GRNC1 Stage n°4B : from Ouénarou to the Tristaniopsis refuge (by the ridges)

From the Refuge de Ouénarou to Pérignon Bridge (7.5 km – 3 hrs.)

D Hut (GPS: 678 563 – 7 549 260; alt. 178m) [> sleeps eight]: join the road and turn left towards the Park reception.

1 Reception (GPS: 678 602 – 7 549 470; alt. 173m) [> obligatory passage for paying entrance fees]: follow the wooden footbridge.

2 Maison du Parc (GPS: 678 525 – 7 549 495; alt. 182m): bypass it on the left and join an old skid trail that runs along a creek on the left bank, to the south. Enter a small wooded valley. The path climbs among old gum oaks (Arillastrum gummiferum) with bleached trunks and joins an old track. After a very sharp right turn, reach an intersection. Go up to the left towards a crossroads. Turn left (> ignore the unmarked track on the right). Follow, towards the west, the one which is marked out and lined with old logs. Reach an intersection. Take the uphill track to the right (> ignore the downhill track, to the left). At the next intersection, take a sharp right. Progress a few tens of meters at level.
Cross two wooded thalwegs. At the exit from the second of them, climb in zigzags up the side [> beautiful view of Lake Yaté]. Come out at a dominant point.

3 Shoulder (GPS: 677 503 – 7 549 896; alt. 385m): after a break [> cairn], the path resumes its slow ascent, meandering through the scrub and joins a track covered with blocks [> elements of ferruginous cuirass dismantled or coming from peridotite outcrops, rich in nickel]. Turn left to go up. And, in the stony embankment, follow a path that intersects the zigzags [> several cairns]. Get back on the track. Reach the pass (> fairly good GSM coverage).

4 Timba Pass (GPS: 677 074 – 7 549 976; alt. 482m) [> windy lookout, the glaucous Tristaniopsis (Tristaniopsis glauca) is common there]: then dive towards the valley of the Rivière de Bon Secours, following the track up to a ridge; circumvent it by the south-west.

5 Fork (GPS: 676 750 – 7 550 516; alt. 328m): turn left and ignore the unmarked path that goes north-west. At the next intersection (676 357 – 7 550 371), go straight ahead (> ignore the unmarked track to the right) to join a path (676 315 – 7 550 371) which turns south.
Leave the track which descends straight down the slope and take the path to the left in the scrub. Enter a small clear forest. Cross an often dry creek. Cross another more shady creek. Reach the junction with a botanical path.

6 Palm Track (GPS: 676 042 – 7 550 213; alt. 180m): turn left. Arrive at a faré [> equipped area and information panel]. Continue to the left. At the next intersection, turn left towards the reception area.

7 Bon Secours reception area (GPS: 675 877 – 7 549 964; alt. 178m) [> car park, WC, water point]: join the main vehicle-accessible track. Turn west and cross the creek.

8 Trois-Fûts Bridge (GPS: 675 782 – 7 549 957; alt. : 180m): immediately after, turn left, then right towards the marked path which progresses above. Cross a culvert. The route passes sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left of the main track then joins it. Follow it north for more than 100m. Reach the bridge.

From Pont Pérignon to Pont Germain (12.4 km – 5 hrs.)

9 Pérignon Bridge (GPS: 675 650 – 7 551 792; alt. : 170m): cross [> WC, water point, information panel]. At the exit, follow the vehicle-accessible track to the north.

10 Intersection (GPS: 675 599 – 7 552 315; alt. : 168m): turn right, then follow the vehicle-accessible track for about 500 m.

11 Intersection (GPS: 676 115 – 7 552 352; alt. : 170m): leave the main track and turn left (north-west) to take the track, shared with the mountain bike track that climbs on the side. Reach a bend where the route veers sharply to the right (east) towards the edge of the ridge (> fairly good GSM coverage on this section).

12 Crest (GPS: 675 974 – 7 552 745; alt. : 270m): at the intersection, turn left (> common route with the Kakariki trail). Walking west, reach an intersection.

13 Saddle (GPS: 675 608 – 7 553 020; alt. : 317m): go around the small summit (alt. 329m) by the north and, at the following junction (about 280m), leave the false track which goes to the right. Go around a shoulder (alt. 324m) by the north, then continue towards the west below the ridge. Reach a new saddle and an intersection.

14 Kakariki Track (GPS: 674 550 – 7 553 294; alt. 373m): turn left. The path climbs steeply and joins the edge of the ridge. Then it meanders around a few hillocks to the north or south. It crosses a small forest before joining a path that climbs from the bottom of the Blue River valley.

15 Dipodium and Nothofagus Tracks (GPS: 672 603 – 7 553 801; alt. 518m): continue straight ahead to reach the highest point where a VHF antenna is installed (alt. 563m) which covers the Park. The route then embarks on a peaceful descent towards a shoulder that dominates the surroundings (alt. 484m) [> nice viewpoint towards the northern area of the Blue River Provincial Park]. The trail dips in switchbacks to the bottom of the Blue River valley.

16 Intersection with the Mine du Mois de Mai trail (GPS: 671 071 – 7 553 956; alt. 402m): turn right. The descent continues in the forest, on a common part with the path of the Mine du Mois de Mai, until a new fork.

17 Fork (GPS: 670 726 – 7 553 716; alt. 327m):
turn right towards the north-west and continue to descend to join stage 5 of the GR® NC1.

18 Gustave Pass (GPS: 670 353 – 7 553 946; alt. 276m): junction with stage 5 of the GR® NC1 (point 14). Turn right. Reach an intersection on one shoulder. Stay on the main track to descend towards the valley of the Rivière Bleue. Approaching the river, the path bends its trajectory to the east. At the intersection, turn right. The route runs along the Blue River, on its right bank. After the Honeyeater trail [sentier des Méliphages], continue to reach Germain Bridge [> several farés with a fire place, a BBQ, a toilet block with showers and toilets, spaces for tents. Firewood and rubbish cans. Random GSM coverage at the Park shuttle stop].

From Germain Bridge to Tristaniopsis Hut (3.8 km – 1 hr.)

19 Germain Bridge (GPS: 670 989 – 7 555 071; alt. 175m) [> pleasant bivouac area near the river; faré, WC, water point; kagus accustomed to human presence] (> swimmers must be vigilant, flash floods can occur in heavy rains. GSM coverage disappears): cross the bridge to the north. Continue [> emergency call terminal] on the vehicle-accessible track, then leave it.

20 Fork (GPS: 670 538 – 7 555 292; alt. : 192m) [ > start of the Spring Track; phone booth]: turn right. An old skid trail goes up to the base of the Blue Mountain (Gwé Buru), progressing towards the west. Reach a creek (> crossing on slippery blocks in wet weather). Join the forest track in the undergrowth (> common section with the Spring Track, marked in yellow).

21 Fork (GPS: 669 118 – 7 555 785; alt. 233m) [> information panel]: turn right. The path follows an old forest track above the Blue River. Cross a concrete apron and reach the end of the stage.

22 Tristaniopsis Hut (GPS: 668 489 – 7 556 681; alt. : 255m): it is quietly installed in the forest, outside a curve of the track [> pretty creek nearby, water supply and emergency call terminal].

@Text Jean-Francis Clair

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