My first venture up to the Richmond Ranges ultramafic zone was supposed to be an overnighter, but forgotten meals and a father and son needing a bunk turned it in to a 8 1/2 hour day trip. Access isn’t where the topo maps suggest – its actually a bit further up the valley. Although I’m sure you could take a sneaky short cut through the farm to meet up with the track(4wd track) the initial walk through the beech forest is well worth the extra 15 minutes.
The track up to the hut takes about 2 hours and gives you some great views of the Wairau valley as you climb up. Once at the hut take the track by the water tank and follow it until it peters out. Once you’re off the track its a case of heading up hill, although its not steep or rough country it can be quite boggy so progress is a bit slower than you imagine.
When you reach the plateau I recommend heading to the left (Red Hills valley) side of the plateau as the area near the lakes is extremely boggy – although its still quite enjoyable to walk through.
My next mission is to climb Chrome on the Red Hills.
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