Arthurs Pass Walking Track: 24 October 2015

From Arthur's Pass township to Arthur's Pass...

Woo-hoo, I have finished study for 2015 so time to do some.....tramping!

I went for a tramp on the first day of the Labour Weekend break, just a day trip as we had plans to watch theWorld Cup  All Blacks vs South Africa rugbygame on Sunday morning.

My original plan was for a trip up to Carrol Hut near Otira, but when I arrived at the car park at the base of the track I was meet with the still smouldering wreck of a car that had been set on fire. After reporting it to the Police, I decided that maybe this was not such an awesome place to park my car for 5-6 hours.

Punchbowl Falls from the Arthur's Pass Walking Track car park

Instead I went back to Arthur's Pass and walked the new track from the Devils Punchbowl Falls car park to the pass. I've been wanting to do it for a while and this was the perfect opportunity.

Arthurs Pass Walking Track

The Arthur's Pass Walking Track follows the path taken by Arthur Dobson an early surveyor and the first European to cross the Pass between the Bealey and Otira rivers back in the 1880's.

Car park at the start of the Arthurs Pass Walking Track

Arthurs Pass Walking Track

There are a series of information panels near the car park laying out the various tracks at this end of the valley. This is the starting point for tracks to Punchbowl Falls, Arthur's Pass, Avalanche Peak, Cons Track and Mt Aicken.

Arthurs Pass Walking Track: information board at car park

 As you can see nice clear details and the required warning information for tourists, it is a busy spot. Thousands if not tens of thousands of people must walk up to Punchbowl Falls each year while travelling through Arthur's Pass.

Arthurs Pass Walking Track: details of the board

The start of the track is very clear, nice signage throughout its length.

Track junction for Punchbowl Falls and Arthurs Pass Walking Track

 

 The track quality is excellent, Great Walk standard really, and it stays at this level all the way to the pass. It certainly makes the track a lot easier to walk, years ago the previous rough basic track took about 2.5 hours to the pass, it is now an hour and a half. 

Walkin' Great Walk styles....on the Arthurs Pass Walking Track

 

There are plenty of stairs and board walks along the trail here is a shot of the first of many for the day....

Arthurs Pass Walking Track: First of MANY steps!

 The bush to each side of the track is very dense, Arthur's Pass gets a lot of rain, over 2 meters most years and it actually holds the NZ record for the highest amount of rain in a 24 hour period (it was 2.4 meters, that's 39 inches or 7.8 feet) back in the 1960's. 

Dense bush to side of Arthur's Pass Walking Track

 There are a series of well constructed bridges along the track, they remind me a lot of the ones I've encountered on the Wharfedale and St James tracks. Standard DOC bridge design? Bridge, pedestrians, Mark I.....

Arthur's Pass Walking Track: example of the bridges en route

Jon on one of the bridges, Arthurs Pass Walking Track

 Periodically the far southern side of the valley becomes visible, nice views of Mt Avalanche, Mt Bealey and Mt Rolleston as you climb towards the pass. 

Mt Rolleston and Mt Bealey from Arthurs Pass Walking Track

Waterfall on the south side of the Bealey Valley

 

The photo below shows the flank of Mt Avalanche as well as the distant and tiny looking buildings of Arthurs Pass township far below. This is a view from a scenic lookout about 30 minutes up the trail, it has a seat and picnic table. 

Flanks of Mt Avalanche from Arthur's Pass Walking Track

 

You pass many small side streams on this track, all of them are bridged making this is an all weather track.

Arthur's Pass Walking Track: nice looking side stream

 I passed a number of  Dracophyllum traversii on the way, these are sometimes called "Dr Seuss" trees as they look exactly like the ones in The Lorax. We really have some weird and wonderful plants in New Zealand. 



Dracophyllum traversii tree near Arthur's Pass

 

The track follows the route of a high tension power line for most of the way up the valley. The last time I walked this track back in the early 90's it was a rocky and wet experience as no formal track existed. The track was the cut back route of the power line. You still pass under the pylons every now and then on the new track. 

Track passing under the power pylons

 

At one point you need to descend and then ascend a series of steps to get around a small gorge, the track has been well routed using a couple of handy gully's either side of the stream crossing. 

Arthurs Pass Walking Track : a stairway to heaven.....?

"Goblin" forest on the Arthurs Pass Walking Track

View north west towards Mt Rolleston, Bealey Valley

 

Eventually you reach Jacks Hut, former home of a well known road man of the early 1900's. Up till the 1980's it was a private bach or holiday home. It must have been some experience living here full time over the winter as the road sometimes gets up to 3 meters of snow in a big storm. Cool!

Historic Jacks Hut, SH 73 near Arthurs Pass

 

Near Jacks Hut the track crosses State Highway SH73, to the south side of the valley and continues up to the Pass. Take care crossing the road as it is very busy and has blind corners in both directions.

