Distance: 8.7 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 375m to 467m. Gain: 168m. Loss: 76m . Gradient: 2 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Road (1/9)
Formed road, 4WD track, etc

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

From the Raspberry Flat car park cross the bridge over Big Creek and follow the 4WD track up valley through farm land. After 10-15 minutes you'll pass the turn off to the popular Rob Roy Glacier track. The track continues, usually following the 4WD farm track but sometimes making its own way, marked by snow poles. Its flat going except for one set of zig zags over a bluff above the river. After 1.5h pass the historic Cascade Hut (NZAC private, locked hut) and continue on to Aspiring hut.

Note: The track passes through farm land almost all the way to Aspring hut. There's several fences to go through, all of them with stiles built over them. It probably goes without saying but please keep all farm gates as you find them and don't disturb stock.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description

Distance: 2.5 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 425m to 1544m. Gain: 1119m. Loss: 0m . Gradient: 28 deg (Steep)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Streams (2/6)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Steep (difficulty: 5/5)
Steep climbs of >1000m

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

A snow-poled route ascends to the Shotover Saddle from the West Matukituki farm track up the true left (west) side of Bride's Veil creek. The ascent is steep on first farmed faces, later tussock. Poles are intermittent and the ground trail indistinct - you may just wish to follow your nose.

80m below the saddle, a fault-line running across the face has opened up to create a long thin basin, at the western end of which lies a narrow tarn. Reasonable, well sheltered camp spots exist at it's eastern end.

The route from the tarn to the saddle is unmarked - climb the escarpment and find your way through the humps and hollows above to the broad saddle.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Route show is approximate.

From Shotover Saddle descend steep terrain to the large tarn shown on the map and look for an orange topped snow pole on the sky line. Snow poles mark the route the whole way down to the West Matukituki track, but the route is indistinct between on poles. The descent is very steep on snow grass the whole way down until farm land is reached roughly parallel to Brides Veil Falls on the true left (west). From here drop down on farm grass and cross a fence to finally reach the Matukituki track.

Distance: 7.7 km (7.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Hard terrain
Altitude: 778m to 1546m. Gain: 900m. Loss: 1592m . Gradient: 19 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Hard (difficulty: 5/5)
Thick scrub-bash / continuous river boulders, waterfalls, or gorges

Alpine weather (difficulty: 2/7)
Tramp on open tops, exposed to alpine weather

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

This is the 'middle' route sidling down the Tyndall at around 1200m. It is also possible to sidle out to the eastern valleyside at the height of the pass and follow that ridgeline to the confluence. That route passes through one band of bluffs and so some visibility would be useful.

Note that the attached gpx route drops too low in the middle section of the sidle and has to climb again - this can be avoided by not dropping whilst sidling.

Tyndall creek on the south side of the saddle descends to the valley floor via a waterfall, and so should not be followed . Instead follow the spur west of the creek down into the basin below, rejoining the creek at the first minor forks at around 1250m. Cross the creek to flats on the eastern side of the creek, cross the brief flats and from there sidle downriver keeping roughly the same altitude. At first there is a bit of low scrub, but soon you end up in good tussock, which slowly deteriorates back to knee high scrub as you head down valley. There are occasional steep sections and bluffs but they can easily be passed above or below as seems best. Do not be tempted by deer trails dropping into basins below - the scrub there is a nightmare. If in doubt - climb rather than descend.

Eventually the ridgeline to the east drops towards you. Sidle onto the ridge and follow it down towards where Tyndall Stream emerges onto Junction Flat. The eastern side of the ridgeline consists of sheer bluffs dropping all the way to the Tummel Burn below, but the western side is gentle tussock basins. At times Tummel Burn Hut can be seen - a very small dot almost vertically below on the flats. Occasional cairns will appear as you start to hit low scrub, followed by a single warratah with a white marker on top. It is important to locate this warratah, as continuing down the spur beyond it leads to impenetrable scrub and then bluffs.

At the warratah, sidle 50m right (i.e. back up the Tyndall Creek) through thick scrub, and drop into the basin of the side-creek to the NW of the spur we have been descending. The creek / gut is fairly open at first and can be descended with care down gravel chutes and short grass. In lower sections the route enters stunted bush on the TL of the gut for a while. The gut/creek drops into Tyndall Creek in a gorge 200m above Junction Flat. Moirs mentions a route sidling above the gorge, but it was not obvious to me.

