Camping Trip: Hawdon Valley in Arthurs Pass NP

A wild camping trip in Arthurs Pass NP 

I did something new over the Christmas break which was a wild camping (or just camping) trip to the Hawdon Valley in Arthurs Pass NP. I've been interested in doing more camping trips for a while now and decided I had to get out and start doing some before I'm too old and decrepit to do so.

At the start of the Hawdon Valley Track

I headed up the lovely Hawdon Valley in Arthurs Pass NP and just looked for a good spot to set up camp. I found a good place with some flat ground under small trees with a tree trunk for a seat and water nearby. 

Attractive view point from near my Hawdon Valley campsite

I was using my Big Agnes Copperspur UL1 tent and a new item my Stoney Creek fly sheet I got for Christmas. I also got to use the Sea to Summit sleeping mat Karen brought me for my birthday in 2022...the first outing it has had. 

My tent and fly set up in the Hawdon Valley

This was just a trial run really with my intention to do some more trips like this going forward. With the return of tourists hordes the huts have suddenly become busy once more and I enjoy the solitude and skills workout needed for camping. 

Brewing up on my seat/table in the Hawdon Valley

Inside my tent in the Hawdon Valley

I had a fantastic time and eagerly look forward to spending more time camping. Anyway lets have a look at the camping trip...

Looking for a campsite in the Hawdon Valley:

I headed off late...it was 8 am as I drove down the road. The weather was fine so I knew I would probably be O.K crossing any rivers. The trip to the Hawdon Campsite where I was parking was without drama. There were a lot of people camping as it was just after New Years and many people were still on holiday. 

A few campers at Hawdon Campsite, Arthurs Pass NP

The silver Surfer parked close to the Hawdon Shelter

A quick look at the Hawdon Valley intentions book (at the shelter) showed numerous parties out and about in the Hawdon Valley. Most were heading for Hawdon Hut but some were heading for Sudden Valley, East Hawdon Bivouac and Walkers Pass. 

If you ever want to camp at the Hawdon River Campsite, make sure to check out the campsite shelter. It is a nice wee shelter and has an open fireplace and tables and seats for about 10-12 people inside.

DOC messages and intentions book holder, outside of Hawdon Valley Shelter

There is no wood shed and the forest nearby has been picked clean of dead-fall but have a look anyway. Every big storm brings down a few branches and trees and there is a lot of wood in the forest fringe around the rest of the campsite. 

Seating inside the Hawdon Campsite day shelter

Water is from some new water tanks running off the roof which is good as the old water source was the river about 400 meters away. 

New water tanks at the Hawdon Shelter

I geared up, locked the car and set off down to the river to see if I was going to be able to cross the Hawdon River. The track to the Hawdon River crossing starts right next to the shelter...travel in the valley is a mixture of marked track, an old 4 W/D track, gravel bashing and lots of river crossings. That is one of the problems with this track...you must cross rivers or streams many times so if there is any rain this is not the place to try to visit. 

Side track to Woolshed Hill...also on my 'to do' list

Walking towards the Hawdon River

The track will lead you down to the main part of the Hawdon River where your first wet boot crossing awaits only 500 meters from the car. The rocks in the river are very slippery so don't worry about taking your boots off....

In the background you can see the Pyramid and the entrance to Sudden Valley both of which are on my list of future tramping trips. 

The Pyramid and looking up Hawdon Valley

When you get to the Hawdon River it is a case of make your best crossing...you will need to use those river crossing skills to assess the best spots for getting to the other side.  The Hawdon is a broad braided river but DOC have built a stop bank which has deepened the river quite a bit. All the water is forced down one main channel rather than spread over the whole river bed. 

The deep single channel of the Hawdon River

The river level was low so it was relatively easy to find a good crossing point. I went for a crossing downstream of the big pool in front of the stop bank. Take care as the crossing here can often be deep and swift...remember every river crossing requires thought!!!

Shallow crossing point, Hawdon River

Once over the Hawdon you should look for the faint 4 W/D track that heads up to the East Hawdon confluence...walking on the track will easily save you 30 minutes walking time when heading up valley.

