Bushwalk Australia

Hi all,

Im planning a trip to NZ south island this coming dec/jan. The reason for the trip is to complete a mountain course based out of Mt Cook but im very much considering doing a few other walks while im in NZ.
Ive been looking through a book i have of the NZ Great Walks and i think ive narrowed the list to 2 for this trip. Routeburn & Kepler.
If some people could share their experiences or thoughts on these two walks (or any other better ones) that would be awesome. Also, is the dec/jan period fairly reliable weather wise? Im hoping soo for the sake of the mountaineering trip, but is this an enjoyable time of year to be hiking?

Thoughts and experiences greatly appreciated.

Hutchie.

Is the whether reliable? Not really, but it does not matter on these great tracks. I really like the Kepler, the Hollyford is another great option if you want quiter huts. It really does not matter which you choose, you will be back to do the other! Dan

Hey Hutchie,
I have done both (Routeburn twice) & they will not dissapoint. Marvelous scenery, wonderful huts, spectacular walks. I probably prefer the Routeburn but would be happy to do either again . Dec/Jan is a popular time- as with anytime you can get lots of rain but the huts make life that bit easier. Early Dec can still see some snow up high and parts may even be closed if they have had late falls. The other year they were helicoptering people over the pass area on the Routeburn late Nov, but by the time I was there you had to walk one small section with the ranger due to rockslide danger. Don't forget you need to book these walks. Have a fantastic time whichever you choose.
Lizzy

Hi Hutchie, I second Lizzys call on the Routeburn. Great scenery and the weather should be good at that time of year. One issue to consider is that the end of the Routeburn ( if walking east to west) is about a 300k drive back to Queenstown. if this is an issue you may want to consider combining it with either the Greenstone or Caples tracks which will bring you out on the Queenstown side of the mountains and a fairly short road trip instead.

Cheers for all the replies.
Both walks will definately make it on the list I think.

the weather doesnt become reliable till mid january, through till march,
i was there juste before xmas, 100k winds 300ml of rain in 30 hours

done the routeburn twice in late december, bad weather both times.
the kepler can be impassable in high winds, the track runs along the ridge top for about 15k's,
the routeburn can be done in high winds

I cant say I'm very experienced, but Ive done both the Kepler and Routeburn.

My advice is that you will have new mountaineering skills and would probally want to use them if required. The 2 walks I would recommend instead are Cascade saddle going over from East to west. The other route I would highly recommend even more than cascade saddle is rabbit pass from north to south. Just north of Rabbit pass are some alpine lakes that are absolutely phenomenal with snow all year round. Definitely worth a visit. David Noble's Photos inspired me to do it and hopefully can inspire you too. http://www.david-noble.net/NZ/Jan09/Wilkins/Day8.html

These 2 walks are much more memorable to me than any of NZ's great walks due to its challenge. None of the great walks require alpine skills where as your alpine skills are will be handy to have on either of these 2 suggested walks

cascade saddle and rabbit pass, shouldnt be attempted in rain or soft snow. a lot of injuries and some fatalities happen in these conditions due to steep, slippery tussock slopes. flash floods in the upper Dart river have also cause fatalities.
cascade saddle is safest climbed from the matukituki side due to it's steepness on that side.
contact doc.govt.nz for track conditions.

Being a bit adverse to really hairy bits, I had thought that if I ever got to Cascade Saddle it would be a return trip from the West side.
[Which can be made into a loop trip - combining Dart and Rees valleys]

I presume wayno is saying that due to its steepness - much better to climb the east side rather than descend it?
Or are you suggesting issues with the western approach?

eggs wrote:I presume wayno is saying that due to its steepness - much better to climb the east side rather than descend it?
Or are you suggesting issues with the western approach?

Correct, you can still descend it in the dry,, cilmbing is technically easier, in places you have to downclimb steeper sections, again, avoid at all costs in the wet,
it's pretty safe in the dry, nothing vertical, just depends on your head for heights.

on the western approach to the saddle theres a couple of sections climbing the scree slope where there are false trails that go on to dangerously steep crumbly sections, so if it looks dangerous, back track a bit and look around for the correct track, it's not snow poled the whole way.
DOC discourage it but some people camp around the saddle, it's totally exposed to the elements but can make for a stunning campsite with great sunsets and sunrises.

http://www.metservice.com has detailed mountain forecasts and rain forecasts, the fiordland ones are longer term than aspiring. check them regularly the forecast in NZ can change rapidly, it can snow any time of the year., that part of the country doesnt really have a dry season,


having said all that, photographs don't do justice to the area.

also http://www.mountain-forecast.com has forecsts for specific areas incl nz.

the weather at the bottom of the south island usually isnt that stable till mid jan. you just have to take pot luck. have a plan b if it rains, a lot of the rees dart track is impassible in heavy rain, so at least expect to be held up between huts for part of the trip. don't expect to get a bunk in summer, the track is extremely busy, it acts as an overflow for people who can't get onto the more popular great walks that require prebooking.

the waterfall face on the way to rabbit pass is even steeper....