to climb down.The punga furns have held so much moisture i haven't noticed its stopped raining. By the time i reach the bottom it sunny.
Its a tense moment, rounding the last corner to the Motu, its a reief to find its clear and in normal flow. There's a great swimming hole where the stream enters the Motu, but still shivering from wet clothes i opt to bask in the sun instead. There's potential campspots here, my pan b to wait for the river to drop. If the rivers up there's 3 options, wait, walk back the way you came (last 4 days) or call in a chopper. Its the best scenery so far, a deep clear river, flowing in a single channel, banked by slopes of podocarp and nikau palms. At 140m its the lowest point in the crossing, and possibly the lowest in the trip, ignoring the first and last sections. You dont stay high long in the Rakumaras, unless of course your Ngati Porou.
The first bit upstream is easy travel through bush and sandy banks, then it enters the first gourge where there's 8 crossings, most requiring a swim. The clarity of the water makes it seem deceptively shallow. The crossings that dont require a swim are still waist- chest deep, theres a lot of force behind it and its hard to make any progress upstream. Im swept off my feet at one point and manage to drag myself out just before the next rapid.
Theres an open section in the middle followed by a second gourge. Theres a small hut here (presumably x possumers), its missing part of the roof and half a wall, but would be good shelter if the river comes up. All up it's 17 crossings (7 swims), one scramble around a bluff only to have to jump in anyway, and a swim backwards up an eddy to gain some ground.
Its 200m up the Mangakirikiri stream, then a steep, marked track to Mangakirikiri hut.
Its not the flashed hut but its great to have shelter with everything still wet from last night. There's 6 moldy matresses, a leaking water tank and an open fire with no top on the chimney so rain comes inside. It only gets a few visitors per year, mostly rafters. Out of the people doing the Rakumara crossing, all seem to go west-east, going downsteam in the Motu, thus avoiding the issues i had.
No comments:
Post a Comment