Question: Mt Edgecumbe

[vinodrinker]

Just interested as to why this peak was dumped from the list?

[Jon (aka site admin)]

Basically it was removed as it access by permit only.  Permits need to be obtained from a local trust office, which I think is only open on weekdays, and not over the holiday period for example.  The trust wants to meet with us personally to discuss our site and how access might work.  As we live in Wellington, we have yet to make a special weekday trip to meet with them - hopefully we will meet with them next year.  Our schedule's pretty busy this year and we've decided our initial focus should be on writing up peaks which are publically accessible.  We still have all those South Island peaks to write up!   

[Marcus]

I am down Whakatane / Rotorua way every month so if there is anything I can do to help just let me know 

[bacchus]

I want to bag it .. its not fair .. it was staring at me as we drove back to Auckland from Hikurangi. Damn Mountain tease!!!!

[michelle]

Putauaki is an easy mountain to climb, with an impressive crater.  It requires a permit, which costs $3 per group.  Permits can easily be obtained from the Maori Investments Group, and while their office hours are week-day only, they are reachable by email and payment may be made electronically.

More information here: http://lorenz.co.nz/2008/04/25/climbing-mt-edgecumbeputauaki

[vinodrinker]

thanks michelle. thats useful info thanks. nothing beats write ups based on personal experience.

we have this on our list to do in March.  Although off the official list at the mo, im sure it will make a return if it is as easy as you are saying

$3 a group beats the $150 a person they want on tararewa!

[GuanoGerbil]

You need a permit?? Crikey, that's news to me! I bagged this one last summer and didn't even know!

[SpaceMonkey]

This one should definitely not be off the list due to access issues- at the end of the day a few bucks for an easily obtained permit from Maori Investments makes Putauaki (use the official name, people!) a hell of a lot more accessible than Tarawera with it's $150 price tag!
It certainly meets all the other criteria too- it's a landmark visible for miles around, has local cultural significance, and the views from the top are fantastic. In fact it's been too long since I've been up there myself, I think I'll have to head up this week again!
The other possible peak in the area that might be worth including is Maungawhakamana- (it's the pointy one at the southern en of the Rotoma ranges, visible from most of the Eastern BOP). I stopped at the trailhead today and it looked pretty overgrown though, I might head up there this week sometime and check out the track condition and maybe file it as a possible.

[SpaceMonkey]

Climbed it again today, definitely a worthwhile climb, I'll write a proper trip report in the next day or so. Permit was no problem- I just rolled up to the Maori Investments office and they gave me one, although the price has gone up to $4. I asked them about provision for people wanting to get permits for the weekend and they said that you just need to call them during office hours, they'll take your name and vehicle details and have a permit done up for you which you can pay for and collect from the information centre in Kawerau (which is open on weekends). I mentioned that it might be a good idea to have the permits available from the information centre directly as this would simplify things for visitors, and they agreed that it would be worth considering and said they'd raise it with the directors.

[Muzza]

I climbed Mt Edgecumbe last year. It had been annoying me for some years and I wanted to bag it.
It turned out to be relatively easy to get the 'permit' in Kawerau, which was a nominal sum[$3].
My understanding is that the permit is to be able to use the access road which is a privately owned logging road these days, it doesn't cost to actually climb the mountain as such, unlike for Mt Tarawera.
The views make the climb well worthwhile.
It deserves to be on the peak bagging list.