recommended route
New Zealand (South Island): Hiking through Mount Aspiring National Park
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View from the suspension bridge at the Blue PoolsPhoto: Anne Haase, Ingram Haase, DAV Sektion Berlin
- there is no possibility to buy food for about two weeks .
- there are no huts available for at least three nights, so you have to take a tent with you .
- the area is isolated and you are on your own in case of emergency .
- The route is trackless in parts and very demanding .
- Three rivers have to be crossed - some parts are very exposed and dangerous, especially in wet conditions .
- several rivers have to be forded, one of them with almost waist deep water .
- The weather can be changeable and unstable, even in summer snow can fall at high altitude .
On the other hand, where in the world does one have the opportunity to walk through a natural landscape that is almost untouched, even in the doldrums, in a temperate climate zone without animal or human threats? If you are lucky and have good weather (or time to wait for better weather), you can expect two weeks of magnificent views, deep blue rivers, wide, green valleys, magnificent mountains, and after a few days the thrilling feeling of becoming one with nature and adapting to its rhythm.
The route is a combination of the most beautiful sections of shorter multi-day tours across Mount Aspiring National Park and can therefore be shortened at some points or broken off if necessary:
- Gillespie Pass Circuit (Young and Siberia Valley, the lower Wilkin Valley is omitted)
- Wilkin Valley - East Matukituki Traverse (via Rabbit Pass - Waterfall Face key point)
- Cascade Saddle Route (highest point)
- Rees Dart Track (Dart Valley, Rees Valley is omitted)
These tours are offered individually, but not in conjunction, also by commercial tour operators. The advantage of such a tour is the accompaniment by a hiking guide and the lighter luggage (no need to take along a tent and sometimes food).
Track types
Safety information
The tour requires:- good physical condition, strength and endurance .
- Surefootedness and a head for heights .
- Hiking experience in alpine terrain and on multi-day tours .
- Sense of direction
- Experience in tour planning, especially a well thought-out packing list and meal planning .
Key points:
- Wilkin River: deep and long ford, thigh to hip deep in optimal conditions, impassable in poor conditions .
- Waterfall Face (climb to Rabbit Pass): Very steep climb über approx. 150 metres of height with treads in the grass, partly rocky, climbing sections I. to easy II. grade (UIAA) - in wet conditions the grass (snowgrass) is very slippery! Potential fall height up to 150 metres. It is recommended that you only walk this section in the direction suggested here.
- Descent from Rabbit Pass: Steep scree in the upper dozen metres, greatest danger is stepping on a loose stone and slipping/falling. Potential height of fall: 15 - 20 metres in the rock. In at least one place it is worthwhile to let the backpacks down a few metres on a rope.
- Cascade Saddle: Very long and above the timberline steep ascent, climbing sections up to I, in wet conditions the grass (snowgrass) is very slippery! Quite exposed terrain, be careful in strong winds. Potential fall height: several dozen metres.
Also note:
.- Take along an emergency beacon (Personal Locator Beacon), available for loan from the Department of Conservation (DOC).
- Tell acquaintances and the DOC (if the emergency beacon is on loan) of the route and planned return, so that they can raise the alarm in case of doubt.
- Check current conditions beforehand - weather, trail conditions, water levels at the fords - also with the DOC or with usually very helpful private tour operators.
- Surface water can be contaminated with giardia (intestinal parasites) - only drink out of water that does not run past a hut or pastures, otherwise boil it.
- Allow for at least three reserve days (delays due to weather, blocked paths, waterlogging) .
- Take the tour only in the direction described - two pass ascents are much more dangerous in the opposite direction (descent) .
- There is no mobile phone reception anywhere.
- The hole in the ozone layer is close - make sure you wear good sun protection (factor 30 or higher).
- Adjust the compass: The magnetic declination (declination) is nowhere on land as far away from the poles higher than in New Zealand - in the Aspiring area approx. + 24 ° East (in Central Europe approx. + 2 ° East).
Furts:
The tactic of fording a river, which is rather unusual in Central Europe, is widespread in New Zealand. The Wilkin River, in particular, presents a challenge.
- Time of day: Glacier- or snow-fed rivers have the lowest water level in the morning. <Footwear: Never walk barefoot! New Zealanders through with hiking boots, but afterwards the boots are wet for days. Recommendation: Rubber sandals (Crocs or similar), they light and can also be used other purposes.
