recommended route
New Zealand (South Island): Hiking through Mount Aspiring National Park
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View from the suspension bridge at the Blue PoolsPhoto: Anne Haase, Ingram Haase, DAV Sektion Berlin
- there is no possibility to buy food for about two weeks .
- there are no huts available for at least three nights, so you have to take a tent with you .
- the area is isolated and you are on your own in case of emergency .
- The route is trackless in parts and very demanding .
- Three rivers have to be crossed - some parts are very exposed and dangerous, especially in wet conditions .
- several rivers have to be forded, one of them with almost waist deep water .
- The weather can be changeable and unstable, even in summer snow can fall at high altitude .
On the other hand, where in the world does one have the opportunity to walk through a natural landscape that is almost untouched, even in the doldrums, in a temperate climate zone without animal or human threats? If you are lucky and have good weather (or time to wait for better weather), you can expect two weeks of magnificent views, deep blue rivers, wide, green valleys, magnificent mountains, and after a few days the thrilling feeling of becoming one with nature and adapting to its rhythm.
The route is a combination of the most beautiful sections of shorter multi-day tours across Mount Aspiring National Park and can therefore be shortened at some points or broken off if necessary:
- Gillespie Pass Circuit (Young and Siberia Valley, the lower Wilkin Valley is omitted)
- Wilkin Valley - East Matukituki Traverse (via Rabbit Pass - Waterfall Face key point)
- Cascade Saddle Route (highest point)
- Rees Dart Track (Dart Valley, Rees Valley is omitted)
These tours are offered individually, but not in conjunction, also by commercial tour operators. The advantage of such a tour is the accompaniment by a hiking guide and the lighter luggage (no need to take along a tent and sometimes food).
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
Track types
Safety information
The tour requires:- good physical condition, strength and endurance .
- Surefootedness and a head for heights .
- Hiking experience in alpine terrain and on multi-day tours .
- Sense of direction
- Experience in tour planning, especially a well thought-out packing list and meal planning .
Key points:
- Wilkin River: deep and long ford, thigh to hip deep in optimal conditions, impassable in poor conditions .
- Waterfall Face (climb to Rabbit Pass): Very steep climb über approx. 150 metres of height with treads