Thread: Waitangi day hikoi to Back Ridge biv

It had been a while since my last solo wander in the bush, I definitely had itchy feet. So with the kids back at school the wife keen on some peace i started to think about where to go & decided that a return trip to Back ridge was in order!
I had been here a few times before but never solo & each time it was the easy way listening to the seemingly endless number of bad jokes and riddles from our unassuming pilot.

I left the Manawatu just before 2am and arrived at the Makahu saddle carpark just before daybreak, the carpark was pretty full and i had a bit of a nap in the truck before being woken up by the sound of another car arriving!
Lacing up my boots and shouldering my pack i started the trudge up the J, this is the highest point in the Kawekas and although its an easy walk it seems to get bigger ever year..... My fitness is not what it used to be but after a quick break & water top up @ Dominie biv i was at the summit admiring the view as there was not a single cloud in any direction.



The walk down back ridge was plain sailing, although the sun by this stage was punishing! I had drunk a fair bit of water but decided to bypass back ridge hut & its very tempting stream to get to the biv asap.


Breaking out of the beech @ the rocks ahead junction just above the biv


Looking down the ridge


Home for the next few days


Looking back from where i came from


Waiting for golden hour


Ruapehu out to the West


My humble lodgings


Main range from Maminga


Looking back towards back ridge on my way out


Was a great trip that confirmed a few things about my fitness and gear & also a hunch i've had about animal numbers in the area pre rut, I had been looking for a particular stag in the area for the last 3 years & have very recently heard that the Duleys had a go at him as well after him being spotted from the air.

I had this stag in my crosshairs on the evening of day 2 and fired at him from 460yrds out and i suspect clean missed him, everything felt good about the shot and distance wise i'm comfortable at that range.
When i reached the area he was I hunted high and low for him or any sign of blood, I had expected to find a dead stag but found absolutely nothing........I had spent over an hour looking for him & went back the next morning to continue the search as i had replayed the shot over and over that long night in the little biv and was convinced he was hit - Hunting can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes.

The walk home was pretty uneventful, relentless sun & very little breeze!
Empty handed but saw around 17 animals for the trip, will be back