The Walk In:

After an instruction period of being told what to do, photographed and given ID cards, Karla & I were driven up to the Mt Robert carpark and let loose. The weather report was for bad weather to come in the afternoon and we were advised to go to Angelus Hut by the Speargrass route rather than up the Pinchgut. It was okay until we were left the last patch of bush and walked into light rain but then we started to feel hail and then snow. Next the wind and mist wrapped around us the higher we climbed so that we could hardly see the next marker pole ahead. Keep plodding.

Two young chaps passed us and we kept in touch through the mist but then they disappeared. They told us later that one of them got blown over and they contemplated turning back but realised that they were past the halfway point so kept going. We kept plodding.  The Speargrass track and route to Angelus Hut is 11.2km and takes about 6 hours they say so our 6 hours 15 minutes wasn’t too bad in such weather, considering we called into the Speargrass Hut for a bite to eat. It was a relief to see the Mt Robert Ridge/Speargrass junction sign loom out of the mist though. Only another half hour of plodding until we were at the door of our place for the next seven nights. The only trouble was turning the door lock with our cold fingers! Angelus Hut rests on a ledge next to a tarn at 1650 metres above sea level. It has bunks for 28 people who book and pay for a bunk before they arrive and one of our jobs was to make sure people had booked and paid. $20.00 per night per person while the camp sites (five) cost $10.00 per person. The hut has two bunk rooms with the mattresses laid out in a line – or on a platform. A large kitchen/lounge area looked out onto the tarns nearby. In the lounge area was a small wood burner and a number of tables and seats. The firewood is flown in and the toilet’s contents are flow out, all by helicopter. Our accommodation was on one end of the hut and measured about 5m x 3m, containing two bunks (one up and one below), with a small kitchen sink (running cold water), a two burner gas cooker, a shower cubical (with one of those water bags in which you poured some warm water), a small table and two chairs, and finally a sort of pantry which had some food and the radio. We had to call up the St Arnaud DoC base at 8.30am (for the weather report) and again at 4pm (for the number of people who had booked in for the night) each day. Our other duties were to clean the toilets and the inside of the hut – floor, benches, etc. Those first couple of nights with all the snow lying about, was quite cold and we had no heating. Head for that log fire in the main hut! – just push a couple of foreigners out of the way. In the pantry we found three hotwater bottles and these were put to good use in our sleeping bags those first nights.

Red Damsel Flies.

Around The Hut Tarn
We usually finished our chores by around 10.30am each day and the first fine day we walked around the high ridge around the tarn by the hut. We took about four hours to walk the circular route, starting from the track to Mt Cedric and climbing up to the ridge line over mostly rock scree. A great view from the ridge though and this looked down the Howard Valley with farmland away in the distance. One could see Lake Rotoroa and even parts of the track heading over Mt Cedric. Most of the ridge was good going but towards the end some rocky outcrops made one pause and look ahead carefully for a way around. There is no doubt you can still follow our route by the scratch marks that Karla left on the rocks though.

Sunrise Angelus Tarn and Mt Angelus.

People – & Other Animals
Most people were friendly and helpful but there are always those that want to take what they can get for free. Those that just can’t seem to be able to be considerate to others but would complain if others did the same to them. We had them! Like the three German girls who had booked but arrived in the dark and thumped around until about 10.30pm before settling down to peace and quiet. The next morning when we walked into the lounge area a local quickly pointed and said “they’re in there.” For a start they made out they didn’t understand but when Karla answered in German, they quickly started apologising. Like the Israeli group who made such a noise enjoying themselves until quite late and then intended to leave all their rubbish behind.

Mt Angelus summit: Admiring the view.

