Routes
Huts / campsites
Roadends
Summits
Passes / crossings
Scenic features
Junctions
DOC Land
Altitude: 667m to 1868m. Gain: 1750m. Loss: 2182m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Streams (2/6)
Altitude: 667m to 707m. Gain: 91m. Loss: 58m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
DOC Track. Easy travel
Altitude: 718m to 986m. Gain: 39m. Loss: 302m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
DOC track. Fairly overgrown, but easy to follow the most of the time.
Altitude: 981m to 1085m. Gain: 11m. Loss: 115m . Gradient: 5 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
The first track marker is a large Orange triangle on the edge of bush on the TL of the river. It is in a prominent position but set back (and up) from the river).
From this point follow the markers down river to the Hut. Mostly the markers are easy to follow but the track is fairly indistinct.
Altitude: 1094m to 1791m. Gain: 0m. Loss: 697m . Gradient: 15 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Streams (2/6)
Descend Thompson Pass, following cairns and cutting to the true left to avoid steep ravines to reach the valley floor. Follow the valley on the true-left until you find track markers (orange triangles) climbing into the area of bush just upstream of the gully leading to David’s Saddle (D’Urville hut is 2km downstream at this point )
Some descriptions describe a need to angle south from the pass. However the obvious scree slope straight down works great
Altitude: 1306m to 1791m. Gain: 510m. Loss: 29m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Streams (2/6)
Crossing the river to the TR, we tried to cut the corner but travel was easier closer to the stream.
Crossing back to the TL involved a scramble down and up out of the stream. Then a stiff climb to the gut (and fault line) that runs up to Lake Thompson. We traveled in the gut but travel would also be good on the ridgetop. From Lake Thompson, it's a short climb to Thompson Pass, first on a grassy tongue, then on rock.
Altitude: 1300m to 1868m. Gain: 24m. Loss: 590m . Gradient: 23 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7)
On the map, this route looks steep and risky - in wet or icy weather it would be. However, poled all the way, in good weather this is a simple descent on good, grippy rock.
Altitude: 1182m to 1866m. Gain: 1075m. Loss: 391m . Gradient: 15 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Streams (2/6)
From Blue Lake, the route is poled all the way to Waiau Pass (and on to the valley floor).
Initially gently rising and open, once to the trees the track steepens. A rising track leads to the true left of Lake Constance brings you to a steep scree climb then a traverse to the mid-point of the lake.
Although there have been recorded deaths above the lake, the track is straight forward. However, take care if you choose to approach the top of the bluffs as the fall to the lake is sheer.
The poled route leads to a steep descent in a gut and to the lake shore – then along to the lake head and across the valley floor (good campsites 100m before the start of the climb) and up up up to Waiau Pass.
It’s steep but the initial section on larger rocks is stable. The track moves onto a grass tongue until an obvious footpad angles up, across the scree, towards a grassy shelf. A useful tarn at the base of the final ascent to the pass means less water needs to be hauled up from the valley.