Maybe My Favourite Three Day Tramp, Ever
Mount Owen via the Fyfe and Bulmer, Kahurangi National Park
It’s a bold claim. I’ve done a lot of walking. But I think this three day loop in Kahurangi National Park might just be my favourite. Period. It all started normal enough. Tess and I were looking for a tramp of around three days near Lake Rotoiti. I had always wanted to visit Mt Owen but had never found the right time. I grazed the side of it at New Years as Hugh and I were making our way from the Lookout Range to the Wangapeka. This had only reinforced my desires.
With the weather window lining up our plan was simple. We would head up the Fyfe River Route to Branch Creek Hut on Saturday night. From here we would climb up the flank of Owen, summiting before descending down the unmarked route to Lake Bulmer to camp on Sunday night. Then on Monday we would follow the caver’s track down the Bulmer Bluffs to the Owen River. Here we would meet the regular Sunrise Peak Track which would take us back to the car.