Pirongia Mountain Wild Camp and Pahautea Hut
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- On this epic 3 day mid-winter adventure, I journey to Pirongia Mountain in New Zealand's Waikato region.
Rich in Maori culture, this region is one of Tainui's first landings in the great Waka, many hundreds of years ago.
Join me as I tramp from Pirongia Forest Park Lodge, the 5-6 hours (4 if you aren't filming!) to the Summit, and along to Pahautea Hut. A night wild camping in the bush at 900 meters, a heart-felt trek to the Summit, and then a few more hours of gut busting, wet, muddy, body breaking conditions hiking to the Hut for a solo night at one of New Zealand's most iconic, yet infamous locations due to the officially "difficult" description the Department of Conservation (DOC) labels this hike.
If you want to see the most stunning scenery and beautiful forest and bush, as well as a brief but jaw dropping introduction to the legend of the "Fairy People of Pirongia Mountain"...then come with me on this amazing 3 day trek up and then down the mountain.
Watch the whole video...it's a bit longer than my others...but Pirongia Mountain deserves to be shown in it's full beauty...even if it did almost wreck me!
Don't forget to like and subscribe...thanks for watching!
Thanks to Kate Parr, Warden and Manager at Pirongia Forest Park Lodge.
Go to: www.pfplodge.o... for details.
For all your private/corporate or team building events and outdoor pursuits in great Lodge accommodation, contact Kate!
And finally, thanks to our Tainui Whanau, especially Maniapoto, whose Mountain we
respectfully visit and bask in awe at her beauty.
And of course, to the Patupaiarehe, the Fairy People of the Mountain who kept me
safe during my 3 days on Pirongia te aroaro o Kahu.
Music credits: All songs via Epidemic Sound Licensed subscription
Coyote- Wilsohn
Against the Red Sky-Walt Adams
Last Exit to Earth- Walt Adams
The Fairies-Ramin Feat Adilyn
Under the Dark Sky - Johan Glossner
Credit to DOC (Department of Conservation) for the awesome Hut and facilities throughout the park. Without their hardworking maintenance teams and Rangers...we wouldn't have such an awesome Mountain and Forest Park to play in and enjoy.
At about the 7.59 minute mark, where I'm standing listening to a Tui, the haunting beautiful sound echoing through the bush around me is actually a Kokako- a rare and and even more rarely-seen indigenous NZ bird, that was released into the Park, in the hope of re-establishing a population of this beautiful bird. Thanks Kate for pointing this out to me.😊
Awesome video ...and you are truly an inspiration to many. ..takes guts and determination to do this stuff...pretty dangerous in parts and the tribute to yiur mum brought a tear to the eye. ..I look forward to the next one...hope you recover well. ❤
Yeah was tough, glad you enjoyed it.
Loved this amazing achievement to conquer Pirongia. Beautiful tribute to your mum, look forward to your next adventures
Aw thanks, glad you liked it!
Very nice. Super good footage. Appreciated bro.
Thank you. Lovely comments. Its a special place alright. Can't wait to do some of the other tracks
Thanks for a truly beautiful experience. Great music that accompanies the video and you did your mum proud in your words. Looking forward to your next adventurous camp, makes me quite envious.
Thanks Allan. Glad you enjoyed it. A lot to try to do justice to in 53 min video but it came out ok. Im rapt that ppl like the music tracks too, i try and find music to match the mood and scenery, so pretty happy. The song "Fairies" was just so right for the hut scene where i yak about thd Fairies of the Mountain. Did you like my wee tribute to you with th Barry Crump excerp? Thought of you when I did that segment and had a wee chuckle.👍
I used to go up there 25 years ago when i lived in NZ. Always loved it. NZ has changed so such, I often forget I was there a quarter of a century ago 😂😂😂😂
Thats awesome. It must have brought back a few memories watching? Its still a beautiful spot out there. But you are right,ithas changed a lot. I used to visit my Aunty's farm in Pirongia at the base of the mountain when I was a boy, and there was barely a house for miles. And no stupid boyracers tearing up the peaceful quiet country roads like they do now.
Hope you enjoyed the video.👍 Rick
Thanks for your video and for sharing your experiences. Unlucky with the weather but in winter I guess you take a chance.
In February I left from the other side of Pirongia at Kiriwhakapapa car park and camped in the very good little campsite a few km in. Left the tent there and overnighted at Pahautea hut via Bells track. Fantastic bush with giant kahikatea trees. Not too difficult and there’s a clearing a few hours in, very suitable for camping. The difficulty though was the mud approaching The Cone, not far from the hut. I’ve never experienced anything like it - and that was after a long spell of good weather! Good hut though and you were lucky having it to yourself. I guess there are fewer TA people around at the moment.
You were brave camping but it goes to show that with good gear it is perfectly possible.
Looking forward to more videos!
Gidday Jeff. Thanks for the nice comments. Glad you enjoyed the video. I enjoyed the tramp immensely and even though it was pretty hard at times, as you alluded to, winter made it a bit harsher. It would be awesome in summer I reckon. I hope I havent put anyone off doing that trail to the hut, I probably made it sound more difficult than it is, but it definitely deserves its "difficult" rating. I was very interested in your comments doing other tracks to the hut too. I would like to do Bell track and camp in spring/summer. Sounds like its a bit easier, although longer. And to top it all off...I left my wallet in the hut! Was very lucky someone trekked to the hut a couple of days later and found it. I just picked it up at Hamilton Police Station yesterday. I would never have managed another 6 hrs plus going up and down again to get it...hard case. I'm keen to learn more about those tracks you have done for future videos too. Rick👍
Awesome video. That was some tramp. Pity they dont have an open fire place at the Hut or a Radio or a cooker.
Thanks John. Yes, a wee fireplace would be great, it's cold up there. I understand why though-wooden hut, wooden bunks, lack of firewood around camp etc...I think solar lighting would be the cheapest,easiest and most beneficial improvement DOC could do. Great hut though-has that real "kiwi" homecoming feel about it. Well done DOC.
It seems that the Patupaiarehe or Turehu (fair skinned, blue or green eyed) people were mystified and spoken of as the fairy people, made into folk law rather than speak of them as an actual people group. Pirongia apparently being one of the last places they hid before being completely dispatched, or so the story goes 😢
@@OutdoorsmanDave Hi Dave, great comments.
And you are right, there are many variations of the stories depending on which Iwi you talk to. Some refute them to be "giants", and not small child like people at all. Its great exploring these legends though, as most of the older more knowledgeable elders are no longer with us to share their knowledge. 👍
@@LifestyleandTechNZ thanks for your openness, as a 4th generation kiwi, I just want the truth. I’ve done many videos on Pirongia, you’ll relate to “dying of thirst” from base, hut, secret track off bell track to base, full pack 30km, yes she’s a tough Maunga 😆
@OutdoorsmanDave
I always enjoy hearing from people like yourself who have walked the walk so to speak. And hell yes,it was a tough tramp but I enjoyed it immensely. Funny thing is, when i was a kid, I was around the mountain a bit, having cuzzies who farmed bordering Pirongia itself. But we rarely ventured right up, as tracks were not established as well back then...and it was a lot denser than today. I intend to go up the Bell track in summer and just do a nice overnight camp along the way. How do you find the tracks from the western side? Keen to try them all over time.