- Dressing out: To avoid wet clothes, take off trouser legs, trousers, pants or even a shirt, depending on the depth of the water, and be glad to have warm and dry clothes afterwards.
- Suitable place: The shortest way is rarely the best - in wide places the water is shallower and the current is less. A long way through shallow water is always better than a short way through deep water. At river bends there are often gravel bars that go diagonally through the river bed.
- Explore the exact route: it is best to cross the river diagonally downstream, so you have to work less against the current. If in doubt, it is better to explore the best way beforehand without luggage.
- Use a stick/branch for sounding: on the side facing the current, otherwise you cannot set it up stably.
- Lower the harness and chest strap - this is the only way to get the rucksack off quickly in the worst case.
Places where a tour abort is possible:
- Siberia Hut (small plane)
- Ford the Wilkin River/Kerin Forks Hut (jet boat, runs öfters in nice weather and also takes people unannounced, times posted at Siberia Hut)
- Top Forks Hut (small plane/helicopter)
- Camerons Flat at the confluence of the West and East branches of the Matukituki River (gravel track from Wanaka to Raspberry Creek car park, farm, small plane)
Small aircraft/helicopters must be chartered individually and arranged prior to the tour.
Assistance en route:
- Hut Wardens/Rangers are stationed at Siberia Hut, Aspiring Hut and Dart Hut and have radios. However, they are not always on site.
- Shortwave radios in almost all huts - they may only be used by hikers in an emergency.
- There are a few farms near the confluence of the West and East branches of the Matukituki River (Camerons Flat).
- Other hikers: On nice days a few, but sometimes nobody for days, especially on the section über Rabbit Pass. Around Siberia and Aspiring Hut and along the gravel road in the West Matukituki Valley it is a bit busier. On this gravel road and at the Raspberry Creek car park in good weather, car excursions may be possible.
- Emergency beacon (Personal Locator Beacon): Only one emergency signal can be sent, whereupon the device is located by the mountain rescue and a rescue operation is started. No messages can be transmitted. The device must be returned in time, otherwise a rescue operation will also be started automatically.
- In order to narrow down the search area for a possible rescue operation, it is useful to enter the current route planning in the hut books and to have a short conversation with each hut warden/ranger.
Tips and suggestions
Hostels:Huts in New Zealand are in fact huts and not mountain inns. They are usually not staffed and do not offer the opportunity to stock up. (The designation „Serviced Hut“ means only that there are fuel supplies for the stove.) At large huts there are Hut Wardens/Rangers, but they do not have the function of an AV hut host in Europe. They usually have a short-wave radio system for emergency calls.
There is usually a large room with tables and benches, sometimes a fireplace for heating, rarely wood or coals. Water usually comes from a cistern on the roof, the (usually only) sink is usually outside. Modern outhouses are usually a few steps away. The sleeping places are bunk beds with mattresses, there are no blankets.
The huts are paid for with hut tickets or hut passes, which can be purchased from the DOC (exception: the NZAC - New Zealand Alpine Club - owned Aspiring Hut is payable at the Mt Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre, if necessary directly from the hut warden).
Tenting:
Tent sites are usually located at the venues and are also paid for via venue tickets or passes, but there are also some official tent sites away from the venues.
Apart from this, camping is allowed on public land (e.g. in national parks) where it is not expressly prohibited. It is generally prohibited within 500 metres of „Great Walks“ and within 50 metres of all other footpaths, as well as in the immediate vicinity of lodges (except on their official camping sites).
&Uml;s
&Uml;brigens: In New Zealand English there is the term „Freedom Camping“, this refers only to sleeping in a vehicle or tent within 200 metres of a road. There is no direct translation for the German expression „wild zelten“.
Ways:
The paths are rarely laid out or developed; they are usually marked routes. Markings are generally very good - almost without exception all trails are marked with orange plastic triangles in the forest, and orange poles in grassland or rocky areas. In river plains, however, there are often no markings; here you have to aim for a large orange triangle (if available) at the nearest edge of the forest. When the water level is low, it makes sense to walk without a trail in the river bed, otherwise you usually have to take impassable routes through the forest. Often sections of a river are washed away or become impassable due to a landslide - then you have to take time-consuming and energy-consuming detours.
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Animals:
There are no really dangerous or poisonous animals in New Zealand, but introduced wasps and two rare species of poisonous spiders are the worst to fear.
