Day Hike at Riverhead Forest (~23km)

Hi All

Grab your day pack and join me for a hike in the Riverhead pine forest.

⬤ When
Sunday 9 Jun. 2024

⬤ What
Day hike in Riverhead pine forest, located 20km northwest of Auckland CBD. The hike route will be a loop.
My dog will accompany me, you feel free to bring yours.

⬤ Difficulty
3.5 on our 1-5 scale.

• The hike is mostly on gravel roads through a pine forest. This is technically easy, but requires a good level of stamina. Won't bother regular hikers
• A few short sections might be a bit muddy or slippery. We might avoid them depending on the weather or what the majority of the group wants.
• There is a small chance that we will have to improvise an alternative route due to logging operations.
• There is no toilet on the hike route

⬤ Length
Roughly 23km to be done in 5-6 hours (including breaks and stops, excluding travel time)

⬤ Meeting place
Barlow Road carpark (located on Ararimu Valley Road)

⬤ Carpooling
If keen to carpool, leave a comment below to find yourself a driver or passengers. Recommended petrol contribution is 10$ from CBD.

⬤ Hike route
Barlow Road Carpark >> Barlow Road >> Barlow to Creek link >> Creek >> Hansen Road >> Jones Road >> Anzac Road >> Campbell Road >> Long Bush Road >> side track on the left >> back on Long Bush Road >> Link Road >> Barlow Road >> Carpark

(see the map and more details in the photos section. Also, links to PDF and KML files of the route)

⬤ Timing
09:50good time for everyone to be in the carpark to get ready
10:00 A quick introduction and briefing and starting the hike
16:30 Approximate end of the hike

⬤ Breaks
30 mins lunch break plus two shorter breaks, before and after lunch

⬤ Must have
Day pack
Water (2 L min)
Emergency and first aid gear
Rain and sun protection

⬤ Good to have
Electrolyte or salty snack (to maintain your stamina and prevent cramps)
PLB

⬤ Preparation
Study the hike route and carry it with yourself, preferably on a GPS navigation app or device
Be mentally and physically prepared for walking on gravel roads for several hours. We will try to keep a 4.5-5 km/h speed, which is faster than medium pace.

⬤ Safety
Due to the big number of tracks and junctions in this area, we try to stick together. This means maintaining your pace in a way that you don't lose sight of the person in front of you.
Expect to run into mountain bikes, horses, and dogs on this hike.
If you join this hike, you will be responsible for your safety, decisions and actions.

See you
Misagh
02102680868