Long view up the Hawdon River to Blackball Ridge

There is a stock proof fence over the end of the Hawdon Valley..it is there to stop errant stock fouling the National Park land on the upriver side of the fence. There is a obvious stile you need to find if you are heading further up the valley. 

The stile over the stock fence, Hawdon Valley

Watch yourself when crossing the stock fence as it is electrified. 

Looking towards the Pyramid and Sudden Valley

Looking east back over the Hawdon River 

Normally I would find a good crossing point over Sudden Valley Stream and head up the Hawdon Valley but I had a thought to find a good camp site up the stream. I turned left and followed the track towards the gorge of Sudden Valley.

Sudden Valley Stream, Hawdon Valley

Following a path alongside Sudden Valley Stream

There is an unmarked route up Sudden Valley Stream

I found a couple of excellent campsites located in the bush edge just as Sudden Valley constricts to a gorge. There are several good places here to set up a camp...protected from the worst of the wind by the trees and unobtrusive. 

Approaching my chosen campsite in Sudden Valley

A possible campsite under young Beech trees

I was only about 2 kilometers away from the Hawdon Campsite but that was fine for a first camp. I wanted to test out my gear to see what I should be carrying on future trips so didn't need to be 20 kilometers from the trail head. 

A suitable campsite:

I dropped pack at my chosen site and had a bit of a look around. There were trees for supporting my fly sheet and some good flat camping spots with logs to use as a seat. Lots of firewood around although I didn't need it. The only downside was  the river...it  was about 200 meters away. I thought that was ok as the rest of the necessary requisites were there. 

Checking out the tent footprint in the Hawdon Valley

I was using the trusty Big Agnes Copperspur UL1 tent on this trip...this is a lite weight one person tent I have owned for about 5 years now. It is a marvelous wee tent and really deserves to be used more often. I primarily brought it for walking Te Araroa Trail sections where its lite weight comes into its own. 

...preparing to erect my Big Agnes tent...

My Big Agnes Copperspur tent set up

I had the fly rolled back for most of the afternoon

After a couple of issues (the bungy cord in one pole section has lost its elasticity) I managed to get the tent up and positioned where I wanted it. I chucked my overnight gear into the tent and set about other tasks. 

Putting my overnight gear into the tent

Sleeping mat inflated inside my tent

 I would probably have been good just using the tent but I also had my new Stoney Creek flysheet with me so I pitched it over the tent. I brought this with a voucher Karen gave me for Christmas so I now had a sleeping area and covered space for camp duties if it started to rain. 

...Stoney Creek fly installed over the tent...

I will be doing a separate post about new gear I have acquired over the last couple of months including a new fly, sleeping mat and ancillary gear. Keep an eye out for those.....

Camp life...

By the time I got to my campsite and set it up it was getting on for 3 pm so I sat down on a nearby log and fixed myself some lunch. I had a Udon soup I brought from an Asian store for lunch and it was damn fine vittles so I will be using more of them in the future. 

Preparing my lunch of Udon Soup

The log in the photos featured as my seat and cooking surface through my camp...it was just the right height for me to sit at and with the strong wind blowing the first day it was sandfly free. It has a lovely view out and across the Hawdon Valley. 

A brew to drink while contemplating my surrounds

Once I had some lunch I walked over to the Sudden Valley Stream to get some water. The riverbank was only about 40 meters away but the only running channel was right in the middle of the stream so it was actually about 200 meters distant. I walked over and filled from the stream...the water is ok but for safety sake you need to filter or treat it. 

View up the Hawdon Valley from my campsite

Sudden Valley Stream was my water source

Fresh water supplies for the camp

I have a trip up the Sudden Valley on my to do list, unfortunately due to all the river travel and river crossings you need a week of fine weather beforehand. I will try to get up there toward the end of summer this year and camp near the bivouac while I explore the nearby valley. 

My orange fly is just visible through the trees, Hawdon Valley

Looking up Sudden Valley towards the gorge

You can see how far I had to walk to get to the flowing channel...my campsite is just in the edge of the forest directly ahead of me. I did not fancy walking down to the river on dark so I made sure I had more than enough water to see me through to morning. 

