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5/19/2018 0 Comments Bealey Spur, Arthurs Pass Bealey Spur is a great day trip or easy overnighter if you are looking for a beginner tramp. We decided to head up to Arthur's Pass and take on the the hill in order to try out the new tent we had just bought (because new gear right?!). Although an historic musterer's hut lies at the top of the track, it's two small bunks and cramped interior leave a little to be desired. There are plenty of places to pitch a tent and with far too much food in our packs we began walking in the early afternoon. The track is timed at around 3-4 hours return but without heavy packs most families could manage that time easily. We left the car just off State Highway 73 (14km south of Arthur's Pass Village) at Cloudesley Road. The track begins at the end of this road and winds gently up through the Beech Forest before opening out into tussock  With beautiful weather and plenty of traffic on the track we took our time up the first part of the spur and stopped to chat to many of the tourists and locals coming back from a day trip to the hut. We planned to feast that night and both our packs were heavily weighed down by food and drink making for a slower ascent. When we reached the halfway point the landscape opens up into tussock land with tarns scattered across the hillside. These are fun to explore so long as you don't actually fall into the freezing water! From this vantage point you gain sweeping views of the Waimakariri River towards Klondyke Corner in the East and the Hawdon Valley in the West. After satisfying our photo needs we continued on up to Bealey Spur Hut at just over 1200m. Upon arrival we found that the hut had been taken over (at four in the afternoon) by two anti-social tourists. We had a quick look around and then made our way 200m further on to our camp site for the night. It was finally time to try out the mighty Mannagum Howqua and I jumped straight into setting up poles and ropes with complete disregard for the instructions. The tent was going to be our answer to tramping in areas where bunks in huts cannot always be guaranteed and was our first big gear purchase. It's incredibly lightweight at 2.3kg and Jeremy can actually sit up in it without hitting his head on the roof which is a bonus. Once the tent was up we lit a small fire and got the potatoes and bacon cooking for an early dinner. It was a relaxing evening and we managed to draw out the cooking and eating portion for a couple of hours. The night wasn't quite so peaceful with a band of sadistic Kea harassing the boys over at the hut all night. Those birds are incredibly loud on a windless night and we got far less sleep than we had hoped for. The tent proved a winner though with plenty of room for both of us and our packs neatly stuffed under the extended portion of the fly on either side. In the morning we made short work of packing up and missioning it down the hill to the car as we had to be back in Christchurch by lunchtime. Take your time on this walk as the scenery is fantastic and feel free to bring along your less experienced friends as the track is far more achievable than some of the walks closer to Arthur's Pass Village. 
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5/19/2018 0 Comments Avalanche Peak - Arthurs Pass Beware of the local Kea, they have a taste for trekking poles and anything else you'll let them sink their beaks into! Avalanche Peak is a great little day trip for those who like breath taking views and punishing their quads. Starting right behind the Arthur's Pass visitors centre, the Avalanche Peak Track shoots straight up through some quite rocky terrain which is often snow covered before ending on a narrow ridge at 1833m. While this may not be the kind of walk you take your Grandma on as some sections will require all four limbs engaged as you scrabble your way towards the bush line, it's thoroughly enjoyable for anyone with a good level of fitness. Take plenty of water and something in the snack department to bribe yourself to keep going all the way to the summit (a cheeky Snickers Bar does it for me). I had set out with my husband and our very energetic friend Ollie from Christchurch at around 8am. The drive to Arthurs Pass Village is around an hour and a half and we parked just off the main road right beside the visitors centre. There was definitely snow on the tops so extra insulation layers were added to our packs before we set off for the ascent. You don't get much of a warm up and my legs were burning in the first five minutes - a feeling that thankfully wore off once we got into it. Conveniently, we took a moment to capture a few shots of the serene waterfall not long into the climb and let the body adjust to the impressive incline. It was 90 minutes to the bush line and also our first glimpse of snow. As the trees make way for tussock you can look back down the valley in both directions and up towards the summit which was well covered in the white stuff. We hadn't taken ice axes as the snow was fresh but the trekking poles came in handy on the steep slope as we made our way towards the top of the ridge.  Some waterfall goodness Unfortunately we missed a good deal of the view as it started snowing as soon as we reached the summit, but Derek the friendly kea stepped up to entertain us. I wonder what tourists think of going all the way to the top of a mountain in New Zealand and finding a basically tame endangered bird. We let him destroy the mud basket on one of our poles while we ate lunch but he wasn't keen to follow us back down. The snow slope we had carefully made our way up half an hour earlier was much more quickly navigated on our butts on the return journey. You can make your way back down the way you have come or instead descend on the slightly gentler Scott's Track which returns you to the road just north of the township. Expect to take just as long to get back down unless you want to swing from the tree branches which significantly speeds up the descent.  