Last Updated: 21st Sep 2023
Hakatere Shoe Washer
Submitted by Kevin Holland
Last Updated: 21st Sep 2023
Grunt Factor: 80 ?
Gnarl Factor: 36 ?
60.0km
1525m
1525m
1194m
Last Updated: 21st Sep 2023
Submitted by Kevin Holland
Last Updated: 21st Sep 2023
Grunt Factor: 80 ?
Gnarl Factor: 36 ?
60.0km
1525m
1525m
1194m
Back country - remote
Loop
Undulating, some big hills
Riverside
Open farmlands
Open tussock/grasslands
Other
Gravel Road
Farm Road / 4WD Track
Easy Single Track
Moderate Single Track
Untracked / Route only
Average Uphill Gradient: +5.6%
Average Downhill Gradient: -5.5%
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Not suitable
Slow
10:00
Moderate
7:30
Fast
Easy track to follow from the Redcliff reserve start. Initially the track climbs 600m up to the floor of the Redcliff - Cookies valley. You can keep try feet until just before Tribulations Hut, a basic shelter. Stay in the valley floor, heading down Swift River. From Cookies Hut, it is wet foot time. Don't go up the track behind Cookies hut, return to the river bed and continue to Cookies Point - easily found by looking for the Rock Pillar at the junction with the North Branch Ashburton River. Lots of seagulls here for some reason.
Head up the Ashburton River, 14km of very slow going up a river gorge. The only time it opens out is to grow more matagouri. In Spring the crossing were up to 0.75m deep. Much of the time the only route is walking up the river, against the flow. No running here, not even for an Elite. At Comyns Hut you join the Te Araroa Trail and it is all runnable again. There is a poled 4 wheel drive track that deviates from the river but is easy going. You gain altitude up past A Frame hut and over the 1194m high point. At Turtons Saddle the track drops sharply down hill into the Glenrock station. At a fence junction with a no access private, you leave the 4 wheel drive track and pass through a poles single track public access route to the road. From the road it is undulating back to the start. Feel free to accept a ride back to the start, the 2nd car passing picked me up.
Lots of mountain goats. Remote. Very basic historical tin huts, except for A Frame hut, which has been done up on the inside. More matagouri than you will ever want to see in a lifetime. Basically no trees after the first 3km
Grass verge space for 4-8 cars. More if you walk a few minutes. No public transport although there will be private providers servicing the Te Araroa trail. Quite a few cars that could give you a ride if you don't want to finish the road section of the loop - the 2nd picked me up.
57 km
75 minutes
Unknown
No
Hard.
Easy to Tribulations hut, follow the track. Keep to the river bed until you get to the Te Araroa Trail. Make sure you leave Swift River and switch to the North Ashburton River at the very distinctive Rock Pillar. Forget the banks unless you can see a clear path or you will end up in matagouri hell. The trail from Comyns is very distinct, I ran it in the dark.
The North Ashburton river had more water than the Swift River. If it is very easy to cross the Swift River, you may have trouble later.
Non-existent.
Waterproof leggings, Thermal leggings, Long-sleeved thermal top, Seam-sealed waterproof jacket, Gloves, Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), Whistle, First aid kit, Extra food for emergencies, Survival bag, Cellphone, Map, Headtorch and spare batteries, Gaiters
More than you want. Much more - I spent a few hours in one river or another
In spring the rivers may just be safely passable, but very cold water. Probably very dry late summer but I can't see the rivers drying up. Cold at altitude - I had 3 long sleeve merino layers, gloves, hat & jacket and struggled for warmth. If you run faster you should be fine.
30+ river crossings - do NOT go if rivers are high.
Cold water
Cold at altitude
No marked (or mapped) route for 15km
Hororata Pie Shop
Hororata Village
Not that kind of place to have a website
Good coffee, great pies.
Fastest Known Times (FKTs)
You and Hakatere Shoe Washer
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These overlap with this trail to some degree. You may wish to combine them but please note that to qualify for FKTs on these runs you should record a separate activity for each.
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