Aorangi Undulator

Parking is ample at the finish but limited at the start, so please sort your travel before race day. Carpool where you can, and team up with other entrants beforehand. Travel list →

Accommodation nearby:

• Te Kopi Homestead
• Waimeha Camping Village
• DOC campsite at the Pinnacles
• Washpool Retreat
• Lake Ferry

Bag drop: warm clothing and other belongings can be left with volunteers at the start, and will be taken to the finish.

If you’d like to meet other entrants, arrive at registration early.

The Aorangi Undulator is a backcountry event, and conditions can change quickly. Come prepared.

• Essential gear: the full minimum list is on our race regulations page. Gear may be spot-checked.
• Your best trail shoes. Expect wet, slippery, technical river travel, mud, scree and precipitous descents, with very limited course marking. This is a route, not a track.

WREC’kd uses CalTopo for navigation and tracking. The Undulator course is set up on a CalTopo map, and the map can be downloaded for offline use. See race tracking for how it works.

• Join the event map: download the CalTopo app, then join the group. You can share your location within the app, or link your Garmin device.
• Garmin inReach users: please enable MapShare and email your MapShare link (and password, if you’ve set one) to office@runs.nz before race day. Zoleo or SPOT users, send us your track link. It lets the race crew see where you are without needing to contact you, which speeds things up considerably if we’re looking for a missing runner or helping at an incident nearby.

Note: this map is public. On race day, your location will be visible alongside our volunteer marshals.

Racing as a team, or need to update your details? Email us.

Point-to-point: Mangatoetoe → Putangirua Pinnacles, ~27 km / 2,000 m ascent.

• Route map: PDF
• GPX file: download. Load it onto your phone’s mapping app, fully charged, before race day.
• Course marking is limited. Marshals are at the huts and the Pinnacles turn-off only.

You must be checked by the marshal at every point above. Miss one, and as far as we know, you’re lost!

If you reach Kawakawa Hut more than 3 hours after the start, you won’t be allowed to continue. You’ll be directed out to the nearest road end via the Otakaha, a very nice walk in its own right.

Safe exits from the course are via Kawakawa Station and Washpool Stream. Only leave the course with a marshal, so the race director knows your location and status.

From Ngā Rā o Kupe, pick your way up the Mangatoetoe on any of the many braided lines to Mangatoetoe Hut, then continue up the correct stream.

Within 4–5 km the Mangatoetoe branches multiple times. Take care to follow the large orange DOC triangles.

The valley closes in and turns gorge-like. Travel up the river, dipping in and out of it, following the orange markers where you can. Where the trail exits the river, it’s well bedded and marked.

A steep climb of roughly 130 m puts you over the saddle. The first undulation is brief, but the descent into the next catchment, Otakaha Stream, is precipitous. Take care. It ends at a waterfall and pool.

Follow the Otakaha downstream, boulder-hopping for 4 km, then start scanning the true right. You may see shortcut routes, and a large DOC triangle marks where you leave the riverbed. Miss it and you’ll carry on down the river, past Kawakawa Hut. Go through a copse of trees on a well-cleared track, and continue along the flats to Kawakawa Hut.

Kawakawa Hut sits on the true right of the river, where a 4WD track crosses. You must get checked by the marshal here. Note the 3-hour cut-off.

Head upstream, crossing the creek regularly, for 10–15 minutes. Turn left at the wooden “Pararaki Hut” sign.

The next undulation follows a fine knife edge between tributaries: roughly 310 m of climbing, steeply up a narrow ridge (be careful, don’t fall off), then a long cambered sidle to the saddle. It’s awkward, off-camber work through native ongaonga and rocky shingle.

Over the saddle, descend to the Pararaki. Turn right (upstream) and follow it to Pararaki Hut.

Pararaki Hut is 100 m upstream, on the left (true right). You must get checked by the marshal here.

A big hill: roughly 550 m of climbing. There’s windfall at the base of the track, not far from the hut. Follow the orange tape and markers through it. From there it’s a solid climb on an obvious track, opening out through beech forest with plenty of tree fall.

Then a very steep descent, scary in full send, ending in a final 30-odd metres of loose scree where it’s very easy to gather momentum, wanted or otherwise.

Turn left at Washpool Stream and follow the blazes downstream for 100 m. Look for the sign to the hut on the true right bank, then head up the steps to Washpool Hut.

You must get checked by the marshals at Washpool Hut.

Much like the last: follow the well-signed Kopi track up, up and up. Approximately 550 m of climbing, steeply to the summit, then an obvious left onto the NW ridge. If you can afford the time, a brief dogleg at the top gives good views of the unnumbered undulations to come.

The ridge undulates for 3 km through bush: false peaks, all of them brief. When you reach the old fence and 4x4 track, the climbing is pretty much over.

Descend through Gorse Alley. Like taking off a plaster, this is best done quickly. Showing weakness will be booed.

Take the signed (and marshalled) left turn to the Pinnacles. You must check in with the marshal. Turn left onto the lookout track, NOT the Circular Walk, and descend the obvious stepped route to the river valley. The course is bookended with geology: the Putangirua Pinnacles at one end, Ngā Rā o Kupe at the other.

Turn right at the river valley and follow the river downstream, towards the aroma of sizzling sausages and the rest awaiting you.

Look out for BLUE WARATAHS WITH ORANGE TRIANGLES. There are two, and they’ll put you on the track to the finish. Miss them and it’s not a major. You’ll just be on rougher terrain, and it’ll take longer.

You’re done. Go party. You are not weak.

Manual timing, with splits at Kawakawa Hut, Pararaki Hut and Washpool Hut. Make sure the marshals can read your bib number and have noted your time.

Results will be published on this page after the event.

• BBQ: Choice Bros. beers, and a range of non-alcoholic options
• Prize-giving: with the final finisher

Our events only happen because of an awesome crew of volunteers giving up their time. If you can no longer race but can help out instead, flick us an email.