View from up top  One of the hard things about hiking in New Zealand is there are plenty of places you're not allowed to take your dog. That can lead to all sorts of feelings of guilt, betrayal and separation anxiety which are no fun for anyone. Cue the Hakatere Conservation Area. The Te Araroa Trail runs straight through it and at only 90 minutes drive from Christchurch it's perfect for finding overnighters that are K9 friendly. Head south to Mt Somers before turning inland towards Lake Clearwater, turn right onto Hakatere/Heron Road and drive 3-4kms until just before the bridge where there's a small car park at the side of the road. You can also access Mystery Lake from Lake Clearwater and if you want to walk in and out the same way I'd recommend starting from the Lake instead. We planned to complete the loop from the lake, over the saddle to Boundary Creek Hut and out past the west side of Dog Hill so parking here made more sense. As work commitments meant not leaving town until 1pm and stopping for fuel and lunch on the way, we didn't actually get on the track until three in the afternoon. For some stupid reason both of us were confident in walking 16km from the car to Mystery Lake in the less than three hours of daylight we still had left - more on this shortly. The track begins by crossing the wide open grasslands of what used to be a high country station and the gradient is only very gradually uphill all the way to Paddle Hill Creek. There was plenty of water here at the end of April so I imagine it's running all year round. The heat was well and truly getting to our four legged companion at this stage so we had to rest up and let her cool off in the stream as we watched the sun dip even lower in the sky.  Once we were underway again we had to pick up the pace as we hadn't really planned on looking for a tent site in the dark. Again the track is relatively easy to follow here but it would be an interesting challenge in the dark or with snow on the ground so keep this in mind when planning your trip. You follow the Te Araroa Trail until the junction with Mystery Lake Track. These junctions are well sign posted with track distances and times which are pretty accurate for the average hiker. DOC suggests 5 hours into Mystery Lake from the road end and we took just under 3 at a pace that may as well have been jogging. The last section of track has a few short hills and then you pop out at the East end of the Lake. The low lying areas are quite swampy but there are some ideal tent sites just to the sides of the track about 50m from the lake edge. It was basically dark when we arrived so we didn't spend too long choosing somewhere to set up camp for the night. It was a crystal clear night which always means two things - breathtaking starry skies and bloody freezing! I made the most of practicing my night photography, downed a re-hydrated gourmet feast and tried to make the dog a bed out of something that wasn't my sleeping bag before retiring for the night. Staying right next to a lake with a Labrador was a fatal mistake and she was soaking wet by the time we got her in the tent which in turn made my sleeping bag soaking wet. I didn't get a lot of sleep in the end and as I write this a semi-new four season sleeping bag may have replaced my trusty but somewhat tired three-season version. In the morning we climbed up the hill with a hot cup of coffee to catch the sun as it rose and thaw out a little. Once the tent was packed away we headed east and up over the hill behind the lake. This links up with the Potts Hut Track after about a kilometre and takes an easy climb up to the top of the saddle. If you are coming up from the Boundary Creek side then you're in for a bit of a gut buster, give yourself plenty of time and take lots of water in summer. After dropping down and taking a slight detour to the hut we stopped for lunch and some shade by the river. The hut had been full of hunters overnight and a couple were still there when we arrived. Having to keep the two dogs apart we didn't hang around too long and hit the track again heading for the car early in the afternoon. The way back to the car from here is essentially a four wheel drive track although you would need good clearance to make it through. DOC puts the walk out at 5 hours and we shaved a good amount of time off that due to not really stopping the whole way. We were back at the car just after two with one seriously tired dog and a strong desire for fast food.
All in all a cool little circuit with beautiful sweeping views and a stunning campsite. Easy hiking but long distances so give yourself plenty of time on both days. 2/26/2018 0 Comments Mt Tapuae-o-uenuku
If you like shingle scree you're going to love this mountain in summer!
A 90 minute drive from sunny Blenheim up the beautiful Awatere Valley lies the Hodder River and the highest peak outside of the Southern Alps. Mt Tapuae-o-uenuku sits at an imposing height of 2885m, half a day's amble from Gladstone Downs in the Kaikoura Ranges. An achievable ascent for the fit and enthusiastic, Tappy affords climbers impressive views as far as the North Island on a clear day. We had first heard about the mountain after watching Jamie Fitzgerald and Kevin Biggar on First Crossings and later after reading Sir Ed's account of his winter expedition in his autobiography.
