Routes
Huts / campsites
Roadends
Summits
Passes / crossings
Scenic features
Junctions
DOC Land
Altitude: 887m to 1698m. Gain: 1018m. Loss: 1505m . Gradient: 22 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Streams (2/6) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)
A couple of routes exist from Back Basin Hide to the confluence of the Avoca with Blind Creek. This is the lower of the two (the other goes over pt1856 and is high, narrow and hard).
From Back Basin Hide, climb the face to the ridge above and follow it to pt1647. This ridge is narrow and the consequences of a fall very bad. Going is ok for the most part, though on rotten crumbling rock. However 2 sections of about 5m each were tricky.
From pt1647 things improve. Good runnable scree drops to the saddle to the north, then east part-way down onto the basin before sidling to the saddle west of pt1428. From here a good scree chute drops north to the head of Chamois Creek - becoming scrubby lower down - travel in the beech may be better for the last bit.
The head of Chamois Creek is moss and low tussock and very pleasant. Camping spots exist.
The screen shown on the map climbing north from 100m NW of the forks is good and stable and provides an easy climb to the bushedge. A brief climb and sidle east leads onto a tussock spur which climbs NE to the unnamed peak 200m NW of pt1735. This is an easy climb on a stable surface.
From the ridgeline, the best descent is from the saddle between pt1735 and pt1839, dropping north down good runnable fine scree (would be hard work to climb) into the creek which exits opposite Blind Creek. After 300 vertical meters down scree, a tussock and mossy basin is reached. Below this the creek becomes scoured out, but good beech with clear deer trails provide easy travel to the Avoca valley floor - I took the true right.