.The most unpleasant animal is tiny and is called a sandfly, but it does not live very often in the sand, nor is it a fly, but - zoologically correct - a crab. There are myriads of them, especially in the sand and in damp places. They do not sting, but scratch the surface of the skin, which is more itchy and heals more slowly than a mosquito bite. At night, however, you are fortunate to have peace of mind.
At car parks and hotels, the cute and clever Keas (mountain parrots) often attack shoes, left luggage and rubber seals of cars with their powerful beaks.
The biggest enemy of the extensive bird life, which often takes place on the ground in New Zealand, are introduced small insects - that's why you often see traps hidden in the building, but these are more for monitoring than for population minimisation. The most unpopular intruder and object of hatred for many New Zealanders is the „possum“, which comes from Australia and is strictly protected there. If you hear rustling and rodent calls at night, there is usually a possum behind it.
Walking times:
In New Zealand, walking times for different trails are given according to how difficult and popular a trail is. For well-trodden and well-known trails, some time is added to prevent planning errors by inexperienced hikers. For less frequented, more difficult paths reserved for men, it is rather a minimum time for particularly sporty hikers with little luggage (without breaks, of course). In short: you need considerably longer than officially stated - especially if you admire the landscape while hiking.
The minimum time for a particularly sporty hiker with little luggage (without breaks, of course).
Catering:
Due to the long duration of the hike, it is advisable to optimise the food according to the weight-calorie ratio. Müsli bars, nuts, dried fruit, firm biscuits („Ginger Nuts“), powdered milk and outdoor pasta („Angel Hair“: very thin spaghetti with short cooking time) are available in the larger supermarkets (e.g. in Wanaka). Pudding powder, instant soups, sweets with sugar and crispbread should be brought back from Europe, if desired. Caution: declare all foodstuffs on entry, the penalties for violating the law are horrendous! Formally, importing food is forbidden in principle, but de facto you can bring in packaged and industrially produced food if you declare it.
Müll:
There is no way to dispose of müll on the way, this should be thought of in the planning. However, cardboard/paper can be useful when lighting the fire in the huts. If you are lucky, you will meet nice people who are on their last day in the wilderness and take müll for you.
Weather and trail condition information:
.You should use every opportunity to get up-to-date information (weather, trail conditions, water conditions) and exchange information with other hikers, hut keepers and rangers.
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
The Blue Pools are depressions in the riverbed at the confluence of the Blue River and the Makarora River. In good conditions, the deep blue water is clear enough to see fish, but depending on the previous weather, it can be muddy grey and murky. The short trail from the car park here is very touristy and therefore well developed.
Shortly after the Blue Pools, there are countless small stones in the dry part of the riverbed, if the last flood has not just opened up. Afterwards, the trail is relatively flat and leads through sparse forests and meadows with beautiful views towards the mouth of the Young River.
Depending on the water level and the location of the riverbed, you can follow the banks of the Makarora River at the mouth or you have to take the High Water Route. This gives a first foretaste of the other routes that will follow in the next few days: The route climbs steeply in a vertical line up the baffle slope, and there are some chains to hold on to in the upper area. As soon as the terrain becomes a little flatter, the path always runs close to the abyss above the water, and then drops steeply down again in a vertical line.
Variation : Instead of the Blue Pools, you can drop off opposite the mouth of the Young River and ford the Makarora River, which saves seven kilometres and about two hours of diversions. However, this means risking wet gear at the deep ford right at the beginning of the tour. When the water level is high, fording is not possible.
Right at the mouth, there are still the remains of a shelter for a radio. This served to enable hikers from the opposite direction to call for help if the river could not be forded. Since the path to and from the Blue Pools described above was built a few years ago, it is no longer necessary and has been dismantled.
The path to and from the Blue Pools is no longer necessary and has been dismantled.
Young Valley
The leisurely walk takes us across meadows and sparse woodland near the river until the valley narrows further and further. The New Zealand nature almost swallows us up with all its enchanting-looking spheres, plays of light and sounds. The path is now narrow and much less comfortable, in the forest it goes over hill and dale, we climb up and down over roots and landslides – a rhythm is difficult to establish. Directly between the river and the trail there are a few very nice camping spots, well before the official DOC campsite just after the bridge over the north branch of the Young River.
Now the trail follows the Young River, the valley becomes narrower and the river, which until then had mostly flowed gently, is smaller, wilder and steeper. From time to time, you have to pass through gruelling places where the path could not hold on and was swept away by the river, to steep landslides that tear the forest apart. We are constantly going up and down, climbing over roots, heaving ourselves down slopes and yet barely making any progress.
