Traveling Ninja Notes: Pouakai Hut

One of the cool things about the mountains here is that a lot of them have huts. This means for those hard-core trampers who plan more than a single day adventure, there is a place to stay that is not a campground. They are a bit rugged, but have beds with mattresses, minimal kitchen facilities, and fresh water. One of the locals one is the Pouakai Hut on one side of Mt. Taranaki. So a sunny weekend not long ago I thought I would venture up to see the hut and enjoy a new side of the mountain.

The start of the track is out past the edge of town, so I enjoyed a lovely country drive to get to my destination. The walk up to the hut is the first leg of the Pouakai circuit, which is a 25 kilometer (15.5 miles) hike which takes 2-3 days. The trail goes through forest, alpine areas, and a swamp, with some of the best views around of our dear mountain.

Now, I had been warned that the portion up to the hut was not for the faint of heart, as it consisted mostly of stairs. When I say mostly, I mean pretty much entirely, as in at least 98%. But of course I like a challenge and though "sure, it's Saturday morning, I can climb a few stairs." Man was I questioning that decision after an hour! The signs posted recommended allowing 2 or more hours to reach the hut, so naturally I decided I had to do better than that. I set off at a brisk pace and managed to reach the top in 90 min. However, I would not advise 90 minutes of stair climbing no matter how gorgeous the view unless you are really up to a challenge! Suffice it to say I was feeling a bit worn out by the time I got there!

However, the view was totally worth it. I continued on just a bit past the hit to get a feel for what was next, to entice me back another day :) I will for sure go back because the views were stunning. Even the climb was lovely because I think mountainous forest and scenic views beats stair-master at the gym any day!