Adventure in Akatarawa Forest: Karapoti Gorge + Cannon Point Walkway [W #4]

Update, 2/11/21: I've had some feedback about the wording of this event, and have decided to include the fact that the maximum elevation gain should be around 345m. Also, we will be doing the full Cannon Point Walkway loop track (it was admittedly ambiguous before). As always, it's extremely important that you not only read my event description but also the links I've provided prior to coming; and if you have any questions, you need to ask before you come. Common sense, really.

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Time to escape the city and breathe in that fresh forest air! We're kicking November off with an exploration of the Akatarawa Forest. Bring a picnic and join us!

We're doing two routes within the forest park, namely: The Karapoti Gorge to McGhies Bridge and the Cannon Point Walkway to the Birchville Dam.

Descriptions for both routes can be found on the Greater Wellington Regional Council website: https://www.gw.govt.nz/walking-running-and-tramping-2/

Karapoti Gorge is ranked as "easy" by the Council so we'll be doing that one first as a warm-up. The Cannon Point Walkway is moderately more difficult, but not by much. Given that the total length between the two trails is somewhere in the neighborhood of 17.5 km this particular event may not be suitable for beginners. However, if you're reasonably fit and experienced with walking in nature, please do come along even if it's your first event with us! This is a good jumping-on point for anyone who thought the previous walks were too short :)

I'm allocating eight hours to do both walks and eat lunch, which should be plenty of time. The Cannon Point Walkway takes slightly over three hours whilst the Karapoti Gorge is slightly under three hours. We should finish around thirty minutes early, but the thirty minutes is built in as buffer time in case we take a bit longer.

As an aside, we will need to drive about ten minutes from Karapoti Gorge (which is an out and back track) to the entrance of the Cannon Point Walkway, which is located 3.5 km away on Bridge Road.

Otherwise, the rest of the usual stuff applies. Please wear suitable clothing for the weather on the day. This includes decent, closed walking shoes and a jacket in case the weather turns bad. You might want to bring a camera or phone for selfies, too. And don't forget the essentials like food/snacks, water, and sunscreen!

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Other bits and bobs:

1. We'll need to coordinate rides to get there, so I would suggest posting your availability to take people or your need for a ride (whichever applies) as soon as you sign up in the comments.

2. This event may be changed or cancelled depending on any government directives regarding the pandemic. Weather is a factor too, and we will let everyone know whether the event is going ahead or not by 6:30 a.m. on the morning of 7/11.

3. No event description is complete without a plug about the history of the area: https://www.gw.govt.nz/History-5/

(It's quite long, so I'll leave the link here for anyone who's interested in reading about where we're going.)

4. Please ask questions in the comments below if you're not sure about anything or something doesn't make sense to you!