About 200 metres uphill below the forest line is the relatively newly built Young hut, a typical New Zealand hut with 20 beds spread over two rooms. We then hike steadily uphill and enjoy the view as we emerge from the forest towards the end of the valley. As an alternative to the Young's hut, there are some decent camping options here.
Gillespie Pass
.The ascent to the first of the three passes is quite steep and leads through low bushes and mosses. It rewards with beautiful views down into the Young River valley, then from the pass into the Gillespie and Siberia valleys. It is a steep descent - first üover scree, then through a steep area full of slippery „snowgrass“, a tussock grass native to New Zealand. As soon as the plants become taller again, it is mainly roots that have to be climbed again - the steepness does not change. There are a few tent possibilities at the bottom of the Gillespie Valley.
Siberia Valley
.From there, a steep descent through the forest takes you to the flat and wide valley floor of the Siberia Valley, where there are tenting opportunities in huts and traps.
Detour: Crucible Lake
.A wonderful half-day detour is offered here – we leave the luggage (or the tent) in the Siberia Valley and walk a short distance up the valley with a light daypack. After the easy ford of the Siberia River, we follow a small river first up the mountain, then through a flatter plain to a huge moraine, behind which Crucible Lake lies. After the steep climb, there is a beautiful view of the lake and back into the Siberia Valley.
The path to the Siberia hut leads across a vast grassy plain. The valley and the hut are relatively easy destinations to reach: there is an airstrip for planes not far from the hut, and from there a very convenient hiking trail leads in about two hours to the Wilkin River, where the jet boats depart back to the Makarora River.
Wilkin Valley
It is easy to camp in a cow pasture at the confluence of the Siberia and Upper Wilkin rivers, and in the morning we can tackle the largest ford of the entire tour through the Wilkin River in the hope of a slightly lower level. Behind the riverbank, but not visible from there, is Kerin Forks Hut.
On the way upstream there are not as many roots to climb as in the Young Valley, but a few more landslides to cross. Where the valley widens, it is pathless through the grassy plains.
When the water level is low, the water is clear and deep blue. Then it is advisable to walk in the partially dry riverbed, which is much better than walking through the forest, and it is also easier to avoid some of the inclines.
At the end of a plain with many tent possibilities lies the Top Forks Hut with a view of a few beautiful glaciers far above.
Detour: Lake Diana, Lucidus Lake, Lake Castalia
.Here you have the opportunity to take a detour along the north branch of the Wilkin River to three beautiful and very different lakes. After a beautiful wooded section, we first pass the small and quite shallow Lake Diana, then a boggy plain on boardwalks. A sign points the way to the southern shore of Lucidus Lake, which we leave on the left for the time being. We ford some streams and work our way to Lake Castalia first. The main difficulty in the ascent is the relatively pathless climbing over many sharp boulders. Every now and then you see little stone men, but they like to disagree about which way to go.
The view of Lake Castalia is a real challenge.
The sight of the lake in its rugged cauldron of almost vertical, hundreds of metres high walls makes up for everything. Every now and then there is a rumbling sound when a piece of ice from the glacier hanging down at lofty heights or a stone falls out of the wall. The waterfalls down from the glacier are blown by the wind and give a surreal image of veils of water falling across.
Back along the same path, now with a detour to the elongated Lucidus Lake, which lies between a gigantic, 1000-metre-high cliff and a huge median. Lake Diana, on the other hand, is gentle and sweet, and we pay it a long visit on our descent.
Rabbit Pass
.The next stage is the dangerous crossing of Rabbit Pass, which should only be done in good weather. From the Top Forks Hut, the trail climbs up through low b Büsche and Bäume to the Südarm of the Wilkin River. The last, quite flat section in the following basin is pathless and much more uncomfortable to walk than the pathless passages so far. We head directly for the waterfall in the middle of a 150-metre-high escarpment, in front of which there are a few tent options.
Now follows the „Waterfall Face“, which can be called the key point of the whole tour. The pathless route is not visible at all from a distance and difficult to see up close, but it is well marked by short orange poles. After a steep grassy scree slope with a few footholds, we climb alternately in I. to easy II. grade (UIAA). Grade (UIAA) on smooth rock and grassy slopes. In wet weather the slippery snowgrass is very slippery! Far greater than the technical difficulties are the psychological ones: The steep face is very exposed – the potential height of the fall is up to 150 metres – and must be climbed with a rucksack and without a belay if you don't want to carry climbing equipment. It is recommended that you only climb this section.
