tristan riley

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Split in two by the main divide, and spread apart over 70 million years, lie our two Red Hills. In 2008 I tramped up the Cascade River to Red Hill in Fiordland.

Behind Nelson sits the twin Red Hill, made from the same ultramific rock, rich in Manganese and Chromium, glowing red under the sun.

To reach rock I walked up the lovely Wairoa River, with pools bright blue and cosy huts.

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The DOC signposts in Richmond Range hugely overestimate the walking times required, and I easily halved them.

Suddenly the bushline appeared, red rock towering above. I shivered under my aluminium survival blanket, taking lightweight tramping to an uncomfortable level.

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It was a five hour circuit to climb the 1000 metres from hut to the 1790 m summit of Red Hill, then traverse and drop a steep gut to return for lunch. Behind the peak a desolate moonscape valley stretches south toward St Arnaud. 360 views encompass the entire top of the south, including Kahurangi, Nelson Lakes, Waimea, Wairau, Abel Tasman and the ocean. Fantastic!

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A long walk took me back down the valley and along ridge tops to Mount Rintoul. This distinctive slab-sided peak is a steep climb. I made it out to Staveall as a nor-west front rolled in, the next day bringing pouring rain. Lucky, as I forgot to bring my coat!

The Richmond Ranges are so close to Nelson, with superb views and covered in cosy huts. It is amazing that so few people visit – the hut books date back to 1995, with plenty of pages to go. Go visit!