The Umukarikari Track is more of an off the beaten track than my other recent walks. Come along with me for an epic two day, camping adventure in my tiny tent. I started at the road end on Kaimanawa Road with the plan of walking to the Waipakihi Hut and onwards. The torrential rain and wind however didn’t allow me to continue with my full plan which was to return via the Urchin Range. This video is a great example of taking sensible risk management and adapting your plans as need be. There’s no harm in bailing and coming back another day!

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The Facts:

Umukarikari Track, Kaimanawa Forest

ℹ️Stats

📅 Date: 28/01/2023 - 29/01/2023 Weather: New Zealand Summer; torrential rain, cloudy, wind, thunderstorms.

🌲Location: Umukarikari Track, Kaimanawa Park Park, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

⛺️ Accommodation: Wild camped in a marsh meadow! The huts is $15

Day 1 – Kaimanawa Road End to the Waipakihi Valley near the hut

Moving Time: 5:22:07 (hiking / tramping)

Elapsed Time: 8:12:50Distance: 16:19 km

Elevation Gain: 997 metres

Maximum Elevation: 1,574 metre

Day 2 – Waipakihi Valley to the Kaimanawa Road End

Moving Time: 5:07:00

Elapsed Time: 7:10:56Distance: 17:67 km

Elevation: 679 metres

Maximum Elevation: 1,574 metre

Notes

I walked this in extreme rainfall, if you’re doing this track be aware that there’s no bridge over the tributary stream at the trail end in the Waipakihi Valley near the hut. Four deer stalkers were ahead of me by around an hour and ended up swimming across the river further upstream, they had the advantage of being in a group and being much taller than me. The next day the water level had dropped half a metre however I still wasn’t keen to walk across it.