Mount Oxford overnight tramp

Camping along the Wharfedale Track

Camping in beech forest along the Wharfedale Track makes a much better start to a day tramp on Mount Oxford.

We took the hour's drive from Christchurch and parked at Coopers Creek carpark late in the day.

Saturday's day trampers were just heading home.

It looked like they hadn't had good views from the summit as the upper part of the mountain was in cloud. But we were optimistic as our favourite weather website, Snow-forecast.com, had told us to expect clear skies on Sunday.

The DoC information board at the car park said it was a three hour walk to get to the Wharfedale Track. But we only had two hours before darkness and we did't expect it to take any longer than that.

We started off at a good pace and settled into our usual groove. The track was good under-foot and had a consistent easy grade all the way. And it worked out just five minutes under two hours when we reached the Wharfedale, and found a good camp site too. This was just before the Mt Oxford track junction.

As it darkened, a Morepork perched in a tree close by sounded out its onomatopoeic call ("moore-poork, moore-poork") and replies from other Moreporks echoed back from all directions. They continued for another hour while we had tea and settled down for the night. The last of our serenading owls eventually fell quiet in the distance and we slept on a soft carpet of moss.

We were up with first light at 7.00 a.m. All the bellbirds in the forest started tuning up their notes together and practiced their clear little tune ad libitum. The wind softly sounded its own song in the tops of the trees.

We climbed the Mt Oxford track. I had a case of the 'eagers'. I was eager to see what was ahead, and the  climb seemed effortless, though my heart was pounding in my ears. I was glad to have the cool morning air stopping me overheating too much.

It was 9.30 when I reached the track junction at the 1130 m mark.

Branches brought down by heavy wet spring snow fall

All around here a large amount of fallen tree branches littered the ground. These had been brought down in a heavy wet snow fall late last winter.

The forest had been healthy here before now but that might start to change over the next few years.

When a lot of beech forest gets damaged like that it can cause a massive infestation of pinhole beetles (platypus species). Their population explodes from feeding on all the dying timber. Then as the next generation of beetles emerges they start attacking living trees.

The old NZ Forest Service recorded this process developing over many years following snow damage to beech forests. It's part of the natural cycle. It'll be interesting to see how the early phase develops here.

Honora caught me up and I left my pondering behind. A short distance later we emerged above the tree-line into sparkling sunshine.

Looking north east to the Lees Valley from the the track up the western ridge of Mt Oxford

There was such a contrast of space and light after the confines and gloom of the forest. And the sunshine added warmth even though the air was still cool.

We walked on up and reached the broad flat top of the range.

Below and to the east, the Canterbury plains were covered in a thin blanket of low cloud. I could see the cloud moving steadily inland, just like a wave of water flowing across the land. As it reached a point just short of the beginning of the hills it was evaporating along a continuous line.

Further inland, the high ranges stood up like a long straight wall. That's where our eyes turned.

And as usual I started noting and naming-off all the peaks and passes to myself. But there was more to it than just putting names on them. As I recognised each feature it also brought back memories of the times I'd walked those mountains and ridges and valleys. The whole landscape seemed to come to life in front of me.

I walked on with a most sublime feeling of contentment.  And the pleasant walk along the easy kilometre to the high point of Mt Oxford helped too.

The Mt Oxford summit has a large wooden trig point frame marking it. Nearby is a low rock wall that people have created as a wind break. We didn't need the wind break as it was now warm and calm, and we sat out on some comfortable rock seats to eat our lunch. It was only 11.15 a.m.

I'd been expecting there would be people about, day trippers from town. But no-one came. It didn't make sense, as we could see Christchurch was having one of its classic gloomy grey days, hidden under the low cloud flowing in from the sea. Maybe people didn't realise the hills would be above it.

It being so early, we decided to go for the 'grand traverse' of the whole Mt Oxford range. This would be a new red line for both of us ('red line' is the way some people have their maps covered in red lines showing the routes they've covered).

It was flat and easy walking when we continued. A short distance further along the range we came to a wide area of golden tussocks. In the middle of these was a very pretty pool of water surrounded by bright green cushion plants. Not only beautiful but useful to know for a refill too.

Onward toward Oxford Hill the tussocks were a bit taller, and meant we needed to give more attention to where we put our feet instead of just gazing at the views as we walked.

View of the Ashley Gorge valley and the narrow gravel road winding through it to Lees Valley

Another kilometre and the view ahead looked down into the valley of the Ashley Gorge.

This marked the end of the range proper and the terrain turned downwards. 300 metres further below we came to Ashley Saddle.

We climbed the ridge up the other side and our route turned south. From our new vantage point we could see lush bush again, in the southern faces and gullies of Mt Oxford.

4x4 track on tussock slopes of Mt Oxford far above the intensely farmed Canterbury Plains

An old 4x4 track sidling just below the ridge tempted us with easier walking. But just around the corner it dropped away to Big Ben Saddle, which was not the way we wanted to go.

Our route continued to the end of the 900m high ridge and then turned downwards, following a fence-line on the crest of a spur as it dropped another six hundred metres to the Coopers Creek road end.

The final section twisted and turned through native shrubs, gorse, patches of beech forest and pine plantations, to emerge at the Payton Lodge scouts camp.

It was 3.00 pm when we reached the car park. That's very early for us. We still had time to for a refreshing afternoon tea in the garden at Oxford's Cafe 51 before heading home.

Comments

[scarcelle scarcelle]

That is awesome! Can i go tramping with you please? :-)

[Graham East - Sth brighton, ChCh.]

Hi & thanks. Wld love to do this on my own later this year. (2014) Can you please direct me to a map to download? I wld be grateful.
Cheers - Graham