Shortly after joining the Royal New Zealand Airforce, Hillary set out to climb his first "decent" mountain in three days. Hitching a ride about a third of the way from Blenheim on a friend's motorbike, he ended up walking most of the way into the Hodder and up to Shin Hut. He described his accommodation for the night as infested with both mice and fleas. Ed reached the summit in a white out and had to make the return trip down Tongue Spur in the dark, thankfully we had a slightly more relaxing encounter with the mountain. We had rung ahead to the owners of Gladstone Downs, Bev and Alan, to get permission to cross their land and let them know we were heading up. Alan met us at the Hodder bridge where we left the car and told us the river was looking good for our trip. The route starts through the gate beside the carpark and follows a 4WD track directly above the river for a little over half an hour. The track then dives down to the riverbed to commence the first of 80 crossings. Expect to have wet feet, all day. The sun was shining and we quickly forgot our soggy socks in favour of goat spotting. At 56 sightings in the 5.5 hours it took to the huts, we could have rounded them up and started our own cheese production. Navigation is straight forward with the confluence well sign posted and a well formed track towards the top of the valley. We arrived only to disturb three more goats from underneath the huts themselves. As another group had already claimed the larger 10 bunker, we set up camp in the second, equally pleasant 6 bunk hut. Reading the hut intentions book was pretty interesting as it seems a good deal of trampers were getting lost either coming up to the huts or up to Tappy's summit itself. We took a fairly direct route to the top but we found that there were a handful of pretty good variations on the same path. 
The view back down the valley from the Hodder Huts
Follow the track behind the hut and along the shingle scree for 10 minutes until it drops down to the river. Rock cairns lead the way to the far side and onto a track leading up above the gorge. It is easy to follow for the next hour as you make your way into the valley and up to a waterfall. This is the last stop for water before you push for the top so take a moment to fill up. The track skirts around the waterfall before cairns begin leading you straight up the shingle scree. We popped up into a basin and continued to follow the cairns straight up towards the summit. The main track heads to the right up a shingle scree and then around to the left onto the ridge at the very top. We climbed in a straight line up a rocky outcrop and onto another shingle scree directly below the actual summit. We had beautiful clear skies and not a breath of wind at the top so there was plenty of time to drink in the scenery.
It had taken less than 4 hours to summit so we decided to head around to Mt Alarm and see what the ridge looked like over there. In doing so we put a few holes in our hands negotiating the sharp scree below point 2711m. 2 hours later we were standing looking back at Tappy as the clouds rolled in over head. I waited for J at 2500m while he scrambled up the main ridge of Alarm but he returned soon after as the wind was really starting to pick up. Our journey down into the basin again was tedious as we rock hopped down a dry gully of boulders and more scree. If I don't see anymore rocks this month I'll be quite happy. Return trip from Tappy - 10.5 hours. Return trip to the car from the huts - 4.5 hours - most groups reported 6-7 hours between the road end and the huts and 7-9 hours for climbing Tappy. 
Looking back towards Mt Alarm
View from the top
2/22/2018 0 Comments Waiau Pass - Blue Lake
It was a sunny New Year’s day when I headed off with four of the boys for our next mission. The trip to Blue Lake had been on the cards for a couple of years and the stars had finally aligned to allow us to have a crack. An early start saw us jumping in the 4WD at the bottom of Mailing Pass and on our way to the start of the route. The walk in started at a very leisurely pace and after a couple of hours we made it to Caroline Creek Biv. The Biv itself is a bit cramped but the area affords great views up towards Waiau Pass and would make a great campsite. We soon continued onto Waiau Forks, our intended destination for the night, and made short work of setting up camp.
The next morning dawned sunny and hot and we soon found ourselves at the bottom of Waiau Pass. Here the track steepens considerably and heads up an obvious route on the true left of the creek. Halfway up the ridge towards the pass, a nice tarn is reached - marking our lunch spot for the day. Then the final climb to the pass starts up a steep rocky outcropping on the ridge. At times this required both hands engaged in the scramble. The top is soon reached and the pain forgotten as we took in the views out towards Thompson Pass to the south, and Lake Constance to the north. The descent is fast and furious from here, with two sections of shingle scree linked by a tussock plateau that will see you at the bottom of the pass in no time. A gentle wander down the valley to Lake Constance follows before the final hurdle - a short, steep climb to get around the bluffs on the west side of the lake. From here the track sidles above the lake and drops onto the remains of the landslide that formed Lake Constance at the north end of the lake. A short drop through the forest had us arriving at our final destination - Blue Lake. The waters of Blue Lake are the clearest of any lake in the world and quickly turns us all into photographers as we try to preserve the memories of such a magical place. Waking the next morning in our campsite on the side of the lake our thoughts turned to home and the challenge to get back to the car in one day was raised by someone… Ten hours and 15 minutes later we arrived back at the car in the pouring rain and notice that Waiau pass is no longer visible, hidden in thick rain clouds. We thanked our lucky stars that we weren't up there and began the drive over Mailing Pass back to a good nights sleep. 