On reaching the top, a stony high valley lies before us. Further back, where there is moss and grass, it is possible to camp, but some spots are very damp.
Detour: Pearson Saddle
.150 metres up the hill to the right above the high valley is the easily accessible Pearson Saddle. The view from the top into the adjacent Waiatoto Valley is magnificent.
The descent on the south side of Rabbit Pass down into the valley of the East Matukituki River is 800 metres. It starts with a very steep section over rough and unstable scree (about II+), which is less slippery without snowgrass, and the potential for falls is much lower. At one point it is recommended to lower the backpack a few metres. However, collecting and putting on the rucksack is not without its difficulties.
Slowly but steadily.
Slowly but steadily, low vegetation embraces us again on the way down, until just before we reach the valley floor we have to negotiate several steep landslides – quite quickly for fear of falling rocks.
East Matukituki Valley
First we climb through a dry river bed with huge rocks, later a flat plain with good places to camp just below the glaciers at Mount Pickelhaube. The further, marked trail next to the river is much more impassable than walking in the riverbed with the track shoes and crossing the still shallow East Matukituki River several times. However, it is usually possible to avoid the marked path when the water level is high. The valley widens again and again to reveal wide plains with good camping opportunities, the largest of which is called Ruth Flat.
Before the river disappears into Bledisloe Gorge a few kilometres later, the trail climbs steeply and strenuously on the left side of the gorge to an altitude of just over 1000 metres. There was a bush fire in this area on New Year's Eve 2013, caused by a petrol cooker. Watching nature recover is very exciting.
Detour: Viewpoint 1534
.The view from here into the Kitchener Cirque is already very beautiful, but you can climb even higher towards the Albert Burn Saddle. From a vantage point with the altitude 1534, the view into the Kitchener Cirque basin and its lake is fabulous (and best in the morning). Take the same path back to trail and baggage.
Back on the trail, the descent into the valley follows through the forest.
Detour: Kitchener Cirque, Rock of Ages Bivouac
.At Junction Flat near two mountain bridges (plenty of space for camping in between) we leave our backpacks in the forest and make our third long detour. We head for the wide Aspiring Flats just outside Kitchener Cirque. On the edge lies a rock bivouac with the poetic name „Rock of Ages“ – even with its own „bofa book“. The hidden access through the dense vegetation is marked on the river with stone männchen.
Back at the luggage, we turn towards the valley exit. The trail is much better now, and there are a few good tenting options.
Detour: Glacier Burn Gorge
.Just before the farmland begins, there is another short detour to Glacier Burn Gorge with wild cliffs, spectacular glaciers and a lovely picnic spot by the river.
After that, the trail takes us to the wide plains of Cameron's Flat, where the two Matukituki Arms meet. Here there are pastures, sheep, cows, a few houses(!) and gravel roads.
West Matukituki Valley
.It is advisable not to follow the track, but to turn right before the first ford and keep to the right edge of the valley. The path is marked with poles and first leads close to cattle pastures, later along the rock face. At a bridge over the west branch of the Matukituki River you meet the gravel road to the Raspberry Creek car park four kilometres away. If you are lucky, a car is heading in that direction and you can get a lift for the boring and dusty walk.
The car park is only accessible by a long gravel road with a few fords from Wanaka, but it is still very popular with excursionists, some of whom stay here in their vehicles. There are toilets and a shelter. This is where the last part of our long hike begins, first up the West Matukituki River.
Detour: Rob Roy Glacier
.About one and a half kilometres after the car park, a path branches off to the right over a bridge to Rob Roy Glacier. The detour takes about three hours, but you should not leave your luggage on the main trail, as there is a certain amount of public traffic and cattle roaming around. It is better to hide in the forest behind the bridge.
This detour is not included in the GPS track and thus not included in the time and distance figures.
The main trail takes us in about two hours to Aspiring Hut, one of the few huts not run by the DOC but by the New Zealand Alpine Club. Even though there is officially no reciprocal rights agreement for Europeans in New Zealand (vice versa there is), you can get a discount here with an AV pass.
The hut is run by the New Zealand Alpine Club.
Cascade Saddle
The following traverse of the Cascade Saddle is the toughest stage of the tour, both in terms of fitness and scenery. The 1500-metre ascent starts in the forest and goes steadily uphill. Above the forest line, the trail leads over fairly exposed and rocky terrain with tussock grass. Even though there are no climbing passages, the ascent is not to be underestimated, red signs warn of alpine dangers. The views of the West Matukituki Valley and the surrounding glaciers are fantastic.
