#58 of 100 trips for 100 years - Hermit's Cave (Silver Peaks) 21 May 2023

There have been a number of trips into the Silver Peaks during the #100 trips and we had been past the Hermit's Cave on trip #5 but today we were going to take a detour to visit one of the caves used by the hermit of the Silver Peaks in the late 1950's  While there have been around 20 trips to the Hermit's Cave since 1967, it is rarely visited these days so it was heartening to have 12 people arrive for the start of what was to be an adventure to a part of the Silver Peaks that only two or three people on the trip had been to before. 

The walk started as most trips to the Silver Peaks do, with a one hour walk into the Green Hut site. Despite the track being wet underfoot and quite sloppy with mud, we made good time to the hut site where we were pleased to see that there have been two recently installed seats.  Most of us took the opportunity to sit on these new seats and enjoy a snack before tackling the next uphill section. 

The track from the Green Hut site climbs up a number of extremely muddy steps through the last of the bush to the ridge where the views started to open up with Pulpit Rock ahead of us, Mosgiel and Saddle Hill to the left and Waitati and the coast line to the right. The climb towards Pulpit Rock is a steep 200m climb along an exposed ridge where the recent heavy rains had scoured out the track .  The pace up the hill was relentless and we regrouped at the base of Pulpit Rock giving us time to look around and admire the view.  From this great vantage point we were able to pick out places that we had recently been to during the #100 trips.

The next section of track is a sidle around the head of the Painted Forest to reach the turn off along Rocky Ridge.  The Painted Forest is another little visited part of the Silver Peaks and got its name because the green forest looked painted amongst the silvery/gold tussock of the Silver Peaks.  Today the tussock tops are being taken over by scrub and the painted forest doesn't look as out of place as it once did. 

The turn off to Rocky Ridge is not marked and is often overlooked, however  it is obvious for those who know what to look for.  While most people on on this trip had not been along Rocky Ridge, no one showed any hesitation to take the indistinct trail and we were soon swallowed by the head high scrub as we tried our best to stick to the obscure and unmaintained track.  In places the track can be difficult to follow but once your feet find the track, it's best to trust them and just keep going while pushing through the scrub.

It was along Rocky Ridge that we started to really feel the cold wind blowing over the exposed ridge.  One way to keep warm was to simply keep moving.  Once amongst the Cat's Teeth we were able to shelter behind the large rock tors while waiting to regroup.  On a fine day such as today, the views all along the ridge are spectacular and. it is easy to see where the name Rocky Ridge came from. In places we were able to look a head to the rocks that are home to the Hermits Cave - that is if you know where to look.

 

Before we knew it, we had reached the turn off to Hermits Cave and again, this was another of those indistinct routes that you would miss if you didn't know where it was.  What can only be loosely described as a vague route drops steeply off the side of the ridge and requires both hands to keep yourself upright as you slip and slide your way down through the vegetation.  The best form of attack was to keep the person in front of you within sight but this was difficult as at times small trees appeared to swallow the person and it was a matter of pushing through and keeping moving.

 

The small cave about 30m down from the ridge is often mistaken for Hermits Cave but those of us who have been there before know to continue steeply down the hill for around 120m  before sidling to the right under the rock bluffs and eventually (after most have given up hope) you will stumble across the entrance to Hermits Cave.The descent to Hermits Cave requires a sense of adventure and confidence in your navigation skills.

It is obvious that this is the real Hermits Cave because it is dry, very sheltered on all sides and has more 'home comforts' than any other cave in the immediate vicinity.  From my last visit here 4 years ago, the chimney is no longer standing but there are more  bottles and billies for water collection and there is the addition of an indoor plant.

Hermits Cave was a good place for lunch as it is sheltered and enough room inside and out for such the large group.  There was lots of discussion about what it would have been like living here for 3 years, including surviving 3 cold winters by yourself in this remote part of the Silver Peaks.  All too soon lunch was over and it was time to head back up the hill to the ridge.  What had seemed steep on the way down, was just as steep going up and required both hands to help pull yourself up the steepest parts.  After a lot of huffing and puffing, all 12 of us were happy to regain ridge.  The wind was still cold on the ridge and we didn't linger long before retracing our route as best we could along the indistinct track on Rocky Ridge.

After Rocky Ridge, reaching the main Silver Peaks track is like walking on a highway and while the track is still muddy in places and gouged out by recent rain, it is easy to follow and you have time to look around and appreciate your surroundings.  We made fast time down the main track to Green Hut Site where we took the opportunity to sit on the new seats and have an afternoon snack and while it was still cold, we were out of the wind. 

The final hour of walking is along Green Ridge from the hit site to Mountain Road and we have completed this part of the track a number of times over the #100 trips.  It has been interesting to see the changes of the track from a hard, dry surface in the summer to wet and muddy now. There has been some track maintenance with trees being cut back along the sides of the track and the colours of the manuka forest have changed with the different weather and progression of seasons. Over all it was an enjoyable day in the Silver Peaks where 18km and around 700m of ascent was covered in 7 hours.