Home assignment - part 4 (continued)

Rimutaka Incline

An old favourite!

It was sunny in Lower Hutt but cloudy in Upper Hutt and quite cold, so I didn't really hang around. At the summit, I debated how far to go down the other side, and decided to go down to the big new bridge at Siberia Gully, and from there decide if I wanted to continue on to Cross Creek. However, arriving at Siberia there was danger tape and signs informing that the bridge and track were closed. So I didn't have to make a decision after all! (But it would have been courteous if there had been a sign at the top of the hill...)

Incline summit

The end of the line

Summit tunnel - 584 m long

Mount Holdsworth

This was a bit of a compromise - heading into the Tararuas, but not staying overnight (since I didn't have all the necessary gear or a tramping buddy to go with). Again I kept an eye on the weather forecast for a fine day with not much wind, and it came on cue.

I left Lower Hutt at 6:50 am and arrived at Holdsworth Lodge at 8:15. A quick change of footwear and toilet stop and I was on my way by 8:30. First sandwich at Powell Hut around 11, second sandwich at the top around 12. I spent about half an hour at the top, soaking in the serenity and waiting for the clouds to lift a little bit more. They didn't seem to want to, so I made my way back down, arriving at the car park around 3:15. I was quite pleased with a sub-8 hr return walk!

Not much to see here! Reaching the cloud base, well before Powell Hut

Popping out on top of the cloud

Top of Mt Holdsworth (1470 m) in the clear

Cloud blanket covering the Wairarapa

View from the summit towards the northwest

Given that Raewyn and I visited this part of the Tararuas on my 2021 home assignment, and having found that it's quite doable in a day, I have a feeling that a walk up Mt Holdsworth could well become one of my home assignment traditions in the future!