Double Marchant Ridge

A scorching day in February was the setting for my first Double Southern Crossing attempt. That attempt was completed but ended with blood in my urine, sore feet, and an unsatisfying elapsed time of eighteen hours.

On my second attempt, I gave up on the first climb.

I was agitated. It was raining softly (even though there was no mention of rain in Jim’s forecast). I turned around before Marchant Ridge-Smith’s Creek Junction.

I remember arriving back home just before sunrise. I got into bed wrapping myself in blankets with a big grin on my face – really happy at my decision to discontinue.

My third attempt got snowed on.

So, for my fourth attempt, I had baggage and thoughts about doing it carried trepidation. In the end desire to do it outweighed the apprehension of giving it another go.

For convenience, like every other attempt, I started at Kaitoke. Part of my interest towards this route is based on how easy it is logistically - it’s the closest entrance into the Tararua Range (for me) and you finish where you start, so no pick-up required.

I started at about 6.30am on a warm breathless morning in late January. Rain wasn’t forecasted and none was falling on me as I jogged the first climb up to Marchant Ridge.

When I eat dinner, I like to eat the worst things on my plate first, leaving the nicest food for last. That way I’m left with a good taste in my mouth. Unfortunately, that’s not how this route works.

Starting in Kaitoke means I get to eat Marchant Ridge first, then I get some delicious mountain views and proper ridges. I’m left with just Marchant Ridge on my plate and by that point I’ll have had enough from earlier. To get back to the car, though, a second helping of Marchant Ridge needs to be eaten.

Anyway, that’s not a worry that came up on my first dose of Marchant Ridge. It was actually quite nice and I was feeling great as I made Alpha Hut in under three hours.

“I couldn’t stomach any more Marchant Ridge though.”

I topped up water bottles, ate a peanut butter sandwich and made my way for Alpha Peak, leaving that last thought behind at the hut.

The climb out from Alpha Hut felt easy comparable to other climbs that day. It’s the first time I got above the treeline properly.

Marchant Ridge teases you with some views but always leaves me wanting more. As long as there’s not much cloud around, the approach to Pukemoumou gives you the full show: Te Wāhipounamu, Kāpiti and Mana Islands, Kāpiti coastline, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Te Awa Kairangi, Lake Wairarapa, Wairarapa Plains and the rest of the Tararua Range.

I didn’t get to see that much up top with some clag about for my first crossing, but I was moving well. I had another chance for views on the way back. Despite greyed-out conditions, the wind had picked up and was gusty enough to keep the clag moving, giving me glimpses of the range laid out to my right, as I headed for Pukemoumou.

I appreciated not being too hot. No cloud cover nor wind, like what I experienced on my first double crossing, could turn the day into a real suffer fest. Always aware of that dehydration experience on my first attempt, I now did things like; drink fluids and fuel properly on long missions.

I continued to sip away as I made my way over Pukemoumou to Kime Hut. From Kime Hut, on my way down, I was gifted views of Ōtaki Forks - the turnaround spot. I was also treated to some well-formed trails from Kime which increase in flow the closer you get to the river.

I ran at a steady pace down this section, passing Field Hut, on my way to Ōtaki River, submerging myself in it as soon as I met it. I arrived there about six hours after leaving Kaitoke.

I expected the climb out from Ōtaki Forks to be a tough one, and it was. The expectation of distress is much better than ‘surprise distress’, though, so it was a slow grind back up Pukemoumou but not the worst climb of the day. That was still to come.

Most of the clag had dissolved away, taking the breeze with it, leaving me to see all the views in silence. The stillness slowed any racing thoughts and enhanced the views around me.

I arrived at Pukemoumou summit for the second time that day in just under three hours after leaving the river, and over nine hours after leaving Kaitoke.

My main goal was to go under fourteen hours which would be slightly faster than Danny Garrett’s FKT. In my daydreams though, I’d always thought twelve hours was doable because two six-hour crossings seemed manageable. Expectations rarely meet reality, however, and my daydreams don’t seem to model in fatigue.

On my way down Pukemoumou, back along the Dress Circle, after some rough calculations, it didn’t seem like twelve hours was in reach. Albeit I was moving well, three hours back to Kaitoke would be a difficult ask.

It’s mainly downhill from Pukemoumou to Alpha Hut following a sharp ridgeline which widens out before reaching a solid climb up to Alpha Peak. From there, I was able to check out Marchant Ridge, in all its glory, leading my way to Kaitoke. From that viewpoint it all appears downhill.

As I went below the treeline, nearing Alpha Hut, I felt the first signs of negativity breach into my thoughts and trickle its way down to my legs. I arrived at the hut with heavy limbs and a low demeanour. After ten hours on my feet, I only had 18km of Marchant Ridge left on my plate.

It took me three and half hours to reach Kaitoke carpark from Alpha Hut. Eating Marchant Ridge last was about as good as expected. This was where I came across the worst climbs of the day:

• The third worst climb was an unnamed climb after the Block XVI Junction. I was in wonder at how there could be so much uphill involved with going down a ridge.
• Second worst was the climb out from Hells Gate which opens to Marchant Ridge. It was very unpleasant bringing nausea into the game.
• The worst climb of the day was won by the section close to Marchant Peak where outcrops of ridge pop-out from the treeline. These outcrops are steep and technical to cover. Dizzy and sick at this stage, I threw my toys. I vocalised my anger in the direction of Marchant Ridge and found a stick on the ground which I broke into multiple pieces.

I managed to regroup and rally some energy reserves to finish strongly, running into the carpark 13 hours and 17 minutes after leaving it.

Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/17224980327

Instagram clip: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUcEYoakv6K/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==