Distance: 9.96 km          Time Walking: 5h 20min

Elevation: Max Alt 1287m     Min Alt 374m     Vert Ascent: 913m

With an earlier start time, a few of us who catch the bus at Yaldhurst nearly missed out as traffic through town must have been lighter allowing the coach arrived sooner than expected.  Never mind, it all worked out and driver Callum had everybody aboard and heading south; resigned to a longer journey on our way to Little Mount Peel just across the Rangitata River.  VP Derrick welcomed regular visitors: Glenys, Jan, Eunju, Deirdre, Sun, Tessa, and Soo and new visitor Gary.

Little Mount Peel was going to be a steep, steady climb and as we neared our destination cloud was shrouding the top, but the conditions were ideal for this kind of tramp; overcast, not raining and only a tree-rustling breeze.  As the two groups prepared for their separate routes: Standards aiming for the peak, Alternatives following Allan’s track and the Fern Walk to loop back to the village.

Mud, roots, high steps, rocks. More mud. The Alternatives’ route along Allan’s Track showed how important it is to watch your feet, look ahead for the next supporting tree, and limit your sightseeing even when surrounded by the most lush greens. When the sucking mud threatens to remove your boots, don’t be fooled by the firmer ground in front. Those leaves hide even slippier clay mud. The track was named after Harry Allan, a famous New Zealand botanist who wrote a long study of Peel Forest trees and plants. Alternatives who returned to Blandswood along the Fern Walk found less troublesome mud and more impressive old trees, including the red-trunked totaras.

Back at the village, they could see how much dredging work goes into making sure the Kowhai Stream doesn’t repeat its 1975 deadly flood, which killed four children after heavy rain and the bursting of a debris dam upstream.  (Thanks for your words Stan)

Upwards trudge through the mud

While the Alternatives were picking their careful way, the Standards opted for a more direct route for their assault on Little Mount Peel by way of the Deer Spur Track.  The start of the track was firm but gave little hint of what was to come: thick squelching ankle-deep mud in every hollow which tugged at the boots and made progress frustratingly slippery.  The routine became trudge through the muddy bits, try and make up the pace when we came to drier uphills and shingly parts and move Tarzan-like from handhold to handhold.  Despite our struggles, it was pleasing to be surrounded by bush mostly consisting of mixed podocarp and broadleaf rain forest with some beech.  Clumps of white-flowering clematis added a touch of brightness to contrast the darker greens and numerous large trees dotted the forest.  We managed to find a reasonably flat morning tea spot out of the mud albeit with limited views through the trees and low cloud to the plains just below.

Continuing to slush and slurp higher, we eventually emerged from the bush to exposed tussock and dew-wet sub-alpine scrub.  The promised 360⁰ views from this height would have been spectacular but alas not today.  In places the ridge track was deeply scoured, and the rocky step-ups made the legs work.  There was no let up from the muddy sloughs either. Higher on the mountain the cloud was closing in, blotting out the view we were hoping for – the trig at the top.  Once on the board walks the uphill going was slightly easier but they were slicked with dampness and a little slippery.  Pushing on with some determination and much slow trudging, we did manage to nearly reach our goal.  But with time and the dreary weather conditions against us we chose a lunch spot on a flattish area of ridge about 100m below the summit.

Lunch in the cloud near the summit

After a huddled break the slow retrace of our steps began; certainly no easy task re-negotiating all the tricky patches previously tackled.  More than once somebody slipped, and it took a lot of energy to control the slides.   It was a real relief to reach the firmer ground at the bottom of Deer Spur and out on the roadway.  I am sure we all experienced a major whole-body workout for the day considering the gradient and the track conditions.  Steep downhills such as coming off Little Mount Peel are certainly taxing!

The Alternatives were champing at the bit and slapping sandflies as the Standards arrived back at the bus about an hour after they had.  Then it was a big snooze on the long coach journey back to Bishopdale.