Arthurs Pass Walking Track: there be the track......!

Arthurs Pass Walking Track, approaching the tarns on the pass

Mt Rolleston and Bealey Valley from the Arthurs Pass Walking Track

 

You eventually breakout of the bush after 15minutes past Jacks Hut, the rest of the track is on board walk over a series of classic alpine bog's. There are stunning views in all directions. 

Start of the alpine bog-lands looking down valley, Arthur's Pass

Arthurs Pass Walking Track : alpine bog-lands looking up valley

Arthurs Pass - Highway 73  looking east or down valley

 There are a series of excellent interpretive panels along the track explaining the flora and fauna, history and topography of the surrounding area. 

Interpretive panel- Alpine plants near Arthurs Pass Tarns

No name falls near Temple Basin ski field from the Arthurs Pass Walking Track

 

During the last ice age this valley was home to a massive glacier that was 200 meters higher than the existing pass. It stretched all the way to the Canterbury Plains and as far west as Lake Kaniere. That is nearly 100 km's!!!

The whole of Arthur's Pass National Park has been shaped by ice, wind and water. 

Glacial moraine field near Arthurs Pass

 As you can see I have my fleece on, even with the sun it was cold due to the wind from the Otira Valley. I could see steam from my breath as I was walking, too windy for a hat so I got a bit wind burnt on the face. 

Jon standing on Arthur's Pass

Below is a selection of photos taken as I walked around the short nature walk at the Pass. If you are ever heading for the West Coast stop and have a look, it is fascinating and very beautiful in a stark, rugged kind of way.

Series of tarns on Arthurs Pass

Looking East towards Otira Valley

Below is a classic kiwi tramping track leading off from the nature walk, this heads to the Otira Valley. This is more like the mess of rock, mud and roots we have come to expect and love on a DOC track.

A more basic DOC track heading to Otira Valley

One of the small tarns on Arthurs Pass

The Arthur Dobson Memorial marks the crest of Arthur's Pass. On the east side is Canterbury, on the west side it is the West Coast. You have just crossed the Southern Alps!

Arthur Dobson Memorial from the Arthurs Pass Walking Track

Arthurs Pass: one of the interpretive panels- glacial action

View west towards the West Coast from Arthur's Pass tarns

One of the many bridges on the Arthurs Pass Walking Track

View towards Mt Bealey from alpine bog lands

After 20  minutes walking around the nature walk at the tarns I headed back down towards the village.

Below is a view of Jacks Hut from the opposite (southern) side of SH73. There are tracks from this point to the "Chasm" (a point where the Bealey River goes underground) and the Bealey Valley Track both of which are worth a look.

Jacks Hut from far side of SH73, Arthur's Pass

Arthurs Pass Walking Track : one of the picturesque side streams

I stopped about half way back to the village and sat on a log for a break for 5 minutes listening to the forest, river gurgle and birdsong.

Stopped for a snack on the Arthurs Pass Walking Track

Arthurs Pass Walking Track : new stairs to climb and descend a gully

Young Dracophyllum traversii alpine tree

The scene below will be familiar to anyone who has visited Arthur's Pass, these are the Punchbowl Falls close to the village. They are 112 metres high and come from an ice field on the saddle between Mt Cassidy and Mt Aicken. 

I am told that DOC have up graded the track to the falls and they now a wonder of board walk and platforms, I will have to visit sometime to confirm this. 

Punchbowl Falls from near the Arthur's Pass Walking Track car park

Close-up of Punchbowl Falls from the car park

View up Bealey Valley towards Arthurs Pass

It was a good days tramping and while not the trip I had planned it still worked out very nicely. It was excellent weather for a walk, dry but not too hot. Even though this is a popular track I only saw four other people on the track. It was surprising but Spring has only just started so possibly there aren't many tourists around yet.

Access: The track starts at the car park for the Punchbowl Falls, this is at the western end of Arthur's Pass township, look for the sign on the Bealey River side of SH73.

Track times: 1.5-2 hours to Arthur's Pass, same return.

Miscellaneous: All weather track, all streams bridged. Take water as all side streams along this track are contaminated. Watch for traffic on SH73 as you cross at Jacks Hut.

Sad news: Casey Hut in Arthurs Pass NP burnt to ground

Casey Hut burns down...

 A group from the Christchurch Tramping Club discovered the smouldering embers of Casey Hut on Saturday morning. I visited the hut back in 2012 while doing the Andrews-Casey-Binser circuit, it was a lovely old Lockwood style wood building.

Casey Hut in 2012 when I visited

A very similar thing happened to the old Hawdon Hut back in 2010 and it took 2 years for a replacement to be built. Here's hoping it will be replaced by DOC as it is vital stop over for anyone tramping the Upper Poulter Valley, Casey-Binser Circuit and Lake Minchin.

