A rugged tramp traversing Mt Papatahi, the second-highest peak in Remutaka Forest Park. By Sarah White

his trip goes from the Wairarapa west to the other side of the Remutaka Range, near Wainuiomata, so logistics can be tricky. A drop-off and pick-up will be needed, or two parties can travel in opposite directions and swap car keys in the middle. It can take one long day, or more if you stay in Wharepapa Hut on the Wairarapa side or one of the bookable DOC huts in the Ōrongorongo Valley.

From the Wairarapa side the track starts on farmland and follows a straight drainage ditch. If you follow the track markers permission is not required. After about a kilometre there’s a pretty beech forest, then travel gets harder as you sidle around a slope on a rough, gravelly track. After 1500m Battery Stream is reached.

Scramble up Battery Stream then a small slope to a saddle between Pt524 and Pt470. From here, the track sidles beneath Pt470 and then descends to Wharepapa Hut. The track is marked with orange triangles all the way.

The route then heads up Wharepapa Stream for about 300m before it leaves the stream on the true right to climb Papatahi’s flank. It’s a steep upward burst that will see you grabbing vegetation to hoist yourself upwards. There are things to climb over and things to crawl under and a stiff 700m to the top.

At Pt776 the gradient eases and there’s a beautiful ridge-walk through gorgeous cloud forest. At Papatahi’s 902m summit there’s a tiny circle of grass around the trig point to picnic on.

The descent from the summit starts gently but around halfway gets very steep. There is one section of steep gravel with not much to hold onto, which can be tricky. The descent drops into North Boulder Stream and follows it until the upper Ōrongorongo River is reached.

From here, it’s a left turn and much quicker travel down the Ōrongorongo River passing Papatahi Hut, Haurangi Hut and Turere Lodge – all sole occupancy huts that can be booked on the DOC website. 

Hook around Big Bend and walk a further 500m to the Turere Bridge. From here, the Ōrongorongo Track can be taken alongside Catchpool Stream for the final 5km to the Catchpool car park.