Winter Hike to Black Birch Bivvy

We’ve always thought winter is one of the best times to get out and discover new places.

This winter hike into the little known Blairich Conservation Area had been on my radar since last summer, and it turned into one of those trips that reminded me why getting out in the colder months can be so rewarding. It’s easy to spend too much time huddled up warm inside on cold winter nights, and while that’s fine for a while, we find that a good winter journey helps stop that laid-back feeling from dragging too far into spring.

For us, winter adventures are a way to get the creative juices flowing and start thinking about spring plans before they arrive. We’ve got a few names for our non-mandatory winter missions, but there’s one that happens every year no matter what: our pilgrimage to the snow.

Blairich Conservation Area had been on my radar since last summer. During a break in an extended gravel touring trip, I’d glanced up Black Birch Valley on my cross-country mountain bike and made a mental note to come back. Yes, you can bike here too — more on that later.

The original plan was to spend two nights in the area, but the forecast had other ideas. Still, there was one good thing about the weather: some of it was coming in from the south, which meant snow. So while the first day would be wet, it also meant there was a chance we’d get to play in the snow the next morning.

A brief history

Blairich is a very modern conservation area, but the landscape has a long and complicated history. From the mid-1800s through to the 1940s, these steep ridges were held under Blairich Station. Burning was used to encourage tussock growth for sheep grazing, but that came at a cost. The native forest was stripped back, soils were exposed, and erosion took hold across the fragile slopes.

Later, under tenure review in the 2000s, the land was split between private and public ownership. Some of the higher, more vulnerable country returned to the Crown, while easements were kept in place through surrounding pastoral land to maintain public access. Today, that means walkers and bikers can still move through this landscape and experience it for themselves.

Getting to the bivvy

There’s really only one hut in Blairich, and that’s a small two-person bivvy tucked away on a ridge at the head of the valley.

We weren’t sure how popular it would be, so we wanted to make sure we got there early and secured the beds. To do that, we headed in on Friday afternoon and camped at the Blairich recreation reserve, so we could be first on trail in the morning.

A damp walk in

Blairich is a little off the visual radar as you drive up the Awatere, because you have to walk a few kilometres through an easement [legal access strip] on private farmland before the valley really opens up. As we made our way in, the light drizzle that had been threatening settled in properly.

That wasn’t a bad thing, though. The track eventually led us into shelter beneath towering mānuka [native tea tree] and kānuka [native shrub/tree] forest, and even though this isn’t the original vegetation of the valley, it’s still a really pleasant place to walk through.

The lower valley track is well graded and benched [cut into the hillside], and the steep climb up to the bivvy is straightforward enough. The majority of it is also open to mountain bikers year-round, which makes it a good option for a wider range of adventures.

Once we crossed the final tributary to Black Birch Stream, the real work began. From there it’s a steep climb of about 500 metres up to Black Birch Bivouac at 850 metres. On the way up, the cloud lifted every now and then, just enough to show that the drizzle below was turning to snow higher on the main Blairich range.

The winter hike to the bivvy

By the time we reached the bivvy around midday, damp and ready for a break, I had already started to suspect I’d underprepared a little.

We made a hot drink, had lunch, and settled in. But as the afternoon cleared, the temperature dropped fast inside the uninsulated bivvy. Before long, I was wishing I’d packed a few more warm layers.

Because our clothes were still slightly damp and overnight temperatures were forecast to drop below freezing, we ended up using a fairly simple but effective trick: jumping into our sleeping bags to help dry things out with body heat. We took turns popping out for hot drinks and dinner, then retreating back into the bags again.

I eventually gave up trying to dry my socks completely, and by about 8 pm my feet had finally thawed out!

The Black Birch bivvy is a solid bolt hole [shelter], but in winter it’s probably best suited to people chasing snow rather than anyone looking for comfort alone. That said, it does have fantastic views back down the Black Birch Stream from the point where the climb begins.

Into the snow

We planned our wake-up so we could catch the moment when the sun started to push above the clouds and warm the ridge.

The climb up toward the broad slopes of Blairich is a really nice alpine-style ridge [open high-country ridge], without being technical. It gives you great views back down the valley and across to the surrounding ranges. Before long, we hit the snow line at around 1,000 metres, and our footsteps changed from crisp rock crunches to the muffled, softened steps of snow travel.

We picked our way upward alongside the rest of the valley’s wildlife. Goats bleated in the morning light, and a deer bounded away through the snow as we passed.

We paused briefly at Blairich to take in the view as the clouds broke, then started our descent.

The long way down

Navigation from the top of Blairich is straightforward. Because this was once farmed land, the old fence lines still run down the ridge, making the route easy to follow. It’s a long, gentle descent with wide views out toward Marlborough’s Cloudy Bay and the mouth of the Awatere.

Halfway down, the high-country farm roads take over and speed up the descent toward the top of the Black Birch mountain bike track.

That track is a purpose-built two-way mountain bike route that drops about 400 metres back to the valley floor. From there, we simply headed back out the way we’d come in.

A very good exploration

That pretty much wraps up this winter hike through Blairich Conservation Area. It turned into a really rewarding weekend with interesting terrain, big views, and a proper sense of exploration throughout.
You won’t find much information on this area on the Department of Conservation website. Please reach out if you need some more information… happy to help

We did spend some time in the cloud, and I reckon the views would be even better on a clear day. The bivvy was a cool place to stay, but I think most people would enjoy it more in slightly warmer weather — unless, like us, you’re deliberately chasing the snow!

Top tips

• We based our timings around Tiny Trampers’ trip report, and they were pretty spot on for people with slightly above-average fitness. Check out their blog post here.
  
• If you’re planning on using the bivvy, get up early or take a tent just in case. There are currently four mattresses and two bunks in the hut, so it will take four people at a pinch.
  
• This is a dog-friendly reserve — you just need a permit from the local DOC office, and you need to take a leash for certain tracks.
  
• There are quite a lot of biking opportunities here, and you’d easily knock off all the bikeable tracks in the valley within a day.
  
• The Blairich scenic reserve is part of a smaller part of the DOC Reserve land and theres plenty more options for biking , hiking and four wheel driving in the immediate area.

Want to plan your own custom expedition for a larger group? Get in contact — we provide transport and solid logistical advice. Have a look at the other blog posts on “Express News” for some great ideas.