The brief gorge can be descended with care on the TL with a bit of scrambling over boulders, crossing to the TR when the stream levels out as it approaches Junction Flat. Tummel Burn Hut is 50m from the start of the flats on the TL and is obvious.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The "low" route to Shotover Saddle goes up Tyndall Creek. Records from the Tummel Burn Hut book dating back to the 70s don't recommend this route, neither does Moirs. The "high" route follows the spine of the ridge from Point 1550 over Peak 1781 and along the 1600m contour to Shotover Saddle. This would make a good route going from the saddle to Tummel Burn Hut. The "middle route" climbs to above the scrub line then sidles up the valley between the 1200 and 1300 meter contour before crossing Tyndall Burn at 1200m and climbing to the saddle on the true right of the main stream.

Note that the attached gpx route drops too low in the middle section of the sidle and has to climb again - this can be avoided by not dropping whilst sidling.

From Tummel Burn Hut look for a metal sign hanging from a bush on the true left of Tyndall Creek across from the hut. An ancient overgrown NZFS track sporadically marked with permalot makers pushes up the hill through bush through a fern chocked gully to the northwest from the river. Push through the ferns and light scrub in the bush, climbing until a dry creek bed is reached running northeast to southwest. There were 2 cairns here in Feb 2016.

Climb the creek bed sticking to it until dead trees from an old scrub fire are passed. Keep an eye out for a cairn which supposedly marks the turnoff to head due east from the creek bed. We missed it, but the creek bed terminates in a wall of scrub. A small, scrub filled off shoot from the main creek bed headed east from here. A short scrub bash eastwards out of the main creek bed and around the top of the off shoot bed through man eating scrub allowed us to reach a point where a metal warahtah stake with a permalot marker attached could be seen. The waratah marks the start point of a light trail which ran up the ridge line through thinning scrub and on to the open tussock slopes of the main ridge at about 1200 metres. If you are coming down then the waratah would be the point to head west to locate the dry creek bed.

From 1200m sidle tussock slopes through numerous gullies and interesting rock formations up valley until the big spur coming down from Peak 1781 is reached and the upper valley and creeks can be viewed. Descend to cross a gulch with the biggest tributary in it and make your way around to the main stream of Tyndall Creek, crossing it at about 1200m. Climb up tussock slopes on the true right of the stream to the small tarn shown on the map, there is good camping here or at the 2nd mapped tarn further to the east although that one is more exposed to wind coming over from the Matukituki. Its a short further climb up onto the saddle. On the north side of the saddle its a short steep descent down to the large tarn shown on the map which is sheltered from the south.

Red Rock makes for an interesting hour round side trip to a random patch of red ultramafic rock such as whats found in the Olivines to the west.

Distance: 6.7 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 633m to 781m. Gain: 28m. Loss: 168m . Gradient: 2 deg (Flat)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Flat (difficulty: 1/5)
Flat

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Tall, walkable scrub / large rocks, occasional waterfalls or gorges in rivers

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Prolonged rivers (difficulty: 4/6)
Frequent river travel - impassible after rain, risk of getting trapped

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

From Tummel Burn hut, head down Junction Flat, crossing the Shotover to the eastern bank. Follow good deer trails down the eastern bank through the following gorge, keeping close to the river. The old cut track further up the face is overgrown and unusable.

Once at Pine Creek Flat, pick up cattle tracks heading downriver and climbing onto a low terrace on the eastern valleyside, where the 4wd farm track commences. This can be followed all the way down the valley to Lake Creek, passing the locked, private Hundred Mile Hut. A crossing of the Shotover is required - ankle deep in late summer flows but easily impassable after rain.

The turnoff to Lochnagar is not marked, but you can see the track climbing to north face of Lake Creek soon after the ford and aim for it if that's your desination.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From near Lake Creek walk across farmland and cross the Shotover to continue up the true left. We kept to the rivers edge for easier travel then the meandering 4WD track. Hundred Mile Hut is reached after about 30 minutes but was locked in February 2016. Continue up river to cross large flats where Pine Creek flows into the Shotover from the west. At the head of the flats an old track supposedly goes up valley on the true left about 50 meters above the river through very thick scrub but we never saw it. Instead, under low flows, the Shotover can be followed up through the gorge between Pine Creek Flat and Junction Flat by rock hooping mostly on the true left. Don't leave the rivers edge, the scrub is diabolical. It takes about an hour to navigate the gorge. At Junction Flat cross the Tummel Burn and look for Tummel Burn hut at the northwest corner of the flats.

