Arthur's Pass Base Weekend: Bealey Valley, Arthur's Pass

In the shadow of Mt Rolleston...

Just after New Years Karen and I ventured up to Arthur's Pass National Park to stay in a holiday home we had rented for a weekend. The weather was good with sun, warm temperatures and no rain. The previous three times we have come up here it has been raining so it was good to have a nice couple of days for a change.

While in the area we did a number of short and medium day walks one of which was a trip up to the end of the Bealey Valley Track in the catchment of the Upper Bealey Valley.

Start of the Bealey Valley Track at SH 73

This is a relatively short track...it is about 1.5 hours return and is a mixture of nice bush walking, open beech forest, boardwalk and some open tarn fringes. It is a very lovely track and is suitable for all ages and in all conditions. Too wet and windy to walk the Avalanche Peak Track....give this beauty a go...!!!

The Bealey River from the bridge over the Chasm

Mountain Neinei trees along the Bealey Valley Track

The view of the northern face of Mt Rolleston is beautiful and well worth the effort of walking up the track. The track ends at the Bealey River and though you can venture further upriver this is where we halted. 

Mt Rolleston from the end of the Bealey Valley Track

This was the last of the walks we undertook on this trip but this is certainly not the last time we will come up to Arthur's Pass as there are many excellent tracks still to walk. 

From Jacks Hut to the Upper Bealey River

The Bealey Valley Track starts about 6 km's west of Arthur's Pass Village at a car-park opposite the iconic Jacks Hut. There is plenty of parking space here and as the road is very busy it is a fairly safe place to leave your car while you are walking.

Historic Jacks Hut on SH73 just west of Arthur's Pass village

This is also the re-entry point for the top section of the Arthur's Pass Walking Track and in fact you are walking on that track for the first 200 meters to the Bealey Chasm junction. The track is Great Walk style...flat, level and very easy to walk on.

Karen and I set off from the Bealey Chasm car-park at SH 73, Arthur's Pass

On the Arthur's Pass Waking Track at the start

After 200 meters there is a track junction...if you follow the left branch you go down a set of stairs to the Bealey Chasm and the Bealey River. If you go to the right you will eventually arrive at the top of the Pass as this is the top half of the Arthur's Pass Walking Track.

Junction of the Bealey Valley Track & Arthur's Pass Walking Track

Karen at the Bealey Valley Track junction

DOC sign at the Bealey Valley Track junction

The track & stairs are certainly better than the muddy rutted track that once went down to the river and are the result of a millennial project to build a new track from Arthur's Pass Village to the high point of the pass at the Dobson Memorial.

Descending down the stairs to the Bealey Chasm

Karen is descending down the stairs to the Bealey Chasm

Bridge over the Bealey Chasm, Arthur's Pass NP

Bridge over the Bealey River near the Bealey Chasm

Part of the construction was upgrading the track down to the Bealey Chasm and building a new bridge over the Bealey River. If you are short of time even walking down to the bridge is worthwhile as the Bealey River is beautiful along here and worth visiting.

Bealey River, view upstream from the Bealey Chasm bridge

Bealey River, view upstream from the Bealey Chasm bridge

Bealey River, view downstream from the Bealey Chasm bridge

On the far side of the bridge you climb up the the site of Margaret's Tarn which is slowly filling in with silt and is now a large clear area of tussock and turpentine scrub. There are good views down the valley towards the village and this is the best spot to get a wide angled view of Rome Ridge, Mt Rolleston and Goldneys Ridge

Climbing up to the Bealey Valley Track past the bridge

Mt Rolleston from the Bealey Valley Track

Goldneys Ridge from the Bealey Valley Track

Heading into the beech forest on the Bealey Valley Track

The track to the Upper Bealey River continues on the western edge of the clearing and heads off through the stunted beech forest on a series of boardwalks, small bridges and bush track.

There is a lot of boardwalk along the Bealey Valley Track

Karen on one of the bridges along the Bealey Valley Track

The Bealey Valley Track from the fixed bridge...

There are a number of Dracophyllum Traversii or Mountain Neinei (also sometimes called the 'Dr Seuss tree') along the side of this track....so named because they look just like the trees you see in Dr Seuss books. These are a really ancient tree species and have been around for several million years now...this partially explains why they look so weird.

