Casey-Binser Saddle Circuit, 23-25th October 2020; Day 3

 ....completing the Andrews-Casey-Binser Saddle Route...

I was up early on the last day of my Andrews-Binser Saddle Tramp and ready to head out the door...It was nearly 20 km's of walking first along the open river flats bordering the Poulter River and then the brutal climb up and over Binser Saddle. I was on the track for 8.5 hours on the day...four hours walking down the Poulter River, four hours up and over Binser Saddle and half an hour back along Mt White Road to the car. 

It was a long, long day.....real type three fun!!!

Casey Hut II, Arthurs Pass National Park

Start of the track to Binser Saddle near Casey Hut

Last view of Casey Hut from the Poulter River Track

After a quick breakfast and stow of my gear I set off for the road end...I was the second person out of the hut as is seems to be my custom. You walk down an access track to the Poulter River Track and then follow this all the way down valley to Pete's Stream where you join the Binser Saddle Track. Poulter River Track is a four wheel drive track right from the hut site to the ford over Pete's Stream. 

Map: Poulter Valley, Casey Hut to Mt Brown Creek

Poulter River Track, Arthurs Pass NP

Mt Brown from the Poulter River Track

The weather was shite...overcast, drizzle and cold medium strength winds and I had rain squalls following me down the valley all morning. This was interspaced with periods of sunny weather and at one point it got up to the low 20's before turning shite again. 

Typical Arthurs Pass weather for this time of the year....lovely stuff! 

Bad weather follows me down the Poulter River Valley

Your first obstacle is a river crossing about a kilometer away from the hut...normally this is a small stream but the heavy rain overnight had swollen the stream a bit. Still easy to cross but it did go up to my knees at one point and my knees are not especially low to the ground. 

The couple who had left before me were putting their boots back on...a waste of time on this track as there are more than 10 streams, rivers, creeks and swamps to cross over the day. You are going to get wet feet...

First ford on the Poulter River Track

Poulter River Track: climbing up towards the Poulter Stout Trappers Hut

I took the short side track where you climb up onto an old river terrace near Pt. 657 to visit the Poulter Stout Trappers Hut. This is a DOC staff hut for pest trapping, track work and native species research groups operating in the Poulter Valley. It is less than five minutes off the main track and is clearly visible from the river flats near Casey Hut II. 

Built in 2016 it has four bunks, water tank, a gas stove, wood burner and toilets. It is permanently locked but still on the Hut Bagger site so it was backcountry hut 234 for Jon.....

I might make it to 250 huts bagged by the end of this season....I only need 16 more. It is a possibility if I keep to my tramping plan for the 2020/2021 season as the Paparoa/Kepler/Harpers Pass tracks have 18 huts along them I have yet to visit. 

Poulter Stout Trappers Hut, Arthurs Pass NP

The Poulter River Track heads inland away from the river for a couple of kilometers past the hut...it goes up and along an old river terrace down to Rabbit Flat. The track through here is a combination of grassland and bush walking along the 4 W/D track that runs right down the valley. The diversion is necessary to bypass some big bluffs just down river from the Poulter Stout Trappers Hut. 

Poulter River Track: heading towards Pt. 657

On the flats just past Pt. 657, Poulter River Track

Poulter River Track: in the forest heading to Rabbit Flat

Crossing an unnamed stream on the Poulter River Track

I soon found myself down on Rabbit Flat about two kilometers from Casey Hut and the first major open grassland area for the day. The sun came out as I walked out onto the flats and lurked for the next 30-40 minutes before giving up on the day and heading back behind the clouds. 

On Rabbit Flat, Poulter River Track

There are a series of escarpments just past Rabbit Flat and on the true left of the Poulter River just before Cleland Stream. They are quite impressive and would be at least 100 meters tall in places...huge banks of exposed gravel which will eventually erode into the Poulter River. 

Escarpment on the true left of Poulter River, Poulter River Track

Closeup of the escarpment on the Poulter River near Pt. 1057

You cross a wide shingle fan just opposite Cleland Stream as you turn onto Aeroplane Flat...this is an old river bed but there is only a very small stream at the center of it now. Past the fan you are back onto the river flats with thick Matagouri growing right up to the edge of the four wheel drive track you are following.

Poulter River Track: crossing a shingle fan before Aeroplane Flat

In the Matagouri on Aeroplane Flat, Poulter River Track

There is a fairly deep ford to cross when you are opposite McArthur Gorge and the East Branch of the Poulter River. It was knee deep on the day and I imagine could cause problems in heavy rain as it is draining a large swampy area just before the ford. 

