Pouakai Summit

I mentioned in my previous post that a monthly hike was on this year's to-do list.
My brother helped tick off the February hike, as he stayed on for a couple of extra weeks after the wedding. His final weekend here the weather was looking good so we decided to plan a hike.

We picked up some pies on the way out of town and headed to the end of Mangorei Rd to start the trek to the Pouakai hut. In some respects, the climb to the hut is one that could be considered less challenging due to the track being easily accessible, with minimal erosion and uneven terrain. However, this track is not to be considered too easy, as it is a series of stairs almost the entire way to the hut. The signposts advise allow 1-3 hours for the climb. I am not sure how many steps it really is, but it is a lot, my legs kindly reminded me for the next three days! We did quite well actually and reached the hut in 75 minutes.

Since we still had plenty of time at this stage we decided to press on a bit further. We stopped at the tarns to appreciate the stunning view of Mt. Taranaki, and then decided to carry on to the Pouakai Summit. This was a rather spur-of-the-moment decision, but the sign said only 3.2 kilometers and 1 hour to the summit. It was a beautiful day, we had plenty of water, and it sounded doable.

It was doable, and in fact quite enjoyable for the most part, but it did remind me that if I intend to do many serious hikes I should work on my climbing endurance a bit.
We continued on the boardwalk for a bit before gong through a swampy field area (although it was pretty dry after the recent lack of rain). It was the final chunk that was the big challenge. The track was quite eroded which meant we had to occasionally get creative in finding the most economical way up. But as with all these adventures I have attempted, definitely worth the view! If you stood at the right angle, you could see the Tasman Sea and Mt. Taranaki all at once :)