Mountain Neinei or Dracophyllum traversii on the Bealey Valley Track

Boardwalk over tree stumps along the Bealey Valley Track

You arrive at the end of the track after about 20-25 minutes of walking and the end of the track makes for a good rest spot either in the bush fringe or siting on one of the large boulders in the river bed. This is as far as the track goes as there are a number of avalanche chutes from this point onward.

If you are coming up here in winter or early spring do not go further up the valley without first checking the avalanche advisory...the possibility of an avalanche is so high during those seasons that this valley has its own advisory page.

End of the Bealey Valley Track at the Upper Bealey River

You have magnificent views of the north face of Mt Rolleston from the river bed at the end of the track and it is well worth taking a rest here and checking out the scenery. If you are lucky you might see someone on one of the ice faces of the mountain.

You can go further up the valley but it is totally at your own risk...there is a overgrown and rough track up the true right side of the river which can take you right up to the head of the cirque under Mt Rolleston.

Mt Rolleston from the bed of the Upper Bealey River

Rome ridge climbing to Mt Rolleston from Bealey river

Jon at the end of the Bealey Valley Track

Karen and I sat on the edge of the river and ate our lunch while enjoying a tasty brew. We were not alone as there were a number of other people taking advantage of the fine weather to explore the valley.

Just opposite the end of the track you can see an obvious avalanche chute on the far side of the river. I have been up here in winter before and as well as being damn cold there was avalanche debris piled up at the base of the chute. Slips off the side of the steep sided Goldneys Ridge are quite common after heavy snow falls or if there is heavy rain in the middle of winter so stay clear at all times

A mixture of rock types at the Upper Bealey River

Active slip chute at the Upper Bealey River

Rugged terrain climbing up to the cirque at the end of the Bealey river

We packed up and headed back down the track after about 20 minutes as it was starting to get a bit cold as the wind had started to blow.

From the Bealey Valley to SH 73...

 Your return to the highway is a reverse of your previous walk...you just jump on the track and head for the road. This really is a nice track well marked, well maintained and very easy to follow. 

End of the Bealey Valley Track in the Bealey River

Karen heading down the Bealey Valley Track

Bealey Valley Track: lots of boardwalk to ease your passage

There are good views of the main part of the Bealey Valley from the edge of the large clearing...you can easily see Mt Bealey and Avalanche Peak and you can even see the course of Scott's Track climbing up to Avalanche Peak from a bit further down the valley.

On the boardwalk on the Bealey Valley Track

View down the Bealey Valley towards Arthur's Pass village

Random beech growing next to Bealey Valley Track

Halfway across the clearing is an unmarked track leading off into the bush around the base of Rome Ridge...this is an old track that used to go up to a view point on the side of Rome Ridge. It over looked the Bealey Glacier which has been melting since the mid 1980's...the only remnant is a small patch of ice high on the north face of Mt Rolleston.

The side track to Rome Ridge, Bealey Valley Track

Mt Rolleston Massif from near Margaret's Tarn, Arthur's Pass NP

...last view of Goldney ridge from the Bealey Valley Track...

We passed half a dozen people on our way back to the car-park...a mixture of tourists and locals out for an afternoon stroll. This is a very popular track probably the second most popular behind the Punchbowl Falls Track but despite this it has a quiet solitude to it more like a remote backcountry trail. 

Back at the Bealey Chasm bridge, Bealey Valley Track

Jon approaches the Bealey Chasm bridge, Bealey Valley Track

The whole trip took us about an hour return including the 20 minutes we spent up at the river eating our lunch. Time wise and level of difficulty make this a tramp you could do as you passed through on the way to the West Coast. 

Bealey Valley Track: climbing the stairs to the Arthur's Pass Walking Track

...more stairs at the end of the Bealey Valley Track...

Once again the final part of the walk is on the Arthur's Pass Walking Track as you walk along the last 200 odd meters of the track to the car-park. This will probably be the next tramp Karen and I walk in the National Park as it is a really nice three hour return trip from the village to the Arthur Dobson Memorial at the top of the pass.

On the Arthur's Pass Walking Track heading for Jacks Hut...

