A poled route descends into Arahura River. Look for the track DOC runs a stoat trapping project. Trapping stoats protects on the true right of Arahura River then look for a good place whio and ensures a better chance of breeding success. to cross the Arahura to reach it. It is important to find the Please do not disturb the stoat traps. right crossing to the true right of the Arahura because further Nearer the road, the track emerges onto farm land. Pass under Three Passes downstream there are high waterfalls, bluffs and thick scrub on high shingle cliffs to a farm track leading to the very quiet main the true left bank. road by Lake Kaniere. Route guide 4 Once you cross the river, sidle along the track. There are three Alternative routes avalanche chutes to cross, so take care in winter and early arthur’s Pass national Park summer. The track ends at a side creek with steep gravel Follow Arahura River instead of the Styx, and Taipo River banks, close to the Arahura. Drop to the riverbed. Travel down instead of the Waimakariri (see route guide 3 for the route from the river on whichever side is easiest (generally the true left). Harman Pass down the Taipo River). Look for a large cairn on the true left twenty metres downstream of a large rocky side-stream. From here continue Hut fees downstream for 100 metres (the track is marked by cairns). When you get to a small open-side stream, follow it upstream Please purchase tickets before using the huts. for 100 metres to pick up the wide grassy track. Do not miss Bunks this turn off. Harman Hut (6 bunks) is twenty minutes away. Anti Crow Hut 6 Standard Carrington Hut 36 Serviced Harman Hut – road end Park Morpeth Hut 8 Standard Time: 7 – 9 hours Harman Hut 6 Standard Harman Hut – Grassy Flat Hut Grassy Flat Hut 10 Standard Mid Styx Hut 4 Basic Time: 3 – 4 hours From Harman Hut drop through the bush to the swing bridge Serviced – 3 tickets per person/night and follow the old benched track high above Arahura River. Standard – 1 ticket per person/night The turn off to the boggy Styx Saddle is signposted and Basic – Free marked by large stakes. Once across the saddle, the track begins again at the bush Further information edge following the true right of Styx River. The track is wet and boggy, with damp mosses and lichen on the rocks. For information, hut tickets, intentions cards, maps, Look for the impressive twisted rätä trees. Cross the river weather forecasts and track condition updates: about five minutes after the track emerges from the bush onto Arthur’s Pass National Park Visitor Centre Grassy Flat. The hut is in the middle of the flats on the true left Main Road, Arthur’s Pass of Styx River. It is a modern hut with 10 mattresses on sleeping Phone 03 318 9211 benches. 8.00 am – 5.00 pm (summer), Grassy Flat Hut – Lake Kaniere Road 8.30 am – 4.30 pm (winter) Time: 4 – 5 hours [email protected] From the hut, head downstream and re-cross Styx River. The track begins on the true right just below the prominent toetoe Hokitika Area Office (native pampas grass) flat. Sewell Street, Hokitika Though much of the track to the road end is good going, bits Phone 03 756 9100 of it are slippery underfoot and eroded by slips. In places travel is along the riverbed. Where the track has eroded, it Suggestions for corrections or is necessary to scramble up and down low—but steep— improvements should be emailed to: riverside terraces to get from track to riverbed and back to the [email protected] track again. Published by Watch out for blue duck/whio, New Zealand’s unique duck. Department of Conservation Canterbury Conservancy Report any sightings of this rare bird to the Department of Private Bag 4715 Conservation. Also watch out for ongaonga, a painful giant Christchurch stinging nettle that grows in sunny places along the track. 2009 From above Harman Hut to the road end (via Styx Saddle) Carrington Hut – Harman Pass down find a suitable place to cross to the true right. General information Time: 3 hours Just before the river drops into a deep gorge, look for orange markers (part way up the scree slope edge) or a large cairn on Time: 4 – 5 days (shuttle required) From the hut follow the track to the riverbed of White River. As a large rock at the bottom of a scree slope. Sidle across the you walk upstream, look for a place to cross White River to Grade: Route scree at the level of the cairned rock to pick up the worn trail get to Taipoiti River on the opposite bank. If there is a need to to the hut. Poles and cairns mark the ground trail. It crosses Experience: Suitable for well-equipped and use Clough Cableway because of high river levels we advise a side creek and scrubby spur before dropping onto a boggy experienced back-country trampers only. Alpine against continuing the route as you will experience further grass terrace with small tarns. Skirt the terrace to the left and experience and equipment essential. serious problems with other rivers along the route. drop towards the confluence of Cronin Stream and Wilberforce Best season: Mid to late summer If there is snow up the Taipoiti, the route will be difficult. During River. By going around the tarns you avoid damaging the winter and spring, avalanches can funnel into the gorge over NZTopo50: Otira BV20, Kaniere BV19 (NZMS260: Otira delicate bog vegetation. the cliffs. K33, Wilberforce