Distance: 4.2 km (3.5 DOC hours) - Unmaintained track - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 635m to 1124m. Gain: 517m. Loss: 60m . Gradient: 8 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Unmaintained track (5/9)
Former track, overgrown - markers / ground trail still followable

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Head up the old farm track child climbs the northern side of Lake Creek and sidles it upsteam for 1km before returning to the creek. An old cage may help the crossing, but it;s wheels were siezed when I visited (2017) so fording the creek was preferable (knee deep, late summer low flows).

There is no visible track on the southern bank, but head generally upstream climbing spurs onto terraces on the southern bank in grassy open country. The track becomes clear once the scrub is reached - a platformed old farm track cutting into the scrub. This is the lower of the two tracks shown on topomaps.

Follow the track as it sidles flat, the river rising to meet it. The track becomes rougher (uncut for some time in 2018) as it climbs the southern side of the rockfall dam towards the lake. Scrub is thick and encroaching on the track until you reach the large overhanging rock known as the Goatel. Exit the goatel through the hole in its ceiling towards the rear to find yourself on flatter tops of the rockfall dam, in sparse low scrub. The track is poled from here with white canes, cutting towards the northern side of the valley and climbing through a basin before dropping to Lochnagar Hut near the lake outlet.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Lochnagar hut a lightly marked track consisting of metal poles and the odd botanical sign heads across the crumpled terrain of the Lochnagar landslide. The track is indistinct and overgrown but reasonable travel is made until you approach the north face of a large boulder labeled with a faded paint sign "Goatel". On its eastern side a small hole between the boulder and another rock leads down to the biv under the boulder.

Push through scrub and then follow a trail down valley that passes by a "view of the Lochnagar subterranean outlet" to quote the sign there, and clear the scrub to cross farm land lower down. A 4WD track is visible on the true left of Lake Creek. Follow the hill down to where the trail hits Lake Creek. Theres a type of cableway here to pull yourself across the creek other wise its an easy ford. Follow the 4WD track down Lake Creek to reach the farm land of the Shotover River valley.

Distance: 12.7 km (8.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 1121m to 1953m. Gain: 1637m. Loss: 1294m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Streams (2/6)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Note: The sidle from the large basin at the head of Pine Creek to the ridge line overlooking Lochnagar is extremely steep and exposed and almost entirely on snow grass. You have to go through two sets of bluffs. A slip would be serious. Only attempt this crossing in perfect conditions and carry an ice-axe or other means of arresting a fall.
From Lochnegar Hut, follow the lake shore north and cross the lake outflow. Climb the spur on the other side. Going is scrubby at first but once the spur becomes more clear a good ground trail exists. Follow the spur upwards until the left (western) side starts to become bluffy, and then sidle left (west) off the spur, round the base of a brief bluff and into the gully west of the spur. Follow this gully up to the saddle between pt1865 and pt1896. The climb is steep in places, but generally good going with only brief scrambles.

Cross the saddle onto the faces above Pine Creek to the north. Sidle the faces above Pine Creek NW for 200m until going becomes difficult due to bluffs descending from pt1896. Descend approximately 20m down the snow-tussock spur just before (SE of) the tricky bluffy section and sidle into a basin below the bluffs. This is a very steep descent on slippery snow-tussock with exposure to serious falls - take care and use an ice-axe.

Sidle the steep faces above Pine Creek at your current altitude north past pt1896, past the next saddle until a scree terrace appears below you - just before you come level with pt2000. Descend to this terrace early, before impassable bluffs develop below you. This is another steep scramble down.

Follow the screen terrace east of pt2000 and into the basin at the head of Pine Creek. These are broad desolate gravel and ice flats. Once int he basin you can drop to Pine Creek and follow the TR of it north up to the saddle at pt1950.

Beyond pt1950 is the vast Snowy Creek valley. Several spurs appear from the top to be good routes down, but most bluff out at their base, so follow the route described here. Head north from the saddle for 2-300m, crossing a small but steeply incised creek flowing west. Follow the spur to the north of the creek west and down into the Snowy, passing a cairn marking the start of the descent. One set of bluffs at 1800m can be avoided by dropping south of the spur towards the creek, and then sidling back onto the spur once beneath the bluffs. From there it is an easy tussock descent to the Snowy, with amazing views of the hanging glacier opposite the whole way.

Follow the Snowy downstream - the entire descent can be made easily on the southern (TL) bank, though crossings would be easy enough in low flows. Just prior to the Rees Saddle the Snowy enters a gorge. Do not follow it into the gorge - which Moirs says is impassable. Instead, climb the faces to the south to the easternmost saddle of the three visible. Here you will find a small tarn, and the Rees Dart track 50m beyond it.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Note: The sidle from the large basin at the head of Pine Creek to the ridge line overlooking Lochnagar is extremely steep and exposed and almost entirely on snow grass. You have to go through two sets of bluffs. A slip would be serious. Only attempt this crossing in perfect conditions and carry an ice-axe or other means of arresting a fall.