End of the Bealey Valley Track at SH 73, Arthur's Pass

It was great to get back up the Bealey Valley and it was awesome that Karen got to see the end of the track this time. This is another excellent short walk for people passing through or staying in Arthur's Pass and I cannot recommend it enough. 

If you have a spare hour the next time you are passing through Arthur's Pass take a trip up to see the lovely Upper Bealey River. You will not be disappointed. 

Access: Turn off SH 73 at the car-park opposite Jacks Hut, the track starts next to the car-park. The first 200 meters are on the Arthur's Pass Walking Track, then turn off onto the Bealey Valley Track

Track times: 30-40 minutes to the Upper Bealey River, then 30 minutes to the cirque under Goldney Ridge.

Hut Details: Jacks Hut (historic)

Miscellaneous: Avalanche and rock fall danger in the Upper Bealey Valley, do not go past the end of the track in winter unless you have some avalanche awareness. No toilets at any point along this track.

Bealey Valley Track: 28th April 2019

A damp stroll along the Bealey Valley track...

My partner Karen and I went up to Arthur's Pass for a couple of days in late April. We were hoping for some nice weather so we could do a couple of walks but unfortunately a front moved onto the South Island bringing rain with it. We still went and mostly sat in the bar at the Bealey Hotel with a drink in hand as we watched the rain outside. 

Bealey Hotel: accommodation block overlooking Bealey river bed

Bealey hotel: interior of one of the rooms at the hotel

We did get out for one walk, we went for a stroll up the Bealey Valley to the edge of the first clearing and then turned back to the car as it started raining cats and dogs...

DOC track sign at the beginning of the Bealey Valley Track

The Bealey River from the bridge over the Bealey Chasm

A walk in the rain, Bealey Valley style...

It was basically pouring with rain for most of the two days we spent in Arthur's Pass but taking advantage of a short break in the weather we drove up to the Bealey Valley Track and went for a walk over the river and up to the edge of the first clearing. 

Start of the Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass NP

Map: Upper Bealey Valley and surrounding area

We would have gone further but that is where the weather packed a sad and started snowing, sleeting and raining. We turned around and walked back to the car as it was really kind of miserable.

No dogs allowed in the Bealey Valley....it is a Kiwi Zone

As you can see the track and forest were wet but not yet flooded as it would have been later in the day after another biblical deluge. The short tracks in the park receive a lot of work so they are smooth, flat and have a nice gradient to them. 

Walking along the first flat section, Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

There are a number of steps and stair sections so this track is not suitable for wheelchairs and/or baby strollers, mobility scooters etc. 

Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass: the first set of stairs

Karen on the Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

After about 150 meters there is a track junction....if you continue straight on you will eventually arrive at the Arthur Dobson Memorial on the top of Arthur's Pass. The memorial is really for Edward Dobson and his two sons Arthur and George who all played a part in the rediscovery of the Pass.

The Dobson Memorial cairn at the apex of Arthurs Pass

The track to the Bealey Valley descends to the left down a series of stairs and eventually arrives at the bridge over the Bealey chasm. 

Near the track junction on the Bealy Valley, Arthur's Pass

The Bealey Chasm is a point where the river disappears under a series of massive boulders, it then reappears a bit further down the river bed. When I was younger there was no bridge at this point so if you wanted to get to the Upper Bealey Valley you had to cross the river. Thankfully DOC have built a rather lovely bridge across the river so it is now an all weather track. 

Karen crossing the bridge at the Bealey Chasm, Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

View up the Upper Bealey River from the bridge at the Bealey chasm

View down the Bealey River from the bridge at the Bealey Chasm

On the far side of the river is a short climb to a large swampy clearing with excellent views of the Bealey Valley, Mt Rolleston, Gouldney Ridge and Rome Ridge. Again, when I was younger there was a shallow tarn in the clearing but this seems to have filled itself in over the years.

Start of the climb past the Bealey Chasm bridge, Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

Karen walking up the Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

Moss and orange track markers...Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass: about to enter the first clearing

View towards Avalanche Peak from the Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

Looking west towards Otira from the Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

On the far side of the first clearing, Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

Looking towards Temple Valley Skiffed, Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

We walked over to the western edge of the clearing as we intended to keep going along the track. At this point the clouds once again descended and it started to rain, sleet and snow so we turned about and headed back towards the car park. 