Turn off Parkhouse Road and onto Mailing Pass just below Lake Tennyson
The track over Waiau Pass shouldn't be attempted in poor weather as the way becomes unclear
2/5/2018 0 Comments Sylvia Tops - Lewis Pass There is nothing quite like having your boss tell you to take a long weekend at the last minute and we wasted no time making plans to head into the hills. The weather was looking good for the Lewis Pass so after changing our minds four or five times, we finally settled on heading up the Nina Valley and traversing across the Sylvia Tops for two nights. The drive out from Christchurch on a hot summer's day was too much for the Corolla's air conditioning but we made it to the Deer Stalkers Hut around 11am. Our intention was to walk into the Nina Hut for lunch before making our way up to Devil's Den Biv in the afternoon. Fitness levels were at an all time low so we had lots of food and a whole lot of time to make our trip over three days. With great weather and full packs we set off onto the Nina Valley track which makes its way along the Nina River from the Lewis Pass road. It starts just past the Deer Stalkers hut and crosses the Lewis River via a swing bridge. The track is well maintained and we kept to a leisurely pace for the first few hours. The DOC time puts the second swing bridge two hours in and the hut a further hour along. All along the track are dotted identical wooden trap boxes - a project being maintained by the Hurunui High School and thankfully all were empty. With the day only getting hotter, the cool of the trees was more welcome than the open grassy banks of the river but we moved quickly through both all the way to the Nina Hut. Having stayed at the tidy 10 bunker before, I was keen to push on to the much cozier (read smaller) Devil's Den Biv on the top of Devilskin saddle. We took on some refreshments and left a note in the intentions book before continuing on our way. The track so far had been less than challenging but we soon hit some fun stuff as we traversed fallen logs and scrambled up steep banks to stay on the track. Although the climb is not considerable, small sections of track require some scrambling where trees have slipped lengthwise down the track or around the upper reaches of the stream.  Our campsite up on the tops After popping out at a clearing with a small campfire, the biv came into sight at the crest of the saddle. I think this may have been where the old biv was situated and it would make a great tent site if you found Devil's Den occupied already. Luckily we were the only ones around and we made short work of settling down and cooking dinner in the little two bed hut. Water is a short walk back down the hill and mind the Spaniards don't get you as you reach down to fill your water bottle. Although it was light until 9.30pm, after a delicious freeze-dried delicacy we were already being lulled to sleep by the soft gale force winds hammering the side of the hut. Day two was going to be a bit of a cruise and we started by sleeping in and taking our time over hot coffee. There had been thoughts of climbing the Devil's Rampart but high winds were discouraging us from attempting it on this particular trip. Instead we set to wading our way through dense scrub and up onto the Sylvia Tops. There really is no path here and I lost my companion a few times as we forced our way above the bush line. From here the ridge is a nice steady amble towards point 1625m as the tops slowly revealed themselves towards the east. One of my favourite things about this range is how every point is slightly different. Some are wide and grassy on the approach while others boast rocky outcrops and narrow ridges. With all day to kill, we explored each of them and the many tarns that dot the plateaus just below the main ridge line. Around 3.30pm we found a place to camp just before point 1624m and went in search of water. There was nothing to be seen on the northern side of the saddle but after a little exploration we came across some small pools on the southern side that formed the beginning of a stream which soon disappeared underground. We pitched the tent and spent a relaxing evening watching the sun set over the valley and boiling water from the least murky of the ponds.  The morning brought more fine and less windy weather as we packed up and got ready for the descent into the Nina River. Having been told that the old DOC track was difficult to find and had the potential to bluff out, we wanted plenty of time to find our way back down. Having not taken a proper topo map (slight oversight) I misjudged the peaks and led us further along the range than initially intended. Instead of dropping down to point 1293m we found ourselves further east at point 1591m. While I considered turning back, the spur we were now facing seemed pretty similar, if not a little less steep and we decided to practice our bush bashing instead. We followed the top of the creek immediately east of 1591m for the first 500m until the sides became too difficult to negotiate. Once in the bush we were able to move a little more freely but it took some serious work to get out of the thick bush and onto what we found was another faint hunting track.
