When you go tramping, you are wise to plan for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Another cliche that comes into play is: Expect the unexpected. That’s what occurred when eight members of the Whanganui Tramping Club went into Ruahine Forest Park this month.
They planned to walk along the track towards Iron Gate Hut and check out the slips which resulted in DoC closing the track.
At first, all went well and a couple of small slips were passed without problem. Where the track passed close to the Ōroua River it was decided to walk back down the river. However, about an hour later the party ran into a large, deep pool that couldn’t be passed and so was forced to return the way it had come.
The party included a member who had come this way without incident in January and he was surprised to find this obstacle had suddenly emerged.