Looking back to campsite from Sudden Valley Stream

View down Sudden Valley Stream to Woolshed Hill

...2.5 liters of water saw me through the night...

I sat in the tent reading my Kindle for the rest of the afternoon and periodically made a brew while watching the people walking up and down the valley. Nobody came close to my camp but there were a lot of day trippers and over night trampers out in the valley. 

View out to Hawdon Valley from the tent

Here I am in the tent...I still have the inner open as I didn't have any trouble with the sandflies until late in the afternoon when the wind died down. 

Jon in the tent at my Hawdon Valley camp

Pile of gear at the head of the tent

Water stash outside the tent...Hawdon Valley

I had an excellent view of Woolshed Hill from my position down in Hawdon Valley. It was directly across the valley and I could see most of the track as it winds up to the higher parts of the ridge. This is another destination on my 'to do' list as there is a nice tarn on the ridge where you can camp. 

Woolshed Hill from my campsite in the Hawdon Valley

Closer view of Woolshed Hill, Arthurs Pass NP

Every now and then I got up and went for a bit of a walk around on the nearby flats. I probably need to get a lite weight camp chair to take on these trips as it is very hard sitting on the ground for any amount of time. 

Even at close range my camp was not very visible

Jon standing on the bank of Sudden Valley Stream

As I say I would have lit a fire but for the fire ban in the park...tending the fire always chews up a lot of time and gives a focus to your outdoor activities. I enjoy a good fire...it is one of the things that most attracts me to tramping. 

All I needed was a small fire and a camp chair...Hawdon Valley

Jon's Hawdon Valley campsite...serviceable!

I had some more of the delicious Real Meals freeze dried meals for dinner...Beef Stroganoff and one of their puddings featured. Both were excellent...I really like the Real Meal range which I think are the best freeze dry meals available here at the moment. 

Sitting down to start cooking my dinner, Hawdon Valley

Real Meal and the MSR Windburner in use

I also had a can of wine to sup, it was a Brancott Estate Pinot Gris and it was very nice though it would have been better chilled by a mountain river. I was just too far away to ensure it didn't go missing. I often take wine on tramping trips usually in a small Pump water bottle.

Fah de fah fah...Jon enjoys a cheeky vino!

After dinner it was into the tent once again as the sandflies were starting to bite. I lay on my new mat and listened to some music for awhile. If there had not been a fire ban in effect I would have made a fire as I had a literal ton of material to hand. 

Foot space in the Big Agnes Copperspur UL1

My overnight gear at the head of the Big Agnes tent

I had a number of South Island Robins visit me as the light started to fade. They kept hopping up to the side of the tent and looking about to see what was what. They are very inquisitive birds and often follow you along forest tracks to eat the bugs you disturb as you pass. 

South Island Robin investigates my campsite

...liking the look of that MSR Windburner stove...

The rest of the day passed quietly with me in the tent reading until about 9 pm when I fell asleep listening to the wind blowing through the trees. It was most bucolic...

From campsite to car...

I woke up the next day nice and early as the sun started to rise up over Woolshed Hill. I was heading home once I packed up my gear and had breakfast but I had a bit of a lay-in warm and cosy in my sleeping bag.

The sun crests Woolshed Hill on day two

My robin friends of the previous evening were on the job nice and early checking out the campsite and looking for something to eat. They hopped around for about 30 minutes before heading off to greener pastures. 

...hey there buddy...got some change...

South Island Robin, Hawdon Valley

I found I had cell cover so I chatted with Karen as I contemplated getting started with my morning chores. I was slightly confined to the tent as there were about 20 000 sandflies trying to get into the tent to dine at Jon's Eats. I'm not sure where they all came from as I had seen about 20 total on the first day. 

I had cell phone cover at my Hawdon campsite

Many sandflies wish to makes Jon's acquaintances!!!

I finally decided I couldn't sit in the tent for the rest of the day and after packing up my sleeping kit I jumped out and took the rain fly off the tent to try to dissipate the bugs. I had to go to the extra ordinary step (for me) of oiling myself up with Bushman's to stop the sandflies. 

Flysheet and rain fly removed from tent, Arthurs Pass NP

I went over to my log and brewed up and considered wither to make breakfast or not. I finally decided that I would get something on the way home so after I finished my drink I packed up the cook kit and proceeded to break camp. 