If you continue along the path you will eventually reach the Bealey River again about two kilometres from the base of the Goldney Glacier. There are excellent views of he surrounding mountains from here and in summer you can follow the rough track up the true right of the river to the basin at the head of this valley.

The view from the end of the Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

Just be aware that this is a avalanche risk area with avalanche paths coming off all the high ground around the Bealey River. Do not go past the sign at the end of the track in Winter or Spring without first checking the avalanche risk. 

Avalanche warning by the end of the Bealey Valley Track

You just follow the same track back to the car park....down past the Bealey foot bridge, up the slope to the track and along the flats to the end of the track. For more information see my trip to the Bealey Valley back in 2018.

Bealey Chasm footbridge, Arthur's Pass

Boardwalk and stairs leading to the Bealey Chasm, Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

Climbing back to the Arthur's Pass Walking Track

Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass: the only long distance view of Bealey Valley

If you are in the area and still feeling energetic you can follow the Arthur's Pass walking Track for about two kilometers to the top of the pass to the West Coast. There is a memorial cairn to Arthur Dobson there and a very nice track around some alpine bogs and tarns that are worth a look. 

Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass: at the junction with the Arthur's Pass Walking Track

Heading back to the car park, Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

Typical old growth Beech forest, Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

Every time I walk past these glacial erratic rocks I wonder how many thousands of children must have climbed over them.......they look like they have rested here forever. the edges are all worn smooth from people's feet and hands.

A pile of glacial erratics alongside the Bealey Valley Track, Arthur's Pass

All up our trip took about 40 minutes return, add another hour onto that if you walk to the end of the track at the Bealey River Valley. It is a nice wee track, easy to walk, well marked and easily one of the nicest short walks in Arthur's Pass National Park.

Go have a look for yourself....

Jacks Hut, Arthur's Pass

I have visited Jacks Hut many times over the years as it sits on the direct path of a number of good walking tracks in the area. Originally a road-mans hut, it was moved to this location in the early 1910's and used as a holiday bach by the Butler family for many years. This was Karen's first visit to the hut so we had a bit of a look around. 

Jacks Hut in the 1920's when still a road mans hut

Sometime in the 1980's it was donated to the Department of Conservation and is maintained by them as a fine example of a historic private bach on national park land.

Jacks Hut: a view of the front of the hut

It is a very tidy three room house...the back room had a series of bunks while the other two rooms had a lounge area and kitchen/boot room. It is not available for use by the public anymore but is well worth a look for the simple type of construction used in this type of building.

There are some interpretive panels inside Jacks Hut

Jacks Hut...the rear of the hut, one of the rooms

A lot of colonial homes were clad with corrugated iron sheets, they were relatively light to ship, easy to cut and were very water proof. Houses, churches, shops and back-country huts were made using this material although few of them remain now. 

Detail of one of the sides of corrugated iron clad Jacks Hut

Jacks Hut sign at the front of the building

Jacks Hut lies on the path of the Arthur's Pass Walking Track from the village to the top of the pass. If you ever visit Arthur's Pass make sure you stop and have a look at this curiosity of our colonial past. The car park for the Bealey Valley track starts immediately opposite Jacks Hut. 

The car park for the Bealey Valley and Arthur's Pass Walking Track

SH73 looking towards Arthur's Pass Village

Here is a curiosity of history, this is one of the old mile markers that denoted the distances on the route between Springfield and Otira on the West Coast. They are now over 100 years old and it is amazing that any of them still exist. You will find these scattered up and down SH73 which more or less corresponds to the route of the old stage coach line. 

One of the mile markers from the old coach route to Otira and the West Coast

If you are ever driving between Christchurch and Hokitika/Greymouth look for these mile markers alongside the road. 

Access: Turn off SH 73 at the car-park opposite Jacks Hut, the track starts next to the car-park. The first 200 meters are on the Arthur's Pass Walking Track, then turn off onto the Bealey Valley Track

Track times: 30-40 minutes to the Upper Bealey River, then 30 minutes to the cirque under Goldney Ridge.

Hut Details: Jacks Hut (historic)

Miscellaneous: Avalanche and rock fall danger in the Upper Bealey Valley, do not go past the end of the track unless you have some avalanche awareness. No toilets at any point along this track.