D39- Sunrise hut to Howlets hut

The sun actually rose for once at Sunrise. It dawns a clear day with no wind so i get in an early start to make up lost ground. Once back on the main range the entire western side is filled with mist and it's quite impressive, Spilling over the saddles like an overflowing dam.
Heading south i drop into a low saddle, shrowded on mist. Its think, wet, leatherwood scrub and quite slow going. Once above the scun and mist its an easy but long slog up the pyramid shaped Te Atua (1687m). Here it gets a bit tricky as the ridge narrows again to a crumbling line of rock, with significant drops either side, in yesterday's weather it would of been quite dodgy. The whole thing then angles steeply down and turns to scree. Going south- north it would of been more difficult.
From here there's a short flat section before descending steeply to the Waipawa saddle and steeply back up the other side. Siddleing the 3 Johns i come onto a broad tussock ridge which climbs gradualy to 1715. Its the highest point in the Ruahine main range, and the second highest in the trip. Without a breath of wind its hot, even up here.
The route from 1715 isn't obvious, the ridgeline swings East and the main devide continues along a low saddle to Broken ridge. Its a steep descent and ascent to and fron the saddle, the whole thing is loose and crumbling and requires caution. A vertical bluff apears to block the ridge, but its easily siddleable. Broken ridge lives up to its name, again a narrow line of loose, broken rock, in stong winds it could be potentially hazardous. Howlets hut can be seen from here, an orange dot, tho only half way there. The ridge opens out to broad tussock and again swings east requiring crossing yet another low saddle. There's nothing tricky this time but a long climb back up through tussock and speargrass to reach
Ohuinga (1686m).
Ohuinga marks the start of Sawtooth ridge. From its name, Sawtooth gets a daunting reputation but it no harder than anything else on the main range. It starts with a decent before frequent up and downs over the many 'teeth'. There's a couple of narrow section but there always is. A few teeth are too steep to climb but there easily siddleable on one side or other. There's good veiws east down to thr head of the Tuki Tuki river. I final steep climb brings me to Tiraha (1668). Here obvious ridges run S and SW, but there both dead end spurs. The main devide requires a steep and unobvious drop to the East to the much lower Daphne ridge. From here its an easy, mostly downhill walk to the hut. There's a well worn boot trail that becomes more defined and eventually turns into a marked track through a short section of leatherwood.
Unlike most Ruahine huts, which require a detour down a spur, Howlets sits right on the ridge, you'd have to walk under the deck to go past. Its a tidy 8 bunk hut with a woodburner and tank. Its owned an maintained by Herataunga tramping club, but open for public use. I arrive just as the wind reterns and the clouds role over. Its been 12.5 hrs hut to hut but good to get all the 'fun' bits done during the short break in the weather. There's a surplus of food in the hut which puts yesterday rationing in vain, at least it was something to do.