Brewing a coffee in the Hawdon Valley

It was less than an hour back to the car so I did a quick and dirty pack up and 20 minutes saw all my gear in my pack and me ready to hit the trail. I restored the site to original conditions as per Leave No Trace & loaded up for the short walk back to Hawdon Campsite. 

Dismantling the tent prior to heading home

LNT...a clean tenting site in the Hawdon Valley

Sun streams onto the river flats in Hawdon Valley

It looked set to be another beautiful day as I started walking off down Hawdon Valley and I made my way back towards the fence at the mouth of the valley. 

Leaving my campsite in the Hawdon Valley

I'm heading for the ridge coming in from the left

Good view of the Pyramid and Sudden Valley

The track tops this stop bank...Hawdon Valley

There is a stock exclusion fence across the lower Hawdon Valley as all the land above the fence is National Park. The land down river from the fence is one of the many high country stations you will find up here in New Zealand.

Please go over the stile...the fence is electric...don't zap yer groin folks!!!

Following the fence to the stile, Hawdon Valley

Stile over the electric fence...Hawdon Valley

Then it was just the crossing of the Hawdon River to contemplate...it is worth looking for the shallow crossing points here. I try to cross well down river from the stop bank as the river usually spreads into a number of smaller braids.

Heading towards the Hawdon River, Arthurs Pass NP

View up the Hawdon Valley from near the crossing point

When I crossed over on the previous day the water level was at the top of my boots...this is low to moderate flow. If it is getting up to your knees back out and look for a better crossing point. The water is swift so a depth above the knee here is enough to knock you over. 

If you cannot find a safe crossing point go find another track to tramp. Don't be an idiot and drown 300 meters from your car!!!

Approaching the Hawdon on my way back to the campsite

In the photo below you can see where I crossed...there was a submerged shingle bank most of the way across the mainstream. In this vlog post I am crossing the Hawdon River.

My crossing point on the Hawdon River

Dont cross the Hawdon River in front of the stop bank...the water flow has scoured the river into one deep channel and it is waist deep in places. There is a possible crossing point above this pool but if you end up in the river the run out into the pool is dangerous.

A deeper section of the Hawdon River at the stop bank

I climbed up over the last ridge and headed along to the shelter at the Hawdon Valley Campsite. There are several small paths leading from down by the river to the higher terrace leading out to the campsite. 

The Hawdon Campsite is past the ridge

One of several tracks to the higher terrace, Hawdon River

Then it was just the last walk through the forest at the end of Woolshed Hill and the Hawdon Shelter hove into view. Lucky for Jon the bastid car vandals had not visited so I had a functioning & intact car to drive home...yay!!!!

Flat travel through the forest back to Hawdon Campsite

Passing the side track up to Woolshed Hill

I soon found myself back at the carpark and was pleased to see that the Silver Surfer was still there and in one piece. There is always a bit of vandalism going on at the Hawdon Shelter campsite but with all the holiday campers this was a relatively secure spot to park. 

Last part of the Hawdon Valley Track

...the Silver Surfer didn't get pinched overnight...

I think it was a good first effort and as I go for more of these camping adventures I will hone my gear down into a light as possible master set. I enjoyed the camping trip but I'm thinking a new tent might be in the cards. The Copperspur UL 1 is awesome but a lite 2 person tent with a higher water-head rating might be useful. I kind of need a bit more space to store my carcass and gear. I could also use a camp seat....

Access: Turn off SH 73 at Mt White bridge, take the road to Hawdon Shelter.  The Hawdon Valley Track starts next to the shelter, fords Hawdon River and continues up valley to Sudden Valley, Hawdon Hut and Walkers Pass.

Track times: 1 hour to my campsite in the Hawdon Valley, 4 hours to Hawdon Hut, another 1.5 hours to Walkers Pass

Hut Details: Hawdon Shelter: shelter only, water tanks, open fireplace, toilets: 

Miscellaneous: Hawdon River is prone to flooding in rain and dangerous if in flood. Exercise caution with all river crossings in this valley. 

You Tube: Hawdon Valley Camp