There are many stream crossings on the Poulter River Track

Poulter River Track: closing on Mt Brown Stream

I saw extensive evidence of wild pigs right along the track but particularly around the Mt Brown Creek. Pigs have been rooting around under the Matagouri looking for food and the ground has been quite extensively churned over. I was talking to someone in Casey Hut the previous evening and they had actually seen a couple of wild pigs running across the track so there is probably a herd of them in the valley. 

Pig rutting along the Poulter River Track

You slowly start closing in on Mt Brown Creek about halfway down the Poulter Valley or after about two hours of walking. Mt Brown Creek is the boundary of Mt White Station and Arthurs Pass NP and there is a stock fence and a number of signs to mark the border between the two. Mt Binser comes into view along here although you still cannot see the saddle for another hour or so...

Poulter River Track: first view of Mt Binser...

Peveril Peak on the left of Poulter River

Edge of the National Park at Mt Brown Creek

Start of Arthurs Pass NP in the Poulter Valley

Mt Brown Creek is one of two major rivers you need to cross in the Poulter Valley and marks the halfway point of your walk. The river can be problematic in heavy rain but there are a number of nice camp spots close to the river where you could wait out the weather if you had a tent. On the day it was easy to cross with the deepest point being just above ankle deep. 

Pt. 1596 & Mt Brown Creek, Poulter River Valley

Climbing up out of Mt Brown Creek...

From Mt Brown Creek it is five kilometers or roughly 1.5 hours to Pete's Stream at the base of Binser Saddle Track. You start out on more open grass flats but at the far end you need to climb over a spur which takes you 120 meters higher & away from the river. 

Map: Poulter Valley, Mt Brown Creek to Pete's Stream

Turnbull Stream and Peveril Peak from the Poulter River Track

The Poulter River Track goes over the spur to the front...

The spur comes down off a ridge between Pt.1596 and Pt.1300 and goes right down to the edge of the Poulter River making it impossible to skirt along the banks. The track climbs up the side of the spur in a series of switchbacks and gradually undulating track and then drops down onto a flat just before Pete's Stream. 

Start of the climb over the spur before Pete's Stream

On the spur near Pete's Stream, Poulter River Track

The storm chasing me down the Poulter River Valley

As you walk down off the spur you get a full view of Mt Binser and just a little further along the track you get your first view of Binser Saddle. Binser Saddle is at 1100 meters so you have at least 600 meters of ascent once you get to Pete's Stream to get up and over it. 

Mt Binser from Poulter River Track

First view of Binser Saddle from Poulter River Track

first view of Pete's Stream from Poulter River Track

Peveril Peak from near Pete's Stream, Poulter River Track

You know you are close to Pete's Stream when you see a line of Poplar Trees just off the track...these were planted around the Minchin Station (1857-1870) farmhouse. The farmhouse is long gone but many early farms would plant trees as shelter belts and for firewood and the remaining trees act as marker points to remember them.  

Full view of Binser Saddle from the Poulter River Track

Pete's Stream is the second major river you need to navigate on the Poulter River Track and sits right at the base of the Binser Saddle Track. There are some decent scratch campsites tucked into the bush along the true left of the stream.

It is so far from Casey Hut to the Andrews Shelter that it is perhaps better to camp here and then attempt the climb over Binser Saddle as a separate day. It is four hours from here to Andrews Shelter which is basically a days tramping so bear this in mind if planning a trip around the Andrews-Casey-Binser Circuit. 

Pete's Stream and Binser Saddle are directly ahead...

River terraces on the true right of Pete's Stream

Scratch campsite at the side of Pete's Stream

Again Pete's Stream could be problematic in heavy rain but it was fine on the day I walked the track. I took the opportunity to resupply with water from Pete's Stream before starting the climb up the track. There are a couple of small streams along the Binser Saddle Track but they are often dry so make sure you have water before proceeding any further. 

It must be filtered or treated as there are stock in the area...

Good flow of water in Pete's Stream, Poulter River Track

The first part of the Binser Saddle Track is the climb up the river terraces on the true right of Pete's Stream. The track is incredibly steep and ill formed...really loose gravel, root ladders, ground slippage it has it all. I am surprised that DOC haven't built a decent switch back track...I can easily see people falling off the track and they are normally so cautious. It is not a good introduction to the rest of the Binser Saddle Track. 