Late one evening two young Germans arrived at the hut looking to be in a state of panic. They arrived with only a day pack with two water bottles and had started out in the morning to walk around Lake Rotoiti. How they managed to be so far off their intended ‘day’ walk, who knows. Were they putting on a good story? Karla took pity on them especially as they had no hesitation in paying for a couple of bunks plus the penalty payment. All that Karla could give them was two survival blankets and some food – tea that night and breakfast the next morning plus some trail bars from our own supply. The next morning we introduced them to some others walking out via the Mt Robert Ridge and asked if they could let the DoC office know when they arrived back at St Arnaud as we had reported the incident on our radio schedule. They did too.

Then there was the lady who left a hut door open when she went to the toilet. When she returned to her sleeping bag she joined a mouse who had sneaked in. I’m not sure if it was her shriek or the mouse’s that we heard.

Evening Talks

Epilobium sp.

I was being asked innumerable questions on plants and walking times over the tracks so we thought maybe I should say a few words after Karla’s housekeeping safety talk each evening. I gave three talks in all and was surprised at the response. Hey, I even got clapped at the end and after one talk, the next morning, an Asian gentleman shook my hand and thanked me sincerely for the very interesting talk.

Raoulia grandiflora (?)

I guess many people look but don’t see, as they walk the tracks so someone pointing out some of the plants that they will pass by the next day made it a little more interesting. Telling them about the Black Mountain Butterfly, a bird called the pipit, which flicks its tail, the three keas and the fresh chammy footprints that we saw perhaps made them more aware of what was about.

Most of the flowering alpine plants had had their show but up higher some still were flowering. Haastia sinclairii, and many Epilobium’s were in flower. Clusters of Epilobium’s with their bright red stems and leaves near the Sunset Saddle, stood out from the grey rocks. Among the Mountain daisies, Celmisia sessiliflora was flowering here and there but most other mountain daisies were on their last legs – or stalks. Gentians were starting to produce their white flowers.

Spider on Raoulia sp.

The Vegetable Sheep plant Raoulia haastia, always caused a murmur when mentioned. I suppose a plant by that name does sound a bit odd but when explained that from a distance the plant looks like a sheep lying down they could see the name was quite apt. When we walked around the Angelus tarn ridge we passed many Vegetable Sheep plants and I was interested to note the number of different insects that dwelt on them. On one plant we watched a small hunting spider whose colouring matched the plant. Does this species only live on these plants? Does one spider have its own plant? Does this spider have a name even? Of interest too were the red damsel flies near the hut tarns. The red colour spots at the rear of their wings was quite a vivid red. I saw one catch a fly on the wing, land and then devour it.

Red Damsel Fly.

No Place for a Wobbly Old Man
One day we hurried through our chores then headed up towards Sunset Saddle. Over the ridge and then down to the Hinepouri Tarns. From here is was up hill all the way but we came upon some streams gushing out from the side of the mountain and these formed a little moorish bog in which grew a number of alpine plants. At one spot grew a large patch of Drosera arcturi (I think), this, one of the fly catcher plants, with its tiny white flowers. Here also we saw a family of pipits running around bobbing their tails. Once above ‘the green belt’ it was all rock and one would think nothing could possibly grow here but this is where was saw many Epilobiums growing. Their pink to bright red stems and leaves contrasted with the grey rocks. Up on the saddle we looked down into the Hopeless Valley and then started the climb up towards Angelus Peak. It was quite steep with much rock scrambling and then up on to the summit at 2075 metres above sea level. It was certainly a panoramic view but after a quick lunch and some photos it was time to head back for our 4 pm radio call.

Will climbing up towards Sunset Saddle and thence Mt Angelus.

On the last day, after the chores were done for the last time, we headed back home via the Mt Robert Ridge and Pinchgut track (of 12.2km). It was a beautiful day, in stark contrast to our walk in. I think it took us four and a half hours and it was good to meet our relieving hut wardens on their way in too.

After the debrief at the Department of Conservation Visitor Centre, the ranger asked “See you next year?”
“Maybe” I said.
January 2015 rainfall was only 13mm while last year’s January rainfall was 91mm. Our average for January is now104mm so rainfall does seem to be getting less.