Fast and Furious

Mid-Waiohine — Jumbo — Holdsworth, Tararua Forest Park

I live my life a quarter-mile at a time. The difference between Vin Diesel and me is that that quarter mile takes a heck of a lot longer when you’re slogging it up a hill rather than dragracing to somehow save the world in a never-ending cringeworthy franchise. Nonetheless, speed would always be the name of the game in a party consisting of Mat, Hugh and myself. Our goal was to cross Mt Holdsworth in forecasted high wind to reach Mid Waiohine Hut, before returning via Jumbo Hut in the sun on Sunday. Simple enough.

1. Over the top

Holdsworth Carpark to Mid Waiohine Hut

The sky was grey when we left the roadend for the steady climb up the Gentle Annie track. I bored the others with numerous recollections of that one time I did a trail running race here. Mat had recently had COVID so we let him struggle along at the back whilst Hugh and I powered on. We passed Rocky lookout before overtaking two young Irish ladies on our way to Pig Flat. Our first objective for the trip was bagging “Pig Flat Hut” — a collection of semi-upright rotten wooden poles hanging up a NZ Railways tarpoline. To reach it we crossed Pig Flat itself before cutting into the bush on the left, traversing around to the southwest to reach the hut on…