Below are a couple of shots from the Tramping New Zealand website of the hut interior in 2014.

Casey Hut: Interior, dining area

Casey Hut: interior one of the bunkrooms

Here is a photo of the empty hut site from the Radio NZ website:

2017 Update: DOC Canterbury did a assessment and decided that Casey Hut will NOT be replaced. This is likely to happen more often now that DOC are severely strapped for cash.

Plans are afoot to move one of the the huts from the Upper Poulter Valley to near the old hut site. It looks like Trust Poulter (8 bunks) will be shifted sometime in 2017-2018 with a refurbishment and possible enlargement. This work is being carried out by a volunteer group with some assistance from DOC Canterbury.

Trust Poulter Hut in the Upper Poulter Valley, Arthur's Pass NP

Update 2018: A new and intriguing message has appeared on the DOC web site for Arthurs Pass. There is now a message saying that Casey Hut is to be replaced in Mid 2018 after over 4 years of no hut on the site. I can find no other information so here's hoping it means a new or refurbished hut is going to be moved to this location soon...

Anti Crow Hut Tramp: 3rd October 2015

Tramping in the Upper Waimakariri Valley

My first tramp of the 2015/16 summer season is a jaunt into Anti Crow Hut towards the head of the Waimakiriri River. I am looking to go further up valley; visit Carrington Hut and its environs so this is a bit of a recce trip.The track in is easy walking, although tiring as you are walking on gravel fan's for most of the time.

Crow Valley, Mt Rolleston from Turkey Flat

Heading to Anti Crow Hut

It is surprising but I have never been up to the head of the Waimakiriri before, even though it is considered by many as the spiritual home of Canterbury climbing and tramping. The old Carrington Hut was one of the first trampers hut built by the CTC way back in the 1890's.

Back in the 1960's-70-80's the upper valley would have been full of climbers and trampers who came up on the Friday night train. They would be making for places like Carrington Hut, Mt Rolleston, Waimakariri Falls the Three Passes tramp and the Upper Rakaia river.

It is much quieter these days.

Sunrise from Porters Pass on SH 73

SH73: On the road to Arthurs Pass

My original idea was to cross the Waimakiriri from the car-park at Klondyke Corner and walk up to the hut using the standard route to Carrington Hut. The river was high, there has been a lot of snow this year and the water levels are still too deep and swift to allow individual crossings of the river.

Instead I used O'Malleys Track which is the name for the flood track running along the bottom of Bealey Spur.

From SH 73 to Anti Crow Hut via Turkey Flat

Don't park your car at this car park overnight, it is the worst spot in Arthurs Pass NP for car thefts & break-ins. It is fine for a day trip as you are back before dark, which is when most break ins occur.

O'Malleys Track car park, Arthurs Pass NP

Start of O'Malleys Track to the Waimakariri Valley

The track starts off by climbing up high to get above a gorge running down this side of Bealey Spur, total height gained would be 80 meters then you sidle the side of the spur for about 45 minutes - 2 kilometres.

O'Malleys Track: Initial climb to sidle track (about 80 meters)

There are occasional views out across the river towards Klondyke Corner on the valley flats opposite.

Klondyke Corner from the O'Malleys Track

Initially the track is benched with a nice camber and surface, this quickly degenerates into your  standard DOC back country track. There is a bit of windfall on the track, no doubt damage caused by the heavy winter storms earlier this year.

O'Malleys Track: Initial sections are benched...

Then turn into a mud scramble!

You can just make out a couple of camper vans on the far bank of the river, this is the access point if you want to attempt a crossing of the Waimakariri River. It saves about an hour but is much more dangerous than just walking along the flood track. Literally dozens of people have drowned in the Upper Waimakariri...it is not to be trifled with.

Tourists camping at Klondyke Corner, from O'Malleys Track

After about 45 minutes you get close to the end of the sidle, and start heading down to Turkey Flats.

Approaching Birch Nook on O'Malleys Track

Below is the only significant side stream you cross on this track, doesn't look like much really. Then you notice the piles of drift wood debris around the trees near the river banks. I measured one, it was up to my knee so about 50 cm deep on the river bank which is 70-80 cm above the stream bed.
That's waist deep water on me, and I'm not short!

Only major stream that must be crossed, note flood debris!

Once you get to the end of the flood track the upper valley opens up before you.

O'Malleys Track: Heading down onto Turkey Flat

Turkey Flat is a large debris fan from Jordan Stream, it takes about an hour to walk across it mainly due to the gravel you are walking on for most of that time. It is big lumpy stuff brought down by the streams in the area. It is awkward to walk on and you keep wobbling around.

