The Wangapeka river was high so we decided to go reverse the trip and go to Stone Hut first and come down Chummies track and hope the river was lower in a few days.
So we set off on a sunny morning and walked 21km on flat easy ground to Stone Hut, 6hours , seems a long time I know, we had a few breaks and enjoyed the warmth and sun.

 
Next day it was 2 hours up to the bush line and out onto the tops. We spent 5 hours out on the tops and the summit, mist coming and going, drizzle and sun, with views down to Lake Luna. With lots of route finding and some exposure,  we pushed onto Kiwi Saddle hut, some 40 mins from the tops through the bush, and sat in the sunshine for the late afternoon hours [wishing we would have had the clear skys while on the tops]. Mt Luna with visa would have to wait for another day!

Next day loomed grey and the drizzle started early. After a short time we reached the saddle where you can drop your bags to summit Mt Patriarch (1701m). We did not, as the rain and mist continued. The ridge has minor peaks and there is a bit of scrambling along the way and some exposure on rocky ridges.

The rough track along the ridge is visible but requires some route finding, especially in conditions like ours, with no visibility. John Reid hut is 20min down from the ridge with superb views over Mt Owen and the ranges. The turn off from the ridge is clearly marked by a massive orange triangle that was easy to spot, even in the fog. 

We had the fire going, the sun came out and we got our views and enjoyed the surroundings of this gloriously situated hut. The next day we walked out in glorious sunshine down the Chummies and crossed the river safely.

A great adventure, thanks to Astrid and the team for all the route finding along the way.

Participants: Maral, Chrissy (scribe), Paul, Sharon, Astrid (leader)