Sawcut Gorge/Brian Boru biv - 24-25 January 2015

Uncle Roddus Tramping Diary: Tramp No.151

Sawcut Gorge/Brian Boru Biv - 24-25 January 2015

This club trip had been on my to do list for quite some time, but due to the distance to travel to get to the start of the walk and the short duration of the trip, the club doesn't go there too often. This is a nice summer trip when the rivers are low and the days are warm. Sawcut gorge is a very popular trip with the easy access to Isolation hut and the beauty of the terrain on the way in. I wont say too much about the gorge itself, I'll let the photos do the talking, but I will say, as cool as it is, it is all over so quick and after the buildup of how good the gorge is, I was just a little bit underwhelmed by it all. Still a worthwhile trip though.

Just three of us made the trek up to the Waima river, just south of Ward, The river was dry on the 10km drive into Blue mountain, where we leave our car for the hike into Isolation hut. Several cars are already there but most of them are day trippers. It is pretty hot as we drop into the Waima river from the Homestead and splish splash our way up stream, following the orange markers to guide us through the gorgy bits. Isolation Creek looms after about an hour and then we hit the Sawcut fairy soon after entering. We soon leave the Sawcut behind and proceed to travel up a lovely creek for another hour before reaching the hut around 1pm. Near the hut are some big slips into Isolation creek and in the creek bed are some of those spherical boulders just like the Moraki boulders. It's a pretty hot day and the Hut is stifling, after some lunch I decide to go for a walk up the track that leads away from the hut heading over to Brian Boru biv and Napoleon Biv. The others aren't interested in any more walking so I go alone and decide with the time I have I will check out Brian Boru Biv as it is the closest at only 2 hours walk. None of these tracks or Bivs are marked on my Freshmap but it is on the map our leader printed of NZ Topo Maps web site. It was about a 400m climb from the hut in the bush on a bloody hot day that got the juices flowing not to mention my current lever of unfitness. I got to Brian Boru Hut in just under the two hours mentioned on the track sign, had a rest and drink and replenished my water supply for the trip back. Got back in just about the same time as a group of 10 trampers from the CTUC arrived, it looked like tent city by the river.

 The next day was just head straight back out and actually got home by 3pm.