K34, Kaniere J33) Your first view of Park Morpeth Hut (8 bunks) is of its radio Climb and scramble up through the steep gorge, crossing aerial. The hut radio is linked to the Mountain Radio Service. Hazards: Avalanche, rock fall and flooded rivers from side to side, where necessary. At the top of the gorge, The Canterbury Mountaineering Club built the hut in memory Safety: Safety is your responsibility. This route guide waterfalls tumble over impassable cliffs. Pass these waterfalls. of James Park and John Morpeth who died while tramping must be read in conjunction with Tramping in Arthur’s The poled route to Harman Pass starts here, beside a small from Lake Kaniere to the Wilberforce Valley in January 1929. Pass National Park, a free brochure with important safety stream. information. Once out of the Taipoiti gorge you can see the main Taipoiti Park Morpeth Hut – Harman Hut branches into two streams, each running down a deep gully. A Note: true left and true right refer to the side of the valley or Time: 5 hours well-worn cairned and poled trail crosses the true left branch river when facing and looking downstream. relatively soon, then climbs upwards, well above the true right Park Morpeth – Browning Pass/Noti Raureka gully. As the second stream becomes smaller and more open, Time: 2 hours Introduction cross it. A short walk and you are at the top of Harman Pass. This is the steepest section of the Three Passes trip. From (If you are walking down from Harman Pass, enter the Taipoiti Park Morpeth Hut walk up the true left of Wilberforce River. This classic summer tramp crosses Harman Pass, Whitehorn well to its true left to avoid the bluffs and waterfalls). Ford the Wilberforce after it joins with Hall Creek opposite Pass and Browning Pass/Noti Raureka. It gives experienced Clough Memorial. trampers the excitement, variety and contrast of a transalpine Harman Pass – Whitehorn Pass Start up the zigzag track to Browning Pass/Noti Raureka. The route. Time: 2 hours zigzags were part of a track started in the late1860s. John This route requires several major river crossings, has Whitehorn Pass is obvious on a clear day. Pascoe warned in his 1938 route guide “it is inexpedient to some extremely steep sections, and all-year snow The route should not be attempted in poor visibility. follow the track to its illogical conclusion in the bluffs near the on Whitehorn Pass. You need to take an ice-axe and Harman Pass is a junction point for trampers taking the Hamer Falls, lest you join the shades of the miners who built crampons and know how to use them. Browning Pass/Noti marked route down Mary Creek to Julia Hut. Be sure you take the track.” Raureka is very steep and can be icy. the marked route to Ariels Tarns. From the top of the zigzag, before it disappears into the bluffs, This route passes through several known avalanche From Harman Pass, a poled route ascends to the first of Ariels climb the obvious scree. In summer there is a worn trail visible. paths. During heavy snow conditions, we advise visitors Tarns by sidling on the tussock and rocky shelves well above Just before you reach the summit the scree narrows and the not to travel this route unless sufficiently equipped and the small gorge of Mary Creek. Pass the tarns and continue to climb is at its steepest. You can either continue carefully up the experienced to assess the conditions and choose a safe path follow the poled route past a small rock hump and onto piles rock and tussock to the left of the scree, or climb to the centre through avalanche terrain. of rock before reaching permanent ice/snow. The poled route of the scree. If there is snow on this section (winter and early stops here; make your own way up the valley to the pass. Near spring) it is essential that all members of the party can self- Getting there the top of Whitehorn Pass, head right to reach a cairn and arrest. A cornice at the top or ice conditions can dramatically marker on the saddle. The permanent ice field of Whitehorn increase this section’s difficulty. Once on the pass relax, the The eastern starting point is at the road bridge over the Pass may have crevasses, especially in late summer. If the steepest section is over. Waimamakariri River, beside SH 73, 10 km east of Arthur's snow is deep consider turning back. For those attempting the trip from west to east, warning —the Pass village. On the western side, access to either the Arahura Whitehorn Pass – Park Morpeth Hut eastern face of Browning Pass/Noti Raureka is very steep. A or Styx river track-ends is via Lake Kaniere Road, inland from route down is not defined. Extreme care must be taken when Time: 4 – 5 hours Hokitika. descending. The steep drop off Whitehorn Pass is prone to avalanches. SH 73 – Carrington Hut A worn route zigzags down the screes from the true left of the Browning Pass/Noti Raureka – Harman Hut Time: 4 – 5 hours pass—this is the best route down through the bluffed flanks Time: 3 hours of the pass. Take care not to dislodge loose rocks onto those See Arthur’s Pass National Park Route Guide 1. From the pass a well-formed track runs round the west side of below you. Once near the valley floor, travel along the true left Carrington Hut – Park Morpeth Hut Lake Browning/Whakarewa and over gentle boggy uplands. of upper Cronin Stream. Terraces may offer better travel. Lower Time: 9 hours