The recipe for today was durable clothing and off track goodness. A venture into Lake Sumner Forest Park saw me tackling the aptly named, Hooligan (1,582m).
Research into Hooligan had returned very little in the way of information. A few hunting forums, and the odd hiking page mentioning a summit. Looking at topo maps, satellite imagery and what little information I could find, I had picked my intended route and was packed and ready.
It wasn’t a ridiculously early start which was nice but there was no rest for the wicked as I started gaining some serious elevation, fast!!
The initial climb was in open tussock land with minor shrubs dotted around the place. Soon after I reached the bush edge and this is where the fun began. With there being no track to the summit, the only thoroughfare was that of previous hunters and game trails.
I was thankful for my correct choice of clothing. I was clambering through bushes, under and over branches, between trees and through rocky gaps.
Finally after an hour and half, I had reached the plateau of the leading ridge up to the summit. A short break, taking photos and food felt good as the remaining travel was in open tussock and shrub land. Much easier to navigate.
The ridge produced nice walking and I made good time up the hill. The sun was out and burnt off what remaining low cloud there was and the winds developed the higher I got.
It wasn’t long until I was doing the final push up the scree to reach the highest point for today. The top of Hooligan.
The winds were strong at the top but fortunately, on the leeward side of the ridge there was a beautiful flat pad which someone had built years ago. It provided me with a stunning backdrop, out of the wind whilst having lunch.
The views were amazing and with some rough calculations, I felt as though I could make out Tapuae-O-Uenuku in the skyline. It may not have been but I’d like to think it was.
After a lovely break in the sun, it was time to descend. The journey back was rather uneventful but still enjoyable. The views were stunning, weather pretty bloody good, and a day in the mountains will always beat a day in the office.
#40 Hooligan – 1,582m, 12.8km, 6 hours
Till next time,
Cam.