I may have not been Kat's favourite person at this stage but I got some great practice in with my compass as I negotiated the bluffs and found our way down to the river. This section took us several hours due to the number of breaks we took but more experienced bush wanderers would most likely push through in 2-3. We lost and found the track more than twenty times before we broke out onto the banks of the stream once more. This we followed for five minutes until we rock hopped right out onto the Nina herself. A well earned swim was in order as the heat of the day had made for a sticky trek thus far. From here we shot a bearing straight towards the swing bridge at the start of the Nina track. The bush was much easier to move through on this side of the valley and it wasn't long before we were back on a well marked path for the first time in 48 hours. You can also follow the river all the way back to the highway if you prefer. I have mapped our actual trip above and after consulting with my husband who has been the 'right' way down from the tops I would say they were pretty similar. Neither route has an easy to find and/or follow track so take a compass and map to be safe. 2/5/2018 0 Comments Mt Princess and Princess Bath Looking across at Princess Bath Over Jack's Pass from Hanmer Springs and an hour along the bumpy stretch of Tophouse Road lies the banks of Lake Tennyson. This is a great spot for camping in the warmer months and is surrounded by great day walks and overnighters in every direction. We left the car at the camp site on the south-eastern tip of the lake and began our day-long return journey to the peak of Mt Princess. We had chosen to take the route up Mt McCabe from the lake and along the south-eastern ridge although you can attack it from the other side also. We discovered later on you could even walk in from the valley floor and make your way up beside the waterfall straight to the bath if the weather was favourable. The four of us were prepared for a long day and with ice axes in tow and we began our ascent at 9.30am. We had perfect blue skies and warm sunshine as we made our way across a small stream running out of the lake and around the sandy shoreline. In the interest of keeping our boots dry for a few more hours we carried them across and laced up on the far bank. There is no track when you reach Mt McCabe on the far side so we shot for a path up the steep hillside that avoided most of the Matagouri. We were aiming for a section of the ridge where a break in the trees allows an uninterrupted journey to the top. It ended up being steeper than initially thought but once out of the scrub we wandered easily along to the summit of McCabe. This is one of the more achievable parts of the day and took around 2.5 hours from the car moving at a leisurely pace. The sun was well up now and we took a break to cool down and re-hydrate before taking on the next uphill towards Mt Princess. From McCabe we managed the short descent down to a saddle before heading straight into a steep climb on the other side. We were still well below the Bath at this stage and it felt like it was going to be a long day with the summit of Mt Princess hidden behind the ridge. After 20 minutes going straight up we hit snow for the first time. From here the ridge became more difficult to negotiate as the rock is sharp and crumbles off with every second step. There is plenty of room to pick your way along this stretch without worrying about falling but we ended up needing both hands to climb in a few places. Unfortunately some boots came away a little worse for wear in this section as the rock tried to slice straight through to our socks. As we came up over the Bath for the first time and were able to look down onto the water we realised that she was mostly iced over. While there was little snow on the ridge we were standing on, the slopes leading into the Bath were covered all the way to the water. The scree is easy to slide down at this point whereas continuing along the ridge becomes even more challenging. We walked down the first section before glissading into a nice run out near the waterfall. The snow was soft so we had high hopes of an easy final ascent to the summit from the Bath. Some exploring was called for as we tested water temperature - hypothermia inducing, and looked for a little talked about route down from the waterfall to the valley floor. The initial plan was to climb to the top and then retrace our steps back down to the bath and then back up the scree slope to the ridge we had come from. Realising how much extra climbing would be involved we were reasonably keen to find an alternative path that was mostly downhill. After adding some extra layers we made our way around the partially frozen lake to the slope just west of the peak itself. The snow runs all the way to the ridge without hitting any rock from here. The ice axes were all but unnecessary as we sank in almost up to our knees in places. I let the boys kick steps in shifts as my feet are too small to be of much help to them. It was slow going but we kept a steady pace for 45 minutes until hitting the ridge. From here it is much easier to walk along the rocky tops for another 10 minutes until reaching the summit itself. You don't appreciate how much higher the summit is from the Bath until you look back down on it. The Bath is at just over 1700m so the final climb to the top is another 400 vertical to get to the 2126m summit. We took some time to appreciate the view and have a snack before beginning the descent back the way we had come. As with all snow slopes we sent Jeremy down first to test the glissading options and to see if he would stop before hitting the ice covered water below. He made it down in less than 60 seconds and came to an easily controlled stop at least 40m from the edge. With the test dummy safe and well the three of us followed, only having to avoid the odd rock or two near the bottom. Thankfully it was still sunny and warm and our pants dried out in record time.  Looking back down at Princess Bath from the summit The waterfall track supposedly has rock cairns to mark the way down but we only found one near where we crossed the waterfall itself. From here we made our way out onto the shingle scree on the south-eastern ridge which allowed us to descend to the stream bed below. This was a steep option for getting down but not difficult to negotiate at a slow pace. The scree isn't great to run on, much more of a controlled slide for the most part. Once in the valley we marched south-east through tall grasses while debating how to get back to the lake. The further we got along the stream the less we wanted to climb over McCabe again so we waited until there was only a small rise between us and the car before turning east again. A gap in the trees allowed us to weave our way across to the lake side and a tramp across swampy land back to the car.
