“On a Mish” #142 Red Skies Above (Part One). Takitimu Tops Camp. Takitimu Conservation Area. 17.3.2018. Late start. Less than favourable weather forecast. Camping on an exposed mountain side. Factors that might turn some away from going on a mish but for others, the call of the wild is so strong they will use up every second of fine weather. Unfortunately this can mean some are caught out when the weather does change. But for us (my girlfriend and I) on the side of Clare Peak, we saw red skies above and we got out of the mountains as fast as we could…
The peaks of the Takitimu Mountains will always come off second best to the massive expanses of Fiordland. The range might be large when compared with others around the country, but right next door sits its much more wild and much, much bigger brother. Having access to Fiordland has kept me out of the Takitimu Mountains until a time when all signs were pointing to a mish in the mountains south of Te Anau.
Our adventure began at Lower Princhester Hut, located on the northern side of the Takitimu Mountains. To get there from Te Anau a short drive along state highway 94 leads to Princhester Farm and a farm track takes you to the start of the track over Princhester / Waterloo Saddle(805m). This is part of the southern section of the New Zealand (Te Araroa) Trail and a quick read of the hut book shows the many nationalities that come to hike New Zealand’s longest hiking trail.
Beyond the hut the track gently climbed south towards the forest covered saddle we were aiming for. For most of the hike we were in the forest with the odd view through the trees at the scree-covered slopes of the Takitimu Range. At the saddle we turned west and were no longer on a well cut track.
After reaching the Waterloo Saddle we pushed on through the thick bush in the direction of Clare Peak(1490m). What seemed at first to be some classic blind bush bashing became easier after I spotted a strip marker tape in the trees. Someone had had the same idea and thankfully they had marked the easiest route. The tape marked a rough path around the worst of the bush, ferns and dense scrub, which was very helpful and saved us a ton of time.
We followed the tape to a point where our progress forward and upward would be to climb a bluff. This would be easy without packs, however without packs means no camping. So, without complaint we hauled our gear onto easier ground. Above the bluff there was a small tent-sized spot amongst bushes. I was slightly nervous about where exactly we would put our shelter but fate made the decision for me!
We had made it to a place where we could put our tent, and I was amazed at how perfect the tiny clearing was. It was like someone had measured our tent and created the perfect little patch for it to be pitched on. We a temporary home established, now it was time for a very important side mission. We needed water to drink and cook with and the only place it was available was in a difficult to get to location. After a sketchy traverse across a steep loose stone (scree) covered face to a waterfall to collect vital water we were set for the night and began to explore the area around our camp.
During the evening the atmosphere had a strange feel to it. It was like the weather was trying to warn us about what was heading our way. Early-ish the next morning the message was clear as we woke to red skies above and the arrival of some rather wild weather…