Map: Binser Saddle Track

Crossing Pete's Stream, Poulter River Track

Trampers climbing the terraces at Pete's Stream

Start of the Binser Saddle Track, Arthurs Pass NP

Pete's Stream from the terraces on the right of the river...

There are three terraces to climb up with the first being the worst after that there are trees to grab onto as you climb so while the track is shite at least you have a bit of stability. The second terrace in the photo below is the spot I camped at back in 2012 when I was last tramping the Andrews-Binser Circuit. There are some trees at the uphill end of the terrace where I pitched my tent out of the stormy weather.  

Binser Saddle Track: the second set of terraces...

On Binser Saddle Track heading for the saddle

The Binser Saddle Track is wide, easy to follow and well maintained and to start with the gradient is not that bad. You are surrounded by either Manuka/Kanuka forest or Beech Trees from here to the other end on Mt White Road. This was good on the day as it had started to rain and the trees stopped most of the rain landing on me. 

Binser Saddle Track starts out in Manuka 

...then changes to Pole Beech...

Looking down into the headwaters of Pete's Stream

The gradient starts to get steeper the higher you climb so that after about an hour up the track it is effecting your forward progress. You will have been walking for over five hours at this point so the legs are starting to ache a bit even if you are super fit. This track is almost all uphill on this side of Binser Saddle..the only sustained flat parts are up at the saddle itself.

 

Black Beech on the Binser Saddle Track

Binser Saddle Track is steep in places...

Flat section of the Binser Saddle Track

Red Beech along the Binser Saddle Track

Binser Saddle Track: half way to the top of the saddle

On the narrow ridge near Pt. 1203, Binser Saddle Track

The forest changes as you climb to the saddle...first Manuka, then various Beech species and finally stunted Pole Beech as you get to the top. You are within 200 meters of the top of the Binser Saddle Track when you strike a small side stream running along the track on your right hand side. 

Stream running down from Pt.1203, Binser Saddle Track

Start of Binser Saddle, Binser Saddle Track

Binser Saddle is sandwiched between Mt Binser (Pt. 1703 is an outlier of the main peak) and Pt.1203 and is a mixed area of flat bush track and open grass clearings. The saddle itself is not all that inspiring as you can see in the photo below but the open clearings on the Waimakariri side of the saddle have some excellent camping spots tucked into the beech forest. 

There is no water up here...you have to travel 10 minutes either side of the saddle to find seasonal watercourses. I stopped at the clearing on the saddle and ate my lunch with a hot brew before continuing down to the Mt White Road and my car. I wasn't the only one...several groups were doing the same thing as this is a natural spot to stop. 

This is actually Binser Saddle...

Start of the descent down to the Waimakariri, Binser Saddle Track

Good camping in the clearings near Binser Saddle

The track is flat for about a kilometer past the clearings near Binser Saddle with only slight undulations to follow the terrain. After that it begins to drop down towards the river flats along Mt White Road before quite a steep final kilometer of rough track down to the forest edge. 

Binser Saddle Track: heading down from the saddle

Binser Saddle Track undulates on this side of Mt Binser

Steep section along the Binser Saddle Track

You cross a stream near Pt. 830  which is another potential water source..again filter or treat the water before use. If you are heading up to Binser Saddle from this side then this is the closest and most reliable source of water near the saddle so refill if required. 

Binser Saddle Track: crossing a stream near Pt.830

About 400 meters past the stream you suddenly find the track dropping down to the track end on a steep gradient. Take care and walk cautiously through this section as it is slightly dangerous. The track is rough and ill formed and it is covered with very fine gravel which is prone to slide out under you. 

I actually think this was the worst part of the whole tramp. You are tired and leg sore from several days of hard tramping and the strain needed to stop yourself falling is awful. This was the only spot where I asked myself why I was doing this but by then you are committed so you just have to gut it out to the finish.

Binser Saddle Track: last flat section of the track....

Binser Saddle Track: start of the steep track down to Mt White Road

There are a couple of places where you will need to down climb hand over hand. It took me over an hour to cover the last kilometer of the track due to its poor state. There are some excellent views down onto the river flats along the Waimakariri River and you can see the Mt White Road waiting for you down at the bottom of the track. 

First view of the Waimakiriri River from the Binser Saddle Track

River flats along the Waimakiriri River....

Last kilometer of Binser Saddle Track is steep...