Total trip time - 9.5 hours (5.5 to the summit, 3.5 return via valley) High for the day - 28 degrees Gates to fight over opening on the return trip to Hanmer Springs - 3 2/5/2018 0 Comments Mt Cassidy - Arthur's Pass Summit obscured by cloud I've been thinking for a while of heading off on a solo mission and overcoming a few fears that have been lingering in the back of mind. I wanted to climb something that would be physically challenging but also make me practice my route finding skills without having someone else to rely on. Mt Cassidy was a pretty perfect option for this. At 1850m the summit towers over Arthurs Pass Village and boasts sweeping views across the valley to Mt Rolleston, Avalanche Peak and Mt Philistine. With a steep track leading to only just above the bush line, I was going to get plenty of navigation practice and lots of rock scrambling. I left Christchurch at 6.30am and headed out to Mum and Dad's for an early morning beacon pick up before making my way inland to Arthurs. It was already 9.30am by the time I parked up amongst all the tourists at the beginning of the Devil's Punchbowl track. The weather forecast was promising rain later in the afternoon so I was already eyeing the cloud cover a bit warily as I headed off on Con's Track just on the far side of the first bridge (if you cross a second bridge you've missed the turnoff - it's a bit overgrown and easy to miss coming from the car park). If you've ever climbed the popular Avalanche Peak Route you'll be familiar with the part walking part climbing nature of the tracks in this part of the park. Unfortunately having been the first person on the track in a while I was eating spider webs every two metres and had to walk with my trekking pole held out like a light saber most of the way up. While there was nothing too challenging or exposed to worry about the heart rate was definitely up by the time I cleared the tree line an hour later. A warning sign reminding me that this was a mountaineering route was super comforting as I took in the bluffs immediately above me and the sparsely placed poles disappearing into the distance. I made my way up past the first few poles before taking a wrong turn and having to back track to find where the route began traversing around to the north-east. After making my way across a few smaller scree slopes, three poles indicated the start of the climb up to the main ridge. This slope is reasonably steep and I had to stay off the shifting rock to make any real progress up it. Head slightly to the right when you reach a fork about half way up - there are plenty of rock cairns but I found most of them on the way down rather than on the way up. Once you pop over the top onto the main ridge the going gets a lot easier with a large boulder field making for some rock hopping goodness. Continue heading straight up from the scree slope and you'll run into the first of several more rock cairns heading to the top of the ridge. Turn here and follow these to point 1810 and then onto the summit itself. I made good progress across the top and made it to 1810 by 12.45pm just as the clouds were really starting to close in and totally obscure the ridge in front of me. I had made it through all the parts of the climb that had made me nervous so decided to call it a day and head back down while I could still see where I was going.  View from the top of the Kelly Range There are so many walks, tramps and climbs in Arthurs Pass that I should really stop being surprised when I find another corner that I'm yet to discover. Sitting on the Otira side of the park, Carroll Hut was the perfect option for a solo overnight mission at the beginning of September. There had been plenty of snow falling in the weeks prior so I was surprised to drive over Porters and find the snow line sitting well above 1300m. The upside was that I could leave my crampons and ice axe in the car and take more chocolate instead. On the west coast side of Otira, take a hard left immediately after the first bridge onto a gravel 4WD track which leads to the car park at the start of the track. If your car has low clearance it might pay to park on the far side of the road and walk the short distance instead as some heavy machinery had been gouging holes in the access way. You will get attacked by sand flies as soon as you exit your vehicle - don't say I didn't warn you! Thankfully my gear was all sorted but I still managed to lose some blood just trying to yank my gaiters on before hightailing it to the start of the track. Typically for the area, the track heads straight into a steep but steady climb up an often quite rocky trail. If you've been up Avalanche Peak, which most visitors to the area generally start with, then you'll have a good idea of the quad burn to come. Whilst there are no steep drop offs, some fallen trees and a good bit of mud require some scrambling, climbing and semi-controlled sliding in places. I had a pretty good sweat on after fifteen minutes and appreciated the sparsely placed horizontal sections of track that allowed me to catch my breath and actually take my pack off at one point during the ascent. DOC suggests 2-3 hours to the hut but this is dependent on if you're just up for a day trip or staying overnight and carrying the requisite gear. I took less than two with a 13kg pack and a couple of five minute breaks but the incline was definitely challenging. Once you break out of the bush and gain the tussock the track winds around towards a waterfall high above Kelly Creek. From here you pop up and over the bluffs and find the hut sitting on a small plateau near the saddle. A tidy little 10 bunker with fantastic views from the loo, Carroll Hut made for the perfect lunch stop before I began along the range to the south-west. You could easily base yourself at the hut and climb Kellys Hill, an impressive looking summit at 1408m for an alternative day trip or overnight excursion.   I left my intentions in the hut book and set out towards Kellys Saddle where I planned to find the route heading along to the tarns where I was going to camp that night. When I got to where I could see the map showing the way I turned and walked along the ridge in the direction of point 1385. Unfortunately there was no sign of either a route marker or a track up on the top which struck me as a bit strange. It was a clear day and I was pretty confident of my bearings so I followed the map along where I thought the track would have been (more on this later) until I arrived above the four alpine lakes I had been searching for. The tarns are nestled in a valley of tussock and rock which was incredibly picturesque but offered the challenge of finding a flattish spot for my tent. I ended up right beside the edge of one of the tarns on the stony bank where someone had already flattened out a bit of a tent site (I'd recommend an inflatable mat). Getting tent pegs in wasn't easy though so I was glad for my tiny Macpac Sololight which doesn't take much to set up. It was from here that I finally found the aforementioned track, not where the map had it but further