Altitude: 477m to 1761m. Gain: 3338m. Loss: 3346m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Streams (2/6) Winter - High avalanche risk, iceaxe/crampons (7/7)
Altitude: 477m to 1155m. Gain: 855m. Loss: 576m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6)
Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey
Head down Theatre Flat and follow markers into the bush on the true left of the Rock Burn. A short distance later cross the swing bridge over the river and follow a good quality track all the way down river through bush and flats with good camping. The track climbs up the hill past Point 844 and a sign posted track junction reached which points the way to Sugarloaf Pass. Climb and cross the muddy pass and follow markers down into the bush on the Routeburn side. The track drops steeply all the way down to a signposted junction with the Routeburn Great Walk. Follow the Routeburn to the shelter at the car park.
Altitude: 754m to 1002m. Gain: 316m. Loss: 70m . Gradient: 5 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey
Head south from the rock biv and cross the outlet stream from the Park Pass Glacier melt lake (a difficult crossing on slippery rocks in rapid current). Follow the Rock Burn down stream. A marked track drops down through the bush by the upper gorge and then its down more river flats to climb through the bush beside Point 908 on another marked track. Drop down to Theatre Flat and cross to the patch of bush half way down. On the north side of the bush is a giant boulder with a permanent fire pit on its eastern side and sheltered camp spots.
Altitude: 1018m to 1179m. Gain: 161m. Loss: 0m . Gradient: 17 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Streams (2/6)
Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey
A light ground trail from near the tarn on Park Pass is the route down into the Rock Burn, dropping steeply beside the stream draining the pass. Large boulders at the base of the steep terrain are dropped through, the large one near the bottom of the slope beside the stream has the rock bivvy under it's southern side.
Altitude: 1174m to 1583m. Gain: 675m. Loss: 377m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate)
Skills:
Pick up the footpad west of the tarn and climb the spur to the large cairn, 1.2km from the pass. Leave the spur, descend and negotiate a small shallow depression (outlined on the map by the 1220m & 1240m contours). The route is infrequently marked with cairns but it is a steeply rising sidle across tussock and scree - dangerous in adverse conditions. Aim to approach the marked stream above the 1400m contour and continue to climb (on the TL) to 1500m. You can travel above the tarn or around to it's outlet - both routes rejoin in the lower saddle (1600m). Continue through the saddle and down to the small tarn (close to the left rock wall is easiest) and proceed to the Lake.
Altitude: 1405m to 1587m. Gain: 254m. Loss: 141m . Gradient: 9 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills:
From the north shore of Lake Nerine, walk to the west side and climb to the low saddle. From here, there are two routes to North Col.
The low route descends to the 1440m ledge and contours around to the gully below North Col - then up. There are useful cairns along the route.
If visibility is questionable, use the low route. The high route takes slightly longer (and would be very challenging in poor weather).
Altitude: 1406m to 1761m. Gain: 673m. Loss: 831m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) Winter - High avalanche risk, iceaxe/crampons (7/7)
From North Col ascend steep slopes to the south west through bluffs to gain the main ridge line heading south from Peak 1796. The ridge is followed as best as possible, negotiating bluffs and ledges as far as Point 1555 where it is best to traverse the western side of the ridge on tussock and rock ledges high above the lake at the head of Swamp Creek. It's then up and onto broad, flat topped Peak 1550 where the next small lake can be viewed. Moirs Guide North talks about descending a scree chute straight down to the lake, but this chute is very steep and full of loose crumbly rock. It is safer to head south west and drop down into the saddle west of the lake before passing through the saddle to reach it, 4-5 hours from North Col. There is exposed camping on the eastern side of the lake (the saddle acts as a wind tunnel from the west).
From the lake climb briefly to the south then negotiate numerous boulder fields east of Peaks 1697 - 1605, keeping within the 1400-1500m contours. You can sidle straight to the saddle at Point 1410 where there is a large tarn and more camp spots (~6.5 hours from North Col). From 1410, the main ridge line is followed all the way to Peak 1807, again negotiating considerable boulder fields around Peak 1604, bluffs, tussock ramps and ledges. Peak 1807 had large snow slopes on its eastern flanks in January 2017 which required ice axes to cross safely... we didn't summit as we were in the cloud. Traversing the snow just below the summit drops you down to the saddle between Peaks 1807 and 1795 from where steep rock and then snow slopes drop down into the head of the Lake Wilson basin. Climb/glacade down to boulder fields and then down onto flat ground. A large melt water lake exists in the flat ground between the 1520 and 1540m contours with camping, other wise there is numerous flat but exposed camp spots dotted around on the terraces at about 1500m, about 11 hours from North Col.
Cross a large gully beneath Mt Erebus and climb through small bluffs to reach the boulder field at Point 1578 and skirt around it's west edge. Follow the broad rolling terrace which drops down to the tussocky flat ground at the Lake Wilson outlet. There is a dry rock bivvy that holds 3 people just southeast of Point 1578 and north of the of the "k" of "Lake Wilson" on the map, on the southeast side of the ridge facing Mt Xenicus.
Altitude: 1227m to 1434m. Gain: 118m. Loss: 311m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6)
Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey
Note: the top of the gut used to climb to Lake Wilson holds snow into January and an ice axe should be carried. From just past the bluffs at Harris Saddle head northwestwards off the track as if making for the southeast corner of Conical Hill and look for a grass slope descending steeply to the shore of Lake Harris. At the bottom of the slope you should find a trapping line with a ground trail that runs around the western shore of the lake. Follow this until you reach the entrants to the valley at the head of the lake, unofficially known as The Valley of the Trolls. Theres camping here on grass beside the stream. Climb through boulders on the true right of the stream to make your way into the valley. Once through the boulders cross swampy terrain to the valley head and cross the stream beneath the waterfall. Theres a rock bivvy located about half way up the length of the valley and about 40m off the valley floor. On the true left of the waterfall a grassy gut climbs all the way up to the top of the hill. Climb all the way up to a rocky shelf. The lake outlet and camping spot is at the northern end of the shelf.
Altitude: 974m to 1307m. Gain: 127m. Loss: 393m . Gradient: 9 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7)
There's an emergency shelter at Harris Saddle and a worthwhile side trip up Conical Hill with great views. The Routeburn Track carries on through bluffs above Lake Harris and drops down through a valley to reach Falls Hut. Climb down behind the helicopter pad here to swim under the falls!
Altitude: 696m to 965m. Gain: 36m. Loss: 304m . Gradient: 9 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7)
From Falls hut follow the Great Walk down the hill, where at the bottom you reach the short turn off to Flats Hut.
Altitude: 477m to 710m. Gain: 123m. Loss: 343m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills:
From the Flats Hut turnoff, carry on down the flats and through bush to reach the car park at Routeburn Shelter.