At the apex we climb a few metres more to the right for the view to the highest point of the entire tour at 1,850 m, before we reach a cirque over scree and unstable shale, where there is actually an outhouse. New Zealanders have toilets everywhere, so we could have expected to find one in this remote area. But it always comes as a surprise... On the plateau you can and may camp in the toilets.
A little further down is the actual saddle, from which on one side there is a vertical descent into the Matukituki valley, including a great view of Mount Aspiring/Tititea, at 3033 metres the highest and eponymous peak of the national park. On the other side, the Dart Glacier seems within reach.
Dart Valley
.The descent into Dart Valley über viel Geröll, always along the glacier tongue, is as spectacular as it is barren, there is far and wide no campsite and no water supply in sight, which does not get any better on the valley floor, which was only recently released from the glacier. Only shortly before the Dart Hut is there more vegetation, a few tent facilities and the official camp site not far from the hut.
From here you are on the more heavily used Rees Dart Track, taking the more scenic route through the Dart Valley and leaving Rees Saddle on the left. The trail is easy to walk and offers numerous camping opportunities, such as on Cattle Flat (there is even a signposted boatyard here) or on Daleys Flat with the hut of the same name.
.The last spectacular stretch of the trail is at and under water. In January 2014, a landslide opened a natural dam, leaving much of Dredge Flat flooded with a newly formed lake. The dam, and with it the water level, has stabilised, so that at least for the time being we can expect Dredge Lake, as we call it, to continue to exist. Fascinating, but also unpleasant for the hiker, is that the old hiking trail disappears in the turquoise water in several sections. The replacement route along the lakeshore is not yet very well trodden and äußerst difficult to walk. Every now and then, half-dead tree tops peek out of the water or the old path suddenly reappears for a few metres. There are a few very beautiful vantage points, and the view is worth all the effort.
The landslide at the other end of the lake gives an idea of the elemental forces that have changed the landscape so much. Even a section of the path high above the new outlet of the lake has collapsed.
[Update 19 October 2016:
The lake level has dropped only slightly since early 2014 and the new, officially unnamed lake (not to be confused with nearby Lake Unknown!) has been added to the official topographic map (Topo50). The bypass route around the lake has been upgraded and is now much more convenient to walk.
.However, the mountain does not come to rest. A new landslide has now destroyed and rendered impassable the trail connecting the southern end of the lake at Sandy Bluff and the bridge over Bedford Stream two kilometres to the south. The path is currently closed, but should be passable again in time for the summer holidays towards the end of 2016.]
South of Bedford Bridge, the path is much better and there is also a jet boat landing again. A couple of hours of hiking along the Dart River take us past some camping facilities to the Chinaman’s Bluff car park, the end of the hike.
The trail improves considerably after Bedford Bridge and there is also a jet boat landing again.
Public transport
- Private bus Wanaka - Haast: ask the driver to drop you off at the Blue Pools (no stop), bus departure times can be obtained from the Tourist Information Office (iSite) in Wanaka, the bus departs just across the road .
- Alternatively, you can also take a jet boat up the Makarora River .
- From Chinaman’s Bluff car park, a private tour operator from Queenstown runs once a day according to a timetable, but actually this has to be booked in advance (iSite), which is almost impossible to plan .
- Alternatively, there is the possibility to return by jet boat - but this also has to be booked in advance (iSite) .
- The easiest way is to organise a private ride, provided there are cars in the car park .
Directions
As the start and end points of the tour are very far apart, it does not make logistical sense to travel there by car.For those who want to be dropped off: Blue Pools car park on State Highway 6 Haast - Wanaka, to be picked up at Chinaman’s Bluff car park, please note that the gravel road there leads through fords that cannot or must not be driven through by all (rental) vehicles.
.Coordinates
Author’s map recommendations
Book recommendations for this region:
Equipment
- Tent
- Food for the whole time
- possibly sticks
- Perhaps navigation equipment (and sufficient batteries)
- Approx. 5 metres of rope/thick cord (for abseiling backpacks)
- Emergency radio beacon (Personal Locator Beacon)
- light rubber shoes for fording
- Tickets or passes from the DOC to stay overnight at the fords .
- DAV pass for the Aspiring Hut
Weather at the route's trailhead
Statistics
- 21 Waypoints
- 21 Waypoints
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Route
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Gradient
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Questions and answers
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