north and lower down from the ridge. I know what you're thinking but I used the GPS on my Map Toaster App to mark the actual track on the way back just to make sure I wasn't having a navigation fail. I went to bed early since it was bloody freezing and got dark around 6pm. I woke a couple of times in the night feeling a bit cold and when the sun finally came up the tarn was frozen over along with my tent. The process of de-icing it took a couple of hours so it wasn't until mid-morning before I was packed and ready to find out where the track went. Marker poles that were sometimes difficult to spot in the bright sunlight led back past the tarns before sweeping around the side of the ridge and coming back up from the north side of Kelly Saddle (see map below). Although the gradient was easier it was actually further than I had walked the previous day and took about the same amount of time (1 hour each way). This would be a great trip to try if you have a moderate level of fitness and want to experience tramping up on the tops without the worry of having to find water. To find the route from the hut just keep following the original track the whole way over the saddle as it turns and heads to the tarns a few hundred metres past where current topo maps place it. I'd be pretty keen on a swim in the summer months so maybe pack a towel as well. TIme up to hut - 1hr 55m Hut to Tarns - 1hr Tarns back to car park - 2hrs 40min  Following the marked track on the way back to the hut 2/5/2018 0 Comments The Three Passes - Canterbury Ariels Tarns at the top of Harman Pass There are a few classic New Zealand trips that have been on the to-do list ever since we started exploring the harder to reach parts of Aotearoa. The Three Passes is a 4-5 day tramp across the beautiful Southern Alps, taking you from the wide open rocky banks of the Waimakariri River all the way to the lush green valleys of the West Coast. The obvious issue is then of course how to get back to where you started. With only four days off work over New Year's and an aversion to hitch hiking after not showering for several days, Dad finally came to the rescue. We would leave our car at Klondyke Corner and meet him three days later at the bottom of Lake Kaniere - all going to plan. The first part of the plan went out the window when the third member of our party called in sick at 3am the morning of our departure. Having worked right up until New Year's Eve we barely had time to pack our gear, let alone change anything - the three man tent was going to have to do. We made a small detour on the way to Arthur's Pass to pick up another Beacon (since our missing comrade was responsible for this essential piece of kit) and leave a detailed map of where we intended to be and when.  Walking up the Waimakariri River on Day One By 12pm we were bumping up the gravel road to the car park at Klondyke Corner with a couple of hitch hikers in tow. They had been into Harman Pass and out via Julia Hut a few days earlier and needed a lift from the main road to their car. Assuring us that we would smash out the first day's walk in no time, we bid them farewell and set off up the river under a burning midday sun. The low river level allowed us to shoot a relatively straight line for the corner just past Anti-Crow Hut and we passed several groups heading out after spending New Year's Eve in the Crow Valley or up at Carrington. If the river level is higher it would pay to make your way to Anti-Crow Hut and follow the track from there to the river where you need to cross below the bluffs. If you cannot find a safe spot to cross here you probably need to wait for the river level to drop as you may get yourself into trouble. I made a mental note to enjoy the fine weather as the next two days were forecast for rain on both sides of the divide. Our destination for the night was the top of Harman Pass and the Ariel's Tarns so we were happy to make it to Carrington at 3.45pm with plenty of daylight and energy left. This is the obvious stopping point if you're going to take 4 or 5 days to do the trip and the hut is a very accommodating 36 bunks in capacity. After chatting to the only couple there (where was everyone - it's the middle of the holidays?!) and grabbing a bite to eat we set off on the track to the Clough Cable Way. Positioned just below the Taipoiti River, the cable way allows safe passage over the rapids if needed. We were lucky enough to be able to cross easily through the water as I have a thing about heights - and falling from them. From here we turned up the near branch of the Taipoiti and began the long rock hop up to Harman Pass. The heat was almost claustrophobic in the narrow valley and it was all I could do to be distracted by the near mythological beauty of the place. Stunning waterfalls cascade from the high walls either side of the river and alpine daisies lay nestled in beds of soft green moss or sprout from the sides of boulders. Peter Jackson obviously missed this place when picking film locations, although it's probably for the best that it gets minimal human disruption. As we popped out at the top of the pass, poles marked the way to our campsite to the left, and down into Mary Creek on the right. When we arrived, we found one lone gentleman ensconced in a little rock hotel for the evening and two pristine pools of freezing cold water. The Ariel's Tarns are a stunning spot to spend an evening and we cooked a surprisingly sumptuous dinner (with actual meat) looking up at Mt Isobel and Whitehorn Pass. At about 6am the next morning the first ominous drops began to hit the tent and spelled the end of our weather window and my ability to take photos. We decamped, donned the heavy duty rainwear, and set off towards the permanent ice of Pass number 2 for the trip. When we actually hit snow, it was soft and slippery so we threw our crampons on to speed up the journey to 1753m. Visibility wasn't ideal but we found our way easily through the chunky scree and over the other side where a track could be found winding down into the valley below. Between gaps in the cloud cover we caught glimpses of the Cronin Glacier beneath Mt Rosamond as we skidded our way down the wet scree. Although not particularly dangerous, this section of the route may be an uncomfortable introduction if you haven't had to slide down shingle slopes before. A good rule of thumb is to just go with it... unless you're precariously close to a cliff... then get the hell away from the cliff. We were fairly damp by the time we reached the river and as the track had petered out into nothing we began boulder hopping our way along it instead. This was a slippery and energy draining exercise but with the rain still unrelenting we were reluctant to stop for a break. When we rejoined the track just east of Park Morpeth Hut, it felt like a highway. By the time we arrived at our first shelter for the day we were soaked through and well overdue for a coffee. Another sodden tramper had just turned up after coming over Browning Pass and we took a break to swap information about the track in either direction.
