There's a light drizzel in the morning but it lifts as quick as it came. Theres a large bend in the river, in the name of time and distance i take a high shortcut through private land. Continuing up McVicar road i enter Mountain valley adventure centre.
There's too many people around to just walk through so i ask permission. Its looking like a no, but after a few phone calls to adjacent land owners i get permission to go thru, tho im not allowed to use the track without a health and safety induction so the route im given involves climbing a steep overgrown spur along the fenceline.
At the top i hit a forestry track which siddles the valley for a few kms before dropping back to the river. Its reasonable going from here with reguar crossings, some chest deep, the worst mid rapid but no swims. There's a hut tucked into the private forestry, i couldn't find an induction form so i stay out. The final section before the road is choked with blackberry on either side so i follow a farm track for the last km, past the private Puketitri hut.
Once onto the public Pakaututu road its an easy 2km to the Mohaka/ Ripia forks.
From here the rivers smaller, but still infested with blackberry so i siddle farmland as far as the Mahaku confluence. There's a good stock track on the river side of the fence, which would indicate its public land, but its probably not. Droping back to the river theres still a lot of blackberry, in places it's hanging out so far that its necessary to swim around it. Further up i cross the Kaweka forest park boundry, its the retern of undisputed public land and the end of blackberry. The gradient increases and the valley narrows, there's frequent mid rapid crossings and a few stong swims required. Its probably the hardest section to travel upsteam so far. The final section opens up a bit and travel is possible on banks. Bush lawyer replaces blackberry.
Eventually i reach the track to the campsite, however being cold and wet i continue straight on to hot tubs.
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