Ultramarathon #20

Looking back down Siberia Gully

New PB and new course record! I went into this year's race publicly intending to do 7h20, but privately hoping for 7h15. I was very happy to do 7h:14m:49s in a race where the last 25km were into a southerly head wind and the last 15km were in heavy rain.

Cold and wet at the start.

The top tunnel passes under the saddle. This year it was shrouded in cloud.

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Burn Hut

Sometimes the DOC times turn out to be about right...

At a loss for what to do, we thought we'd try Burn Hut in behind Mangahao Dam. The ParkMap said 3 hours from the road end, so we guessed it would actually be about 2. Plus another 2 hours to complete the other side of the loop and we should be right. After a very long drive in (13km on gravel roads) we reached the No. 2 Dam. When we got there the DOC sign said 3-4 hours to the hut, but that didn't overly concern us.

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Mt Hawtrey

View across flowering rata of the harbour entrance.

There are two track systems in the northern part of the East Harbour Regional Park: the Mt Lowry tracks and the Butterfly Creek tracks. The relevant Regional Council publication shows these two systems connected by a "route" across Mt Hawtrey, and the "Vasque Extreme" edition of the Mt Lowry Challenge uses the same route. A traverse of the two track systems, taking in Mt Hawtrey, seemed in order...

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Battle Hill via Mt Wainui

Looking back at Campbells Mill Rd

Back in April Jan and I had walked from Campbells Mill Rd up to Mt Wainui: a hike that not many people are aware of. While on the top of Mt Wainui I had seen that the marked route continued over the other side. Now it was time to return and find out just where the route went.

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The Mountain That Wasn't: Mount Lowry

Northern Rata

Mt Lowry lies in a low range of hills behind Eastbourne on the eastern side of Wellington Harbour. The weather was forecast to be lovely and sunny, but with strong winds, so a walk in the hills (under the cover of bush) seemed like a good idea.

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2009 In Review

A busy and varied year with 5 ultramarathons, including 2 trail ultras in the South Island; 2 overnight hut trips; 2 short hikes into the snow; 5 rogaines; and PBs at the mile walk, 5k walk, and 10k walk. My full calendar is summarised below.

January Hutt River Trail ultramarathon

February Camped overnight at Otaki Forks, then a fast hike up to Field Hut and Table Top Camped overnight at Holdsworth road end, then a fast hike on the Atiwhakatu track on a wet day 5k walking races on 3, 10, 17, and 24 February, setting my PB on the 10th.

March 5k walking race on 3 March, walking my second fastest time. Set mile walk PB of 8m46s Set 10km PB, and was 2nd walker and member of fastest team at the "Round the Vines" race Walked the St James Ultramarathon

April A slow 5k race Tramp around the Cape Turakirae - Mukamuka circuit with Jan Overnight tramp to Mt Fell hut in the Richmond Ranges

May Ran the Trentham Harrier Club's Novices & President's Race Tramp with Jan up to the top of Mt Wainui on a cold day with hail showers City Safari urban rogaine Ekiden Walking Relay Southern Bays rogaine

June Ran the Trentham Harrier Club's Cross Country Race Tramp with Jan up to Powell Hut in the winter snow

July Overnight tramp to Atiwhakatu Hut in the Tararua Ranges 10km racewalk at McKays Crossing Brooklyn Rogaine

August Tramp with Jan up to the South Crater of Tongariro in blizzard conditions Walked (and won) the 5 Bridges Marathon, plus some extra distance for 45.4km Walked at the Wellington Road Champs (10km)

September A short 2.25km at the Trentham Harrier Club's Eric Putter Relay My seventh time at the Marton-Wanganui Ultramarathon Tramp with Jan up to Dennan in the Tararua Ranges

October 5k race on October 6 Completed my 20th marathon at Masterton Hosted the Ultra Fun Run & Ride NZ Racewalking 50km

November 5k races on November 3 and November 10, neither in a particularly spectacular time Good pre-Kepler training sessions on the Ultra Fun Run short course on November 7 and November 21 Mt Vic Sprint Rogaine

December Walked the Kepler Challenge Christmas Rogaine Spent Christmas Day exploring Cape Turnagain A short walk south from Herbertville to the Waimata River

Exfoliation on the way to the Waimata River

The Waimata River mouth, looking south

From Herbertville we drove south west along Seaview Road to Papuka Stream. We parked up just before the stream, had lunch, and then set off in a south west direction along the beach. Although a warm day (24-28 C) the wind was always strong and the gusts would sandblast us with the dry sand from the dunes. In some places there were also small (sharp) fragments of shells that added to the effect.

North towards Cape Turnagain, wind blown sand.
 

As tempting as it was to turn back, there is always something bracing about adverse conditions. I also recalled seeing a river on the map and was keen to get to that before turning back. We got there, took a few photos, and then walked back to the car. Thankfully the wind was now at our backs, but the sand still stung on our legs.

That was just a short walk so we followed it up later in the afternoon with a further 5km at a brisk pace on the road.

More photos available on Flickr.