From Rees Saddle climb to the southeast past a couple of small tarns (good camping) and make your way to where you can observe the stream shown on the map. Moirs talks about climbing up high, but the area above the stream is covered in fearsome looking bluffs. Instead, you can drop down to the northeast down a very steep snow grass bank between a smaller line of bluffs. The bank drops you down to Snowy Creek and in dry conditions is relatively straight forward. Follow the true left side of Snowy Creek up valley to the the base of the spur under the 570 grid line on the topomap.

Climb the spur up moderate sloping snow grass almost to the top. The top of the spur bluffs out but simply sidle to the right beneath the bluffs until around them and then climb straight up on steep scree. The slope soon eases off and it's a further gentle climb on up the broad ridge around Point 1950. Peaks 2182 and 2223 both beckon as appealing side trips if you have time. Overlook the large rocky basin at the head of Pine Creek. By early February the snow shown on the map is almost all gone so it is an easy descent. Follow the infant Pine Creek around the basin and as it begins to exit the basin through a gorge leave the stream and climb gently to the southeast up the only easy slope north of Peak 2000. Take the flatish ground out of the basin and follow the terrain as it begins to drop down the hill. A small bluff to the south needs to be climbed through to reach the snow grass slopes of the sidle beyond, a narrow rocky ledge is the easiest route through.

Sidle the very steep snow grass slopes around the top of Pine Cree, keeping high as you negotiate small gullies and the odd scree slope. Pay attention to the line of bluffs dropping down from Peak 1896, there is only 2 obvious breaks in the bluffs, themselves separated by a small bluff. Take the uphill one. It looks almost impossible until you are right upon it where a narrow snow grass ledge leads you into the bluff and straight through. The ledge leads to easier terrain on to the saddle between Peaks 1896 and 1865 where Lochnagar can be viewed.

Descend snow grass towards Lochnagar. Scree slopes lead to a dry stream bed which provides good travel down for several hundred meters (the stream bed later becomes the stream shown on the map at CA11 525 536 which drops to the lake although in Feb 2016 it was dry the whole way down). Angle more and more leftwards (east) as you descend. The ridge line shown on the map dropping south from Peak 1865 is very rocky and bluffy higher up, keep to its edge on the grass. As you start to encounter the scrub band sidle southeastwards onto the ridge where a good animal track (Feb 2016) drops down it to the lake. Follow the animal track all the way down to the lake outlet. Cross on boulders here and then climb the slope to Lochnagar hut.

There is fantastic camping at small exposed beaches at the southern tip of the lake, 20 minutes from the hut, at about CA10 519 521. Cross rocky/scrubby/grassy terrain above the lake and drop down to the very small northern most beach. From here, simply rock hop around the corner on the lake shore to reach the 2nd beach or around a further corner to reach the 3rd. Both the 2nd and 3rd beaches have flat grassy areas to pitch tents on.

Distance: 4.9 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 894m to 1466m. Gain: 48m. Loss: 620m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Descend from the pass, remaining close to the right bluff and follow the footpad, initially in the stream bed then rising on the TL 80m above the river.

The track sidles the valley side until dropping close to the stream just before Shelter Rock Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the hut, the track first approaches the river, then climbs 80m above and remains above until contouring back to the stream bed a km short of the pass.

Negotiating rocks and boulders, the track arrives at the base of the scree climb to the pass, remaining close to the left bluff rising high above.

Distance: 11.4 km (4.5 DOC hours) - Marked route - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 493m to 894m. Gain: 420m. Loss: 814m . Gradient: 6 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Prolonged rivers (difficulty: 4/6)
Frequent river travel - impassible after rain, risk of getting trapped

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

From the hut, the track crosses to the TR and heads down the valley. Several guts are crossed and a gap under boulders negotiated before reaching a swing bridge that crosses back to the TL.

Once having cleared the trees and moved on to the valley floor, the track picks up an old vehicle track and swings around a low terrace. Just before the (indistinct) track to 25 Mile hut, cross 25 Mile Creek.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The track crosses 25 Mile Creek and continues up the valley, rounding a right-hand bend - an old vehicle track can be followed to the treeline.

After crossing to the TR on a swing bridge, the track begins to climb for the first time. Through a gap in rocks and across several small guts, the track crosses back to the TL just below Shelter Rock Hut.

