| Group | Leader | Mentor | Understudy | Tailender |
| Stds | Alan H | Dave R | Lynne | Ailsa |
| Alternates | Norma | Leonie | Ali | Margaret E |
Stats: Stats: distance 7.3km, ascent 824m/13km, time 4hrs 30mins
The bus departed at 8.00 am from Bishopdale (instead of the usual 8.30am) and, after a further pick-up at Yaldhurst, we had a total of 48 including Alan, our bus driver for the day.
The Standards were walking Mount Barrosa (a new tramp for the Club) which is an easily accessible peak (1364m) with good views on a fine day out across Hakatere Conservation Park and even to Aoraki/Mount Cook. Hakatere Conservation Park is centred around the Ashburton Lakes District between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers. It covers nearly 60,000 hectares of rugged mountain country, tussocklands, beech forest and sparkling clear rivers and lakes between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers. Seventeen km west of Mount Somers, the Barrosa track starts from a small car park on Ashburton Gorge Road, about 500 m east of Blowing Point Bridge. The car park gives access to public conservation land after a walk of 780 m.
You will note that the spelling of Barrosa differs from the Australian spelling of “Barossa” Valley near Adelaide which is confusing. Both seem to be named after Barrosa in Spain, the battle site of the Peninsular War by Colonel William Light, South Australia’s first Surveyor General. The Battle of Barrosa was fought on 5 March 1811. Barrosa Station when it was known as Clent Hills, was a huge property that extended from the Stour River valley to the eastern shoreline of Lake Heron and took in the western flanks of the 2333-metre Mount Taylor. When the Clent Hills run was broken up early in the 20th century, the Clent Hills name was retained for the Mt Taylor portion and part of the Lake Heron basin. The remainder (which included the actual range still known as the Clent Hills) was renamed Barrosa. The 25-room homestead was damaged in the 2010 earthquake. When Barrosa pastoral lease completed the tenure review process in 2010, some 4,840 hectares became public conservation land, and the remaining land was sold as a going concern.
As the Alternates were walking the Stour River track, they were dropped off first and the bus continued on a short distance to the carpark at the start of the Mt Barrosa Track. The Standards set off at 10.15am. Unfortunately, Mt Barrosa was shrouded in low-lying foggy cloud cover so once we started climbing up the well-marked track any views disappeared. Some of us were a little worried about the tramp being a steep climb but were pleasantly surprised that we had no problems climbing up. The track is 7.3km long with an ascent of 824m to the summit of Mt Barrosa. We arrived at the summit at 12.15pm and sat amongst the rocks eating our lunch looking into the foggy surroundings imagining the wonderful views we were missing out on. It was a little chilly, but the cool wind was doing nothing to shift the cloud cover.
Setting off after lunch we were a little disoriented because we were immersed in fog and couldn’t find the start of the track back down but after some scouting around found the orange pole and fence line. After a headcount to ensure all present and correct away we went. On the way down the cloud cover broke giving us spectacular views before surrounding us again. Coming down was a little slippery in places with nasty spaniards hidden in the vegetation to make it interesting! We arrived back at the bus at 2.45pm and then drove to pick up the Alternates arriving back in Christchurch about 5.15pm. Even though the weather was not the best we all really enjoyed the tramp and would be keen to do it again, hopefully getting to see the amazing views that everyone talks about. Txt by Judy R
Thirty alternates, consisting of regulars and those disinclined to attempt a steep ascent of Mt Barrosa, set off just after 10.00am. An easy walk along a track parallel to Stour River while hearing the chime of bellbirds/korimako and the zonk zonk of Paradise shelduck/pūtakitaki/pūtangitangi. Rhyolite rock columns made interesting features on the hillsides. Lunch was enjoyed near a fast-flowing ford before we returned, a cool breeze reminding us that the season is now autumn. There was momentary concern/merriment/relief as people resorted to the bushes for a comfort stop only to be told there was a DOC caution alerting of the possibility of live ammunition in the former army training area. All alternates arrived safely back at the bus pickup point about an hour before the Standards. Txt by Marie-Therese.