It was only 2.30pm so despite the temptation to stay at Park Morpeth we shouldered our wet packs and continued up the Wilberforce to Browning Pass. I'll admit I didn't believe I was looking right at Browning until I had eliminated all other possibilities, it looks more like a mountain than a potential alternative to Arthur's Pass. The wide zigzagging track maintained a generous gradient for the first two thirds of the climb and I was lulled into a sense of disappointment at how easy the going was. The last 200m was a completely different story as the distance we had traveled, the rain and a distinct emptiness in my tummy all contrived to make the final slog much more interesting. The bluffs directly below the top of the pass were steep and difficult to negotiate in the rain as the rock was understandably slippery. I took a lot more time picking a stable route to the top than would have been necessary in the dry. As we finally topped out and caught sight of Lake Browning through the rain and mist I was rejoicing for having brought a massive tent. We set it up in a hurry and collapsed inside to finally dry out and eat properly for the first time in 7 hours. It hadn't been a particularly long day by tramping standards but we were both reasonably sore and ready to smash some calories that night. The rain never stopped.  A Pair of Whio relaxing amongst the rapids When we woke up on day three of our journey, the tent was sitting in a puddle of water (thankfully the bottom was totally waterproof), none of our clothes had dried overnight and even less of the lake was visible through the cloud. Putting on cold wet pants first thing in the morning wasn't ideal but after we had stuffed the dripping tent into our packs and set off again we soon warmed up. The poled route led around Lake Browning towards the north before descending steeply into the Arahura River. Water was flowing over the track as we dropped down into the valley to commence even more boulder negotiation - if you're into rocks, the three passes is the trip for you. By the time we were halfway to Harman Hut the rain began to ease and then stopped altogether. We also came across a pair of Whio, the endangered Blue Duck, surfing the rapids and diving for food. All throughout the track, traps are dotted around to keep the area predator free for these little guys so it was cool to actually see a couple. We hadn't planned to spend long at Harman but I couldn't pass up the chance to dry out some of my gear. After half an hour we were refueled and significantly less water logged as we made our way towards Styx saddle. The track is pretty amazing from here on out, wide enough to walk side by side in places, with the exception of the muddy swamp at the top of the saddle. With no rain and plenty of room to stretch our legs we arrived at Grassy Flats Hut mid afternoon, well ahead of schedule. Walking out would have been an option but we weren't being met until the following morning so we ditched the tent in favour of the hut for the night. Grassy Flats is easily accessible from the Hokitika side and as such is full of hunting magazines and, God bless someone, a Marian Keyes novel. I whiled away the evening quite happily with my book and the leftover pick-n-mix before settling in to the most comfortable of our three sleeps.  Swing bridge just past Harman Hut We were up early, eager to meet Dad and be in Hokitika by lunch time. With the weather looking great we left our rain jackets in our packs and marched off down the well worn track. Although the path is beautifully groomed much of the way, a few slips made life interesting as we passed over crumbling banks and down a few steep drops to pass side streams. The large slip at the very end of the track, where it meets the 4WD track, was easy to negotiate following the true right side with low river levels. It felt great to see Dad's truck waiting for us at the road end and we stopped for a well earned beer in town before heading back to our car in Arthur's Pass.
The DOC route guide for this trip gives really good information and realistic times for each leg of the journey. We went in average weather but we knew that the actual total rainfall wasn't enough to bring the river levels up on the west coast - this is definitely something you need to check before you go. Day One Klondyke Corner to Carrington Hut - 3hrs 45min Carrington Hut to Ariel's Tarns - 2hrs 45min Day Two Ariel's Tarns to Whitehorn Pass - 1hr 40min Whitehorn Pass to Park Morpeth Hut - 4hrs Park Morpeth Hut to Browning Pass - 1hr 30min Day Three Browning Pass to Harman Hut - 2hrs 15min Harman Hut to Grassy Flat Hut - 2hrs 30min Day Four Grassy Flats Hut to Road End 3hrs 30min |
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