Distance: 2.5 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 507m to 926m. Gain: 436m. Loss: 20m . Gradient: 11 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

A poled route leaves the Rees-Dart track and crosses the Rees about 1km north of Twenty Five Mile creek and leads to the bushedge below Kea Basin.Once in the bush a good cut, marked track zigzags far more than the topo map indicates as it climbs onto the marshy, clear knob at pt777. A second shorter climb follows to a marked track junction. Earnslaw Hut is 20m down the right-hand track. The lefthand track continues to zigzag for another 200m before emerging from the bush into Kea Basin. The first of many rock bivs is located just left of (below) the track as you emerge into the basin proper.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A good cut marked track zigzags down from Kea Basin, passing Earnslaw Hut after 200m. The descent is gentle but about 3 times as long as the map suggests owing to the zigzags. Once at the bushedge, a poled route leads across farmed paddocks, crossing the Rees to the Rees-Dart track on the eastern side of the valley. Twenty five mile stream is 1km to the south.

Distance: 11.3 km (7.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 842m to 1695m. Gain: 1665m. Loss: 1780m . Gradient: 18 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6) Winter - High avalanche risk, iceaxe/crampons (7/7)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

minor (5/5)
A viable route, not widely used

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

High avalanche risk, iceaxe/crampons (difficulty: 7/7)
Ice axe and crampons required, high/prolonged avalanche risk

Two options exist for crossing Lennox Creek. The Moir's route sidles south from the zigzags on the Earnslaw track and crosses Lennox Creek at 800m. Apparently a small 'pad' exists here; on the north this is hidden by a beech tree. From there make a sidling climb towards Lennox Pass through beech and scrub.

Alternatively, when snow loading / avalanche risk is minimal it is possible to sidle from Kea Basin. From Earnslaw Hut, climb to Kea Basin and pass through tussock/low scrub north of pt1074 to where the north branch of Lennox creek is crossable before it enters it's gorge. Cross the creek and follow the western bank south, sidling gradually away from it in good beech at 1000m. Beech becomes scrubby for the last few meters before you emerge onto clear grass faces beside the southern branch of Lennox Creek. This is an active avalanche path - be aware of snow conditions above before attempting this route. Old avalanche (snow and rock) debris covered the creek here for 500m from the base of the bluffs (min Jan) making for an easy, flat crossing to the south bank and out of the avalanche path.

Once across Lennox continue to sidle at around 1000m through beech tongues and bands of tussock and low scrub keeping on gentler terrain below the steeper faces above. Two streams descend from Black Peak about 150m apart. Cross both and then follow the spur south of the southern creek uphill on good deer trails. Once the route into the basin below Lennox Pass becomes visible - sidle left off the spur and between the two bluff systems that lie below the pass. The last 200m from the basin to the pass is an easy if steep climb up snowgrass faces.

The west side of Lennox Pass is very steep and starts as hardpack offering little support. An ice-axe was required to provide support / braking for this initial part of the descent. 100m or so down true scree starts, though it is platy rather than rocky and does not provide good footing. The gut is descendable all the way to the Earnslaw Burn with falls low down passable on their true left on the gully floor.

Once you hit the valley floor deer trails lead down the back to the fan to reach Earnslaw Burn creek at the head of the next flats downstream. A good track leads downstream from here to the bushedge on the TL. The mapped rock bivvy is across the river at the bushedge.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description

Distance: 8.9 km (5.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 375m to 845m. Gain: 1230m. Loss: 1696m . Gradient: 20 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

A marked, cut tramping track starts on the TL of the Earnslaw Burn at the bushedge, opposite the rock biv marked on maps. It sidles down the eastern valleyside making may small climbs and descents as it goes. It is a popular track but subject to windfall / slips in the middle section. The track exits onto farmland at the end of the Earnslaw Burn valley. From here, follow the fence SE and climb the gate to the carpark.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The carpark on the true left of the Earnslaw Burn is not signposted but is at the corner of the 'farm track' shown on maps. Climb the gate and follow the fenceline NW to the bushedge where DOC marker triangles start. After climbing briefly through farmland patches of bush and clearings, the track enters solid beech forest and sidles in it for ~7km up the eastern valleyside to emerge at the bushedge in the upper Earnslaw Burn. The track makes many more ups and downs than topo maps suggest. At the bushedge, the rock biv is visible on the opposite side of the river.

There is another good rock bivvy at CB10 361 429 on the true left of the Earnslaw Burn, about 500m upstream from the mapped one.