Routes
Huts / campsites
Roadends
Summits
Passes / crossings
Scenic features
Junctions
DOC Land
Altitude: 362m to 1693m. Gain: 3110m. Loss: 3498m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)
Altitude: 1152m to 1693m. Gain: 773m. Loss: 957m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6)
From the Scott/Kay Saddle sidle around the head of Kay Creek on tussock slopes and cross through a small scree field to gain the stream coming down from the lake shown on the map north of Peak 1726. Travel up the banks of the stream to reach the lake (actually a cluster of 3 lakes), there's camping dotted around here. Its a simple climb onto the pass beneath 1726. From here, scree stretches across the valley to the base of the pass labeled Pt 1595 where tussock slopes lead to the pass. Crossing the valley, a large alpine wetland is visible at about 1400m which probably has camping.
From Pt 1595 the next valley stretches to Pt 1693 and is simply a larger version of what you've just crossed. Scree of all sizes and variety is required to be traveled over before a tussocky hill climbs to 1693. There is camping on the valley floor where the map shows a band of green at the 1300m contour.
From Pt 1693 the largest scree field of them all stretches for 2 km around the flank of Mt Bonpland. Most of it is loose and unstable to cross, even the larger rocks, so progress is slow. Those making for Sleepy Hollow might find fastest progress is via the stream coming down from the tarn north of Pt 1845 as the ridge between the stream and Pt 1168 is scrubby. For those wanting to descend to the Caples, depart the bottom of the scree field below the 1200m contour and pass around boulders near Pt 1168 to climb onto the ridge coming down from Sleepy Hollow. There's camping near Pt 1168.
Altitude: 1158m to 1466m. Gain: 18m. Loss: 326m . Gradient: 19 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)
From the Scott/Kay Saddle descend southwards down into the valley beneath, crossing a small stream not on the topomap, and head southwest around to the small tarn which is on the map. West of the tarn, cross the main branch of Kay Creek and head south past the other tarn on the map, making for a ridge line which descends above the true right of Kay Creek. There were a few cairns around in January 2021 to aid in this.
Start making your way down the ridge high above an impressive gorge of Kay Creek. A gully forms on the west side, dropping steeply away from Kay Creek to the southwest. Descend this as it it curves around to the south, then descend steeply through light scrub to reach the river bank of Kay Creek. Take extreme care during this whole descent as it would be quite treacherous in wet conditions or under snow.
Once down in Kay Creek its a simple matter to rock hop downstream to reach the confluence with the eastern tributary of Kay Creek.
Altitude: 471m to 478m. Gain: 0m. Loss: 7m . Gradient: 1 deg (Flat)
Skills:
300m upriver from Upper Caples Hut is a swingbridge which leaves the main Caples Track and crosses the Caples River for access to Kay Creek and Fraser Creek. Good campspots exist on the opposite side.
Altitude: 1253m to 1471m. Gain: 50m. Loss: 268m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)
Note: This is not the usual way down the bluffs at the head of Kay Creek. You are supposed to go down on the true right of the waterfall at the valley head. I went this way, and found it to be a viable route, as I was initially heading to Sleepy Hollow and had to change plans due to weather. It works though.
From the Scott Creek/Kay Creek Saddle descend down into the basin above the Kay Creek waterfall and then head southeastwards along the valley flank to reach the stream dropping into Kay Creek from the east on the topo map. Steep, bluffy terrain looks initially impossible, but a series of ledges zigzag down through small bluffs down onto steep snow grass and are quite straight forward. From here drop down to Kay Creek to the confluence of the two branches.
Altitude: 905m to 1158m. Gain: 5m. Loss: 258m . Gradient: 7 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)
Follow Kay Creek, rock hopping in the stream in its upper reaches, down to flatter terrain. Extensive dense scrub covers the large flat area at Point 945 and is now best bypassed staying in the stream. A marker consisting of yellow farm pipe over a waratah stands on a small grassy flat beside the trueleft of the stream bed near the 920m contour. Climb out of the stream here onto the true right side and thread through scrub to look for a large orange triangle on the main tree line. Kay Creek hut is a short distance down the hill in the trees.
Altitude: 914m to 1417m. Gain: 0m. Loss: 503m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Streams (2/6)
Descend steep snow grass west of the lake down to Death Creek, following a ridge down to. Cross the stream and head down valley following the true right of Death Creek. Good travel can be had down to about 1100m where light scrub is encountered. Near the bottom of the valley the scrub belt thickens considerably before the creek drops away down a gorge. Make sure you're on the true left side and look for a cairn mounted high up on a large boulder. Behind the boulder a ground trail pushes through knee high scrub high above the true left side of the stream before dropping straight down for the bush tongue extending up from the Kay. Reach reasonably open beech forest, and drop down through the bush via a gully to reach scrubby open flats just north of Kay Creek Hut. Locate a large orange triangle which marks the beginning of the Kay Creek track and follow it for about 100m to the historic Kay Creek hut which was restored in 2016.
Altitude: 478m to 919m. Gain: 61m. Loss: 497m . Gradient: 6 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)
From the ramshackle Kay Creek Hut follow the markers which drop initially eastwards and fords the creek (probably impossible after rain). The track then drops southwards down the true left of the creek for a while before a 2nd fording, again impassible after rain. Its on down valley through a mixture of bush and river flats with great camping spots. The track does not follow Kay Creek right down into the Caples, but instead climbs up above the lower gorge and swings westwards, dropping down to flat ground on the true left of the Caples between the Kay and Fraser valleys. A T-intersection of tracks is reached between the Kay and Fraser tracks, with the 3rd track dropping down to the swing bridge over the Caples at the western end of the large clearing, not marked correctly on the map.
Note: The Upper Caples Hut was given/sold to the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association in mid 2014. It is now a private, locked hut. All track markers and signs between the Caples Track and the Caples swing bridge, which used to pass by the hut, have been removed. The track on the true right of the swing bridge now heads southeast straight up to the Caples track, several hundred meters west of the hut. As the Caples track actually passes to the west of the hut (this is shown incorrectly on the map) you wouldn't know it was there walking along the Caples track if you weren't looking at the now obsolete map.
Altitude: 362m to 1482m. Gain: 1311m. Loss: 191m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6)
From the Scott Creek car park on the Routeburn road cross the stile over the fence and follow a couple of snow poles across farm land under trees up the hill. Cross a second stile and follow a ground trail straight up the ridge line, entering thick bracken fern and scrub. The trail leads through the fern to trees and climbs parallel Scott Creek. Scrubby bush is past through, the track veers away from the creek at one point and its easy to miss the change here. If you find yourself at the edge of the creek then you have missed it! The track clears the scrub as it climbs higher passing through open beech forest. After about 3 hours you skirt by the edge of the 2 small clearings on the topo map (camping here) and then climbs up beside (and actually in at one point) Scott Creek to the bush edge at the floor of the Scott Basin. The track stays on the true right the whole way up and doesn't cross to the true left like the map says. There's camp spots at the bush line. Continue to follow the creek around to the south and cross it beside a patch of bush. Climb up the true left of the creek skirting the edge of the bush. Above the bush patch, follow ridge lines of firm scree as you climb higher, between Scott Creek and the stream draining the upper Scott Basin. Follow Scott Creek all the way up, around the east side of Peak 1552, past swampy terrain and up onto the rolling Scott Creek/Kay Creek Saddle. There's great camping to be had at Point 1344 which is easily reached by climbing to the east on the way up.
Altitude: 471m to 1360m. Gain: 892m. Loss: 491m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6)
Note: The Upper Caples Hut was given/sold to the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association in mid 2014. It is now a private, locked hut. All track markers and signs between the Caples Track and the Caples swing bridge, which used to pass by the hut, have been re located several hundred metres up valley.
The turnoff to Steele Creek on the Caples is clearly signposted. Follow the good quality track which climbs relentlessly to bush line. Above the bush line follow a good ground trail through light scrub and snow grass to Steel Creek Saddle (Point 1359 on the map). There is limited camping here. Follow markers down into Steele Creek. You quickly encounter very thick scrub. You can see marker poles heading down valley but the track is mostly overgrown by the scrub and its a slow scrub bash down valley. The markers enter the bush just below the 1000m contour on the true right side. I lost them very quickly and spent a bit of time looking on the true left side, where the (2009) map shows the track, but never saw anything resembling them on the true left. I ran into markers again further down stream on the true right. I think the track veers high above the true right of the stream, not what the 2009 map says. Follow the track down to cross the western branch of Steele Creek.