By Darren Hooks
Is the view flying over a mountain better than the view from the mountain top itself?
At first pass it ought to be – the vantage point being higher. Yet, the view from the top itself has its own distinction, imbued as it is with the toil and sweat of the climb. One view rapidly changing, and set to an orchestra of pistons and push-rods. The other still, static and quiet. Both tinged with adrenalin, a sense of the unknown, and risk mitigation. Neither gained easily.
The question bobbed around in my mind as we slogged up the Mole stream, en route the Mole Tops, slowly gaining altitude against the backdrop of the Tutaki river valley below.
To me, the combination of aviation and tramping is the ultimate yin and yang. Complementary forces of a well-performed landing, with a well-executed mountain route.
For the Wellington-based Hooks family of Darren, Liz, Ed (14) and Katie (12), the outdoors has been a part of life long before aviation. But with all roads from Wellington heading north, our recently acquired Cessna 182T (JRY aka ‘Jerry’) has conveyed access to the DOC estate only surpassed, perhaps, by a tail dragger or helicopter.
The plane opens up the Southern Alps for weekend or short in-out trips, timed to optimal weather. Indeed, flying somewhere only for coffee and to fly straight back has never given me a great deal of satisfaction. For me, a deeper experience of the destination is required to justify the fuel burn – whether it be a swim, bike ride, tramp, or catching up with friends and family.
So it was that when the AOPA NZ back-to-basics Tutaki fly-in was advertised, I immediately pulled up the surrounding topo maps to see what tramping prospects Tutaki might offer.
The Mole Tops stood out, and a quick internet search consolidated a plan to fly into the AOPA NZ meet-up then extend our stay in the valley with a three-to-four-day circuit up the Mole stream to the Mole Tops, returning via Tiraumea river.
The hospitality of Steve and his family was incredible, both in getting us to the track, but also in taking us in, wet and bedraggled, at the end of the tramp while we awaited a weather window to fly back north.
Logistics were complete when Steve Todd of Tutaki Station very kindly offered to not only accommodate the C182 for a few days beyond the AOPA NZ fly-in, but also to drive us the 15km from his airstrip to the outlet of Mole stream to begin our tramp.
The AOPA NZ fly-in got off to a slightly shaky start for Jerry, as she ran out of elevator travel on approach, which may well turn into a whole other story. Suffice it to say that the combined efforts of Ian Sinclair in splitting our payload and the sage advice of many others in the debrief were reflective of all things great that AOPA NZ membership offers.
I’m hugely indebted to the AOPA NZ senior team who worked some sort of background magic to conjure up Dave Paterson, who flew in the next day to sit in Jerry’s right-hand seat for a day of strip flying instruction… just what was needed. By the end of the day, I had a whole page of notes of things I’d learned from Dave after a very enjoyable day’s flying.
Unsurprisingly, with the fly-in being timed to the best weather, we would be left a mixed bag for the tramp. With rain in the forecast, plans to camp among the tarns of the Mole Tops gave way to an overnight stay in the tiny four-bunk Mole Hut.
A misty climb up to Mole Saddle was followed by a soggy and slippery descent into the Tiraumea river.
Next, a slightly high river meant a well-earned hut day at the 6-bunk Tiraumea Hut, and the opportunity to sit around a campfire spinning yarns, recounting scout campfire skits, marvelling at the (brief) appearance of the stars, and generally feeling bonded as a family and at one with the universe.
The hut book contributed some pages to both a draft of this story, and some algebra revision for Ed.
The final day down the Tiraumea river was a wild and beautiful route, criss-crossing the tannin-stained river innumerable times. Day 4, and the kids had found their tramping straps, leaving both parents to marvel at how they were now lagging behind. Track markers were aplenty, but as for a track – well not so much. Just as we like it. Four days in the bush, and not one other human seen.
So back to the question. As we gained the crest of Mole Saddle to patchy mist and drizzle, only one thing was really clear – whether the view is better flying over a mountain as compared to the mountain top itself would certainly not be resolved on this particular trip.
Cover image: Descent from the Mole Tops to the Tiraumea River.