So, off we went early on Saturday morning and headed up the Atiwhakatu track to the hut there which is a lovely trail. We enjoyed a cruisy morning and sat at the hut for an hour or so before heading up to Jumbo Hut. It was so good to sit and relax for a while before heading up the big trail, because we knew it would be challenging.
Pretty much the moment you leave Atiwhakatu Hut you head straight up the hill for Jumbo. (Anytime something goes by the name "Jumbo" you can pretty much guarantee it's no easy jaunt.) Essentially it's about a 700m climb over 2k! Yeah, basically it's like a crazy climb straight up the mountain without a break. It took us around 2 hours to make it to the top, but that was mostly due to the fact that I was going really slow! I am not used to climbing like that, and I haven't tramped with a pack in two years. But, we made it.
I should comment here that Travis has made reference over the past two days, that tramping with me up these big mountains is like "dragging an anchor"...I commented that "every boat needs an anchor" to which he cleverly replied, "not the fast ones!"...He is a funny man. He was very gracious to wait patiently for me to push through the pain and make the climb to the top!
Jumbo hut is quite nice. It's just a small hut up on the top of the hill. We enjoyed a nice cuppa tea and rested for a while. There was only the Hut Warden up there at the time, so I did a bit of yoga and stretched out my legs to recover for the following day. We played cards and hung out and then the hut gradually started to fill. It was pretty much a full house last night. (Fair warning that you always want to go early to get a spot because these huts do fill fast during summer!)
I do confess that I was sorely disappointed when we reached the top and I found out that Travis had failed to bring the chocolate!!...He said, "oh, we didn't need it"....When do you ever NOT need chocolate? Let this be a fair warning to all trampers - after climbing a massive mountain, you NEED chocolate! Don't ever climb without it! haha...
We left the hut (You can see it in the distance) around 7:30 this morning and the weather was amazing. It was a beautiful morning and you could see the ranges all around. 
We took this picture of as group of teens coming over the ridge. There were seven teen boys that had come up to Jumbo Hut last night and stayed with us there. They were some of the nicest, most generous kids I have met in ages. I was so impressed with how polite and friendly they were. One of the kids offered us lollies and then in the morning offered to share his peaches with us - honestly, what kind of teenage boy offers someone else food?! haha...I just thought it was lovely. They had come up the trail for a "challenge" and were just a bunch of friends hanging out - what better way to enjoy doing something fun with your friends? So cool....Anyway, we also had the pleasure of meeting a young family with three boys who had just tramped over from Powell Hut the day before. The boys were young and carrying packs and tramping so bravely! (The youngest was only 8 years old!) I was incredibly impressed....There were others in the hut as well, but these young people out taking on the ranges just amazed me, so I had to comment - WAY better than sitting in front of video games at home, and so nice to see families/friends out together like that.Today was a long day, with a lot of up and down, but mostly down. We hit Jumbo summit and then tramped along the ridge to the top of Mt. Holdsworth.
The trail junction of Jumbo and Mt. Holdsworth.
My favorite part of the tramp - resting at summit! haha...
We have taken pictures of Powell Hut before as we stayed there about two years ago. It's a lovely big hut and provides a lot of good sleeping space. We stopped there for morning tea, briefly, and then started the massive decent down. By the time we hit Powell Hut it was close to 11am.
We ended up stopping for a quick snack at a small shelter about an hour down from the Hut and then pretty much the last 5K or so are pretty easy going. By then, your legs are pretty beat up, but the trail itself is cruisy. This is probably one of the nicest/well maintained trails in the Tararuas.
There is quite a nice lookout point where you can see how much further you have to go!....The carpark is down by the river in the distance. (I am sure it is meant to be encouraging)
Overall, this was a fantastic tramp. We really enjoyed the beautiful weather and being out and seeing all the lovely views. I broke in my new pair of Lowa tramping boots that Travis got me for my birthday (after our last tramp the soles of my other pair of boots had almost completely torn off!) They were amazing, so I have to put a plug in for them here. I am a BIG fan now of Lowa. This is the first tramp I have done without getting blisters (and that's over a two day tramp with a pack!) I have to say that I am so happy with how they got me through the past two days!We highly recommend these tracks, and the huts where we stayed. It's a great weekend trip!! Now time to rest and recuperate!
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