Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Day 2: Powell Hut to Jumbo Hut
3½-4 HOURS, 7KM, 270M ASCENT, 260M DESCENT
The rest of the climb to Mt Holdsworth is technically a route, with very few markers or
cairns, but the trip is so popular that a track has been worn to the peak and most of the way
to Jumbo Hut. Fill your water bottle before leaving Powell Hut, because there is little water
along the ridge.
Heading northwest, climb steeply for 15 to 20 minutes until you reach a small knob at
1330m with a battered sign on top. Below is Powell Hut; above, in good weather, you can
see the trig on Mt Holdsworth. It takes another 30 to 45 minutes of tramping along the ridge
to reach the trig. From the summit of
Mt Holdsworth
(1470m) there are excellent views of
Mt Hector, the main Tararua Range, and the small towns along SH2.
Three ridges come together at Mt Holdsworth. The track from Powell Hut follows one
ridge, while another is marked by an obvious route that heads first northwest, then west to-
wards Mid Waiohine Hut (two hours). Those heading to Jumbo Hut (signposted) need to go
east. You almost have to backtrack a few steps from the trig to pick up the partially worn
track that drops quickly to the ridge below.
Once on the ridge it takes 1½ to two hours to reach Jumbo Hut. The route climbs a num-
ber of knobs: the first is marked with a rock cairn near the top, the second involves working
around some rock outcrops on the way up, and the third,
Jumbo
(1405m), is really a pair of
knobs with several small tarns between them. As a side trip you can continue along the main
ridge to Angle Knob, about 40 minutes away, where there are some good views.
Jumbo peak's southern knob has a small cairn at one side; a track running along the east-
sloping ridge begins here, and it's a steady 30-minute descent to Jumbo Hut. Within 20
minutes you come to a spot on the ridge where it's possible to see the hut far below.
Jumbo
Hut
(20 bunks) has excellent views from its veranda. At night you can see the lights of
Masterton, Carterton and Greytown, and if you get up early on a clear morning the sunrise is
spectacular.
It's a reasonably short tramp from Powell Hut to Jumbo Hut, so an enjoyable afternoon
can be spent exploring the ridges to the north and viewing prominent features such as
Broken Axe Pinnacle or the Three Kings.
Day 3: Jumbo Hut to Holdsworth Lodge
3-4 HOURS, 9KM, 890M DESCENT
