Saturday morning we parked at Boiler Flat and easily found a mellow crossing of the Makarora River. We climbed through steep but relatively open beech forest on the true left of the Leven to gain the top of the 300m high glacial bench through which the Leven and the Ore cut impressively steep high-flow canyons. Much bush wading brought us to the first flats, which were happily sandfly-free. After morning tea we continued on up the Leven through a steep and bouldery section of the stream, which required some bush sidling and wet boulder hoping. The going became easier from the middle flats to the expansive upper flats. Here we soaked in the trail-less postcard perfect valley before the punishing 300m uphill climb to the saddle with the Ore. After a bit of a false start going for the wrong saddle, we found the correct route, which looked considerably more pleasant.
Middle flats
Escaping the Leven
The climb was steep at times, especially at the top where clumps of tussock were the only hand and foot holds available. Once up, we savored the grand views and toyed with grandiose schemes of traversing the ridge for some distance. These were thankfully abandoned and we bombed steeply down the tussock scrub and beech to the flats at the head of the Ore where we easily found a great campsite on stream adjacent mossy flats. A few bits of firewood were collected and we had a nice, but modest, fire as we cooked and ate dinner.
Campsite in the Ore
The other 4 were ridiculous keen to wake up at 3am to attempt the peak at the head of the Ore. I decided sleep was higher on my priority list and had a still and quiet morning until the others came back just before lunchtime. We enjoyed a nice lunch in the sun as a persistent breeze blew down the valley, a precursor of the front to come. We packed up and made good time down the valley of the Ore. This valley was a bit different than the Leven with long flats at the head that gave way to moderately steep alluvial fans and then ultimately bush. Often the stream provided good sport and better travel than the bush. In the warmth of the day the waist deep crossing were quite refreshing and my mind drifted to thoughts of canyoning as we past blue pool after blue pool. Inevitably we abandoned the stream and sidled steeply out the true right to avoid the canyon of the Ore. Eventually we found a track of some description and made good time cutting through the cliff bands and popping out onto the open forest on the top of the glacial step. The trail disappeared at a near-cliff and I opted for a direct descent down the steep and thickly bushed hillside, the others chose to traverse for a while. I found the 2m wide benched track at the base and took it to the Leven swingbridge. I dropped my pack and walked to the base of the misty and thundery Leven canyon while waiting for the others.
It was some nice country with some spectacular weather and good company, but I think I have been having issues with tramping for the point of tramping recently. The annoying bush bash parts felt too much like fieldwork and the time spent along the streams made me wish I was canyoning. The wide trail-less valley flats and the brief time on the tops were pleasant.