Mt Bealey across the Waimakiriri valley

View back to Bealey Spur and O'Malleys Track

Jordan Stream is a vast expanse of gravel, the main river bed is about a kilometre across, totally bone dry. I would imagine that when a good olde Nor' Wester starts bucketing down it soon fills to the brim, there is no covering vegetation so it must get washed away regularly by all the water.

View up Jordan Stream from stream bed

Looking West to Mt Stewart and headwaters from Jordan Stream

The further you walk the better the views of the surrounding mountains, Crow Valley starts to open up as you get closer to the hut.

Waimakariri Valley: Anti Crow Hut is over the spur to left

View of Mt Stewart, Crow Valley from Waimakariri Valley

The final part of the route is a short track over a bush spur, when the river is low you can forgo the pleasures of the track and just walk up the dry river bed. Be aware there is a bit of a hairy down climb right at the end of the track, not high just difficult.

Anti Crow Hut: climbing over last spur

Track heading down to Anti Crow Flat

Anti Crow Hut is a classic ex NZFS six bunker, it is in a nice location sited in a bush finger with expansive views of the valley. I believe this is the second hut on the site, being built in 1960 to replace an even older hut. DOC have obviously been in to do some upkeep as the hut was looking in excellent condition.

Anti Crow Hut (1960)

Anti Crow Hut: come on in folks.....

It has a new coat of paint outside and is fairly tidy inside, 6 bunks but you could probably get another 4-6 people in on the flood if needed. Most visitors are people on day tramps, mountain runners and climbers/trampers on their way to/from Carrington Hut and the Three Passes Route.
 I was the first person to visit the hut since the 5th September.

Interior of Anti Crow Hut

Anti Crow Hut: interior, opposite end of hut

View east to Klondyke Corner from Anti Crow Hut

There are some impressive views of the South face of Mt Rolleston (2271 meters) as well as the Crow Valley. I will eventually get around to visiting the Crow Valley Hut, it is a bit of a tricky trip as you need to cross the Waimakiriri a couple of times to get there.

Rolleston Glacier from near Anti Crow Hut

Mt Rolleston (2271 meters), Arthurs Pass NP

The hut looks good in its new coat of paint, I especially like the sheet of clearlite DOC have retrofitted to improve the light inside the hut. Makes it so much brighter and cheerful.

Close view of Anti Crow Hut

There is a big flat area in front of the hut, if the hut was full you would have your choice of spots for tenting.

River flats in front of Anti Crow Hut

Crow Valley, destination for future trip, Avalanche Peak to right

I ate my lunch in the hut and then made my way back the way I had arrived. The wind picked up a little around 12 noon but it was still nice walking weather.

Waimakariri Valley: heading back towards Jordan Stream

The hut is just on the other side of the bush spur coming in from the left, the track meanders for about 700-800 meters through the bush.

Anti Crow Hut is just the other side of this bush spur

There is a really obvious ground trail in those places with vegetation, the route is also marked by snow poles as well.

Obvious ground trail across Turkey Flat

Waimakariri Valley: gravel bash supreme!

I don't normally listen to the MP3 while tramping but with that big gravel flat to cross again I needed the inspiration, it worked because it took me half the previous time to get back to the start of the flood track.

Jon bopping out crossing Jordan Stream

More getting down...Waimakariri River Valley

Jordan Stream....that's a whole lot of gravel to walk over, especially when viewed from a log in the middle of the stream bed.

View up the Waimakariri Valley from bed of Jordan Stream

O'Malleys Track: reason for the sidle track: bluffs!

As you can see the Waimakiriri comes right up against the side of Bealey Spur, the water was flowing deep and fast in this channel.

Nice river pool approaching Bealey Bridge

This is the last climb before you start descending down to the car park near the Bealey Bridge. I agree with the guide books: this track needlessly goes up and down but it is a godsend for accessing the upper reaches of the Waimakariri river valley.

O'Malleys Track..scrappy track high above the Waimakariri River

I will be coming back some time in the future to visit the Upper Waimakariri River, I'm keen to visit the massive 36 bunk Carrington Hut as well as the much more modest Waimakariri Falls Hut.

Access: From SH 73 at the Bealey Bridge, park at the O'Malleys Track car park and follow the flood track to Turkey Flat, follow the marked track towards the head of the Waimakariri Valley.

Track Times: 2-3 hours to Anti Crow Hut Hut, another 2 hours to Carrington Hut

Hut Details: Anti Crow Hut: standard, 6 bunks, wood burner, water tank, toilet: Carrington Hut: serviced (CTC owned, DOC administered), 36 bunks, radio, wood burner, water tanks, wood shed, toilets

Miscellaneous: Both the Waimakariri and Anti Crow Rivers are dangerous, numerous people have drowned in both, care needed when crossing. Jordan Stream prone to flooding in heavy rain.