Open forest near Pt. 778 on the Binser Saddle Track

Looking down to Waimakariri River and Sugar Loaf

I finally made it to the bottom of Binser Saddle Track at the Waimakariri River side four hours after leaving Pete's Stream. I am not ashamed to say that I was totally knackered by the time I got there. Apart form my 30 minute break for lunch up on Binser Saddle and a couple of 10 minutes breaks en-route I had been constantly on the move for over 8 hours. 

I was glad to see the bottom of the track and flat ground at last......

Last 100 meters of the Binser Saddle Track

The end of the Binser Saddle Track

I sat down under a Matagouri bush and had a well deserved rest and it was necessary as my legs were like jelly after all that steep downhill travel. Suitably refreshed I started out on the 20-30 minute walk back along Mt White Road to Andrews Shelter where I had left my car. 

Walking off the Binser Saddle Track to Mt White Road

The end of the Binser Saddle Track from near Mt White Road

Mt White Road...on the way to Andrews Shelter

It is approximately three kilometers from the base of Mt Binser along the Mt White road to get back to the shelter at Andrews Stream. The walking is easy but at the end of a long and tiring day it takes some inner fortitude to put your head down and just get the distance covered. 

You have to ford Lower Farm Creek next to the junction of the track over the saddle and Mt White Road. It will be impassable after heavy rain as it is very prone to flooding but I had no problems on the day as the river was only ankle deep. 

Don't take water from this creek...it is heavily contaminated with cow manure and not safe to drink...

Ford over Lower Farm Creek, Mt White Road

There were several parties walking down the Mt White Road to get back to their cars..I had my headphones on and was listening to some music to make the walking easier. It was the Afro Indo Caribbean sound of Paul Simons Rhythm of the Saints album from the early 1990's.  

Olde Huey chucked one more barb at us...it started to rain as I walked down the road. Not heavy rain but enough to be a nuisance...cheers for that Huey...your a pal!!!

On Mt White Road heading for Andrews Shelter

View to Binser Saddle from the Mt White Road

Mt White Road: closing in on Andrews Shelter

I started walking from Casey Hut at 8.10am and got to my car just on 5 pm and boy was I glad to arrive and see it parked there waiting for me. I was tired.....really tired as I haven't done an 8+ hour day for several years. It really knocked the stuffing out of me...

The car park opposite Andrews Shelter, Mt White Road

I love the new Casey Hut it is awesome and so appreciated by all of us who enjoy tramping in Arthurs Pass. It is such an incredible gesture to replace a lost hut and one to be commended. To Sharon English and Robert Birk...thank you for your generosity. 

As to the Andrews-Casey-Binser Circuit...it is an excellent 2-3 day tramp for people with moderate outdoor skills. You do need to be quite fit for the trip as there is a lot of hill climbing and some long distances to cover on the river flats. I think the next time I come up here I will either go in and out via Andrews Valley or stop for the night at Pete's Stream and tackle Binser Saddle Track on a separate day.

 You can walk from Casey Hut to the Andrews Shelter in one day but it is not fun. 

Andrews Shelter is the start and finish of the Andrews-Casey-Binser route

I will be back soon as I still have the unfinished business of a trip to the Upper Poulter River to bag the huts there. I encourage you to visit the new hut and rediscover one of the better tracks in Arthurs Pass National Park. Bring a tent and be prepared to put in a couple of hard days tramping...

Access: From off SH 73 drive along Mt White Road to Andrews Valley entrance near Andrews Shelter, other exit is at base of Binser Saddle 4 km's along Mt White Station Road

Track Times: 6-7 hours to Casey Campsite additional 30 minutes to Casey Hut II, 4 hours to Pete's Stream, 4-5 hours to Andrews Shelter via Binser Saddle

Hut Details: Andrews Shelter, no bunks, no heating, toilet: Scratch campsites on Hallelujah Flats, no toilets, water from stream: DOC campsite on old Casey Hut location, toilet and wood shed, water from nearby stream: Casey Hut II: Serviced, 12 bunks, water-tank, wood burner, solar lighting, wood shed, toilets: Poulter Stout Trappers Hut: DOC Staff only, 4 bunks, wood burner, watertank, woodshed, solar lighting. Scratch campsites on the river terraces around Pete's Stream, no toilet, water from stream. Camping is possible at Binser Saddle but there are no toilets or close water source. 

Miscellaneous: All streams on this circuit are un-bridged and may be impossible to cross in heavy rain, long periods traversing flats which are prone to windy conditions.