Routes
Huts / campsites
Roadends
Summits
Passes / crossings
Scenic features
Junctions
DOC Land
Altitude: 196m to 1617m. Gain: 7615m. Loss: 8333m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)
Altitude: 219m to 398m. Gain: 341m. Loss: 199m . Gradient: 5 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)
1.5hr+ 3km of walking along a 4WD track from the carpark takes you to the West Matiri. The riverbed is huge, but the river small and easily crossed in normal flows – rock-hopping or knee deep. In flood the river is impassable.
Scramble up the far bank at the forks. An old roadbed continues up the valley, passing the West Matiri Emergency Shelter – for those caught by the flooded river. Interrupted in one spot by a slip where you must detour onto the rivedbed, the roadbed runs all the way to Lake Matiri Hut.
Altitude: 353m to 464m. Gain: 336m. Loss: 242m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
3hr+. The old roadbed drops to the valleyfloor and ends. An occasionally-poled route leads up river flats through thistle and tutu – wasps are apparently a real hazard. The track alternates between sidling the steep valleyside and pushing through marshy flats all the way to McConchies Hut. The sidle sections are generally well-marked, occasionally cut, and in places windfall is a nuisance. One brief steep climb is required to bypass slips, and is not well marked.
Altitude: 455m to 821m. Gain: 688m. Loss: 339m . Gradient: 5 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
4hr. After brief flats the track resumes sidling the western valleyside, climbing 100m over a spur before descending nearly to the river. A massive slip has taken out the valleyside, and the route winds and scrambles over the resulting boulderfield, marked with cairns. Back in the bush the track is good up to the East/West (wet/dry) Matiri forks. The track is poled up the dry West Matiri, climbing through a scrubby boulderfield. Woody vegetation has been regularly cut, but the track soon wills with tutu and toetoe and so this section is slow through waist-high scrub. After 2km the track swings north and climbs to the ridgeline. An easy, well cut, well marked ridgeline route follow before dropping to a large grassy clearing. Follow the eastern side of the clearing north (not well marked) and find orange markers on the bushedge beyond. Again, a good cut marked track leads through beech, dropping into a creekhead.
Follow the creek downriver, crossing a few times before ending up on the northern bank. The track soon diverges from the creek, so don’t be tempted to follow the open creekbed. The creek is low (ankle deep) in normal flows, and crossings are not well marked. The track swings north and climbs adjacent to the East (wet) Matiri over a beech-covered boulder dam and into broad marshy flats above. The track follows the western valleyside past a lake, some distance upriver, before crossing to the east just below Hurricane Hut. Parts of this section are not well marked or well defined on the ground and it is easy to loose the track. Hurricane Hut is tucked against beech forest on the eastern valleyside upstream of the major confluence, as shown on maps.
Altitude: 455m to 821m. Gain: 339m. Loss: 688m . Gradient: 5 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey
4hr. After brief flats the track resumes sidling the western valleyside, climbing 100m over a spur before descending nearly to the river. A massive slip has taken out the valleyside, and the route winds and scrambles over the resulting boulderfield, marked with cairns. Back in the bush the track is good up to the East/West (wet/dry) Matiri forks. The track is poled up the dry West Matiri, climbing through a scrubby boulderfield. Woody vegetation has been regularly cut, but the track soon wills with tutu and toetoe and so this section is slow through waist-high scrub. After 2km the track swings north and climbs to the ridgeline. An easy, well cut, well marked ridgeline route follow before dropping to a large grassy clearing. Follow the eastern side of the clearing north (not well marked) and find orange markers on the bushedge beyond. Again, a good cut marked track leads through beech, dropping into a creekhead. Follow the creek downriver, crossing a few times before ending up on the northern bank. The track soon diverges from the creek, so don’t be tempted to follow the open creekbed. The creek is low (ankle deep) in normal flows, and crossings are not well marked. The track swings north and climbs adjacent to the East (wet) Matiri over a beech-covered boulder dam and into broad marshy flats above. The track follows the western valleyside past a lake, some distance upriver, before crossing to the east just below Hurricane Hut. Parts of this section are not well marked or well defined on the ground and it is easy to loose the track. Hurricane Hut is tucked against beech forest on the eastern valleyside upstream of the major confluence, as shown on maps.
Altitude: 810m to 1489m. Gain: 1537m. Loss: 1322m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7)
5hr+. A cut, marked track climbs from Hurricane Hut to the bushedge, poled beyond to the summit of pt1442. An unmarked route heads north along the Matiri Tops – a faint ground trail present in places. A small tarn is reached after 3km. A small campspot at its northern end is sheltered from the southerly but exposed to its north. Larger campspots to the west are exposed to all winds. This is the only reliable water source on the ridgeline.
From the tarn, drop east with the ridgeline to a saddle of stunted beech. Good sidling in open beech is available just north off the ridgeline. Climb to the next peak, then drop to the saddle beyond. This is scrubbier, but a rough track has been bashed through the scrub near the ridgeline, finally sidling the western face in open fuchsia before emerging onto open tussock. North of pt1431 the ridgeline becomes narrow in places, but generally you can sidle just off the western side with rock to hold onto. The climb to Nugget Knob crosses a brief rocky slip – exposed to falls. A good route exists, so have a good look before committing yourself to anything dangerous.
From Nugget Knob, descend west then swing north with the ridgeline. At the first saddle, at a cairn, drop to (or near to) the bushedge to the west. Sidle the bushedge north until you are 50m past a large bite out of the rocky ridgeline, before climbing back to the now-broad ridge. Continue north until you hit the east-west bushedge at the end of open tops. A small orange triangle at the western edge of the clear area marks the start of the track to the Wangapeka Saddle. Descent the faint but well marked steep track to the saddle. The junction with the Wangapeka Track is obvious, and marked with a signpost.
Altitude: 661m to 1019m. Gain: 0m. Loss: 358m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
30mins+ + Follow the Wangapeka Track east for 3km to Stone Hut. The track is benched, cut and marked, though a little rough underfoot. Riverbed sections are marked with cairns. The only stream crossings were below boot depth when I visited 24 hours after heavy rain, though they could flood during heavy downpours.
Altitude: 465m to 672m. Gain: 312m. Loss: 114m . Gradient: 3 deg (Gentle)
Skills:
The Wangapeka Track is a benched track on a gentle gradient, well maintained, cut and marked. The exception is a 1km section south of Stone Hut where the original bench track has washed away and a rougher tramping-standard track sidles the valleyside.
All major sidecreeks are bridged.
2-4 hrs
Altitude: 447m to 489m. Gain: 97m. Loss: 88m . Gradient: 6 deg (Flat)
Skills:
The Wangapeka Track is a benched track on a gentle gradient, well maintained, cut and marked. From the Wangapeka swingbridge at the forks with the Kiwi it is an easy walk 2km upriver to Kings Creek Hut. The historic Cecil Kings hut is a further 200m upstream along the track.
Altitude: 420m to 1016m. Gain: 247m. Loss: 810m . Gradient: 8 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
A good benched pack-track runs down the kiwi from Kiwi Saddle Hut to the forks with the Wangapeka. The track initially sidles the eastern face in and out of side-valleys before dropping to the valley floor. The Kiwi is bridged at the forks with the Wangapeka. The track then heads 50m up the Wangapeka to join the Wangapeka Track at a swingbridge over the main river.
1.5-3 hrs
Altitude: 1014m to 1383m. Gain: 46m. Loss: 408m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)
A poled track drops from the Arthur Range to the bushedge starting 1km north of Mt Patriarch. From the bushedge down the track is marked and cut, dropping steeply at times to the saddle with pt1135, which it sidles to the north to reach the hut at Kiwi Saddle.
Altitude: 1339m to 1554m. Gain: 113m. Loss: 273m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)
From pt1566 the ridgeline swings due west and a good ground trail follows the escarpment towards Mt Patriarch. Occasional narrow sections require care but the main ridgeline can be followed over pt1507. Dropping WSW from pt1507 look out for where the ground trail drops to sidle the northern face of the ridge, avoiding impassable rocky/bluffy sections on the descent to the saddle with Mt Patriarch.
The junction with the DOC track to Kiwi Saddle is marked/poled at the first low knob 80m above the saddle as you climb towards Mt Patriarch.
0.5-1 hrs
Altitude: 1243m to 1552m. Gain: 419m. Loss: 110m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)
From John Reid Hut, follow the poled route back up to the ridgeline north of the hut. From here the route is unpoled but has a good ground trail.
Head west along the ridgeline to pt1463. Look out for where the ground trail drops north off the ridge to sidle to the saddle with pt1460, avoiding an exposed rocky section of the ridgeline. From the saddle the main ridgeline can be followed over pt1460 to pt1566, where a cairn marks the junction with Gibbs Track, joining from the SE.
0.5-1hr
Altitude: 1238m to 1579m. Gain: 280m. Loss: 616m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)
An easy descent WSW from Mt Gomorrah leads to the bushline and the saddle with Mt Baldy. Bush on the ridge is scrubby, but open travel exists just down the NW face. Once onto broad open tops SE of Mt Baldy these can be followed through rolling tussock to the next saddle where open bush and good game trails provide easy travel to the peak NE of John Reid Hut. Once on the ridgeline, follow it west for 300m to where a signpost marks the start of a poled descent leading directly to John Reid Hut, 200m below to the south at the bushedge.
2-4 hrs
Altitude: 1272m to 1617m. Gain: 984m. Loss: 909m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7)
A good ridgeline route runs from the head of the Crow down the eastern ridgeline to Mt Gomnorrah. Two tricky points exist around Mt Star and Mt Sodom both of which require steep descents that may be tretcherous in icy or wet conditions. Following the ridgeline rather than sidling these sections would be a rock-climbing / mountaineering proposition.
From pt1497 follow the eastern ridgeline (Arthur Range) south over a low highpoint and up to pt1622. Travel is easy on short-cropped snowgrass on gentle gradients on a broad ridgeline. A small tarn in a hollow west of pt1622 provides water / camping opportunities.
Easy travel continues south to pt1633. South of pt1633 the ridgeline becomes narrow, rocky and steep. Short impassable sections can be sidled high on the eastern face, or it would be possible to drop onto terraces above the eastern bushline just south of pt1633 and reascend to Mt Star, avoiding the entire narrow section.
Descent south from Mt Star is not possible (not as a tramp at least). A steep gully descends west about 150m north of Mt Star - look out for clear goat tracks headed that way. This drops steeply onto the western face of Mt Star just south of the prominent rib visible on map contours. The descent was iced up in July (2020) and required an ice-axe to descend in winter conditions. Once below obvious bnluffs at about 1360m, sidle faces of tall tussock to Hough Saddle.
Short snowgrass is replaced by rolling tussock south of Hough Saddle and progress is slower. The ascent ot pt1458 is straight forward, as is the descent to bush at Skeet Saddle. Reasonable game trails cut through the two bushy saddles and ascend the scrubby ridgeline towards Mt Sodom.
Sodom cannot be crossed directly. You mnust either make a long descent to the eastern creek from around pt1377 (safer) or make the steep, high sidle / scramble detailed below. To sidle to the Sodom/pt1541 saddle, follow good game trails up the ridgeline towards to Mt Sodom summit. At around 1450m a shoulder an gentler faces are reached on the eastern side of the peak and game trails deviate onto them. Sidle east of the Mt Sodom peak at 1450m-1400m, descending gently as bluffs / steepest faces push you down - aiming for the height of the saddle and keeping above a lower tier of bluffs. An impassable spur is reached 100m short of the saddle. Either drop the very steep snowgrass chute through the lower layer of bluffs (iced up in winter) or proceed carefully to where the upper and lower bluffs meet, blocking your way. A straight forward 5m downclimb on good rock si possible here to drop to gentle snowgrass slopes below which can then be followed 100m to the saddle with pt1541.
Crossing of pt1541 is simple, though still on rolling tussock, followed by a gentle ascent to Mt Gomorrah. A fault-line just west of the ridgeline holds small tarns that may dry out in dry conditions. The basin between Mt Gomorrah and it's unnamed SW peak also holds 2 small tarns and good sheltered camping with views over Nelson.
The Gomorrah Track joins the ridgeline from the east at the trig'd highpoint of Mt Gomorrah.
6-10 hrs
Altitude: 720m to 1479m. Gain: 759m. Loss: 0m . Gradient: 26 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)
A good spur climbs to pt1497 from the point where the Flanagans Hut track crosses the Baton Creek (just downstream of the Taylor Crk forks).
Climb the spur SSW from the river crossing point to the bushedge. At the bushedge, cross the basin and pick up the open spur just to your east that doglegs south then SW to pt1497. The more direct route is scrubby.
1-2hrs
Altitude: 196m to 963m. Gain: 1117m. Loss: 1857m . Gradient: 12 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)
Initially a well-cut track rises away from the river then descends to the first of many river crossings. From here the track deteriorates, with a few steep, wet and slippery sections. One part of track had crumbled with a sizeable slip.
However, overall, travel is quite good. 12km from hut to the fixed bridge that marks the end of the track and the start of the 4WD track that leads to the trailhead (4km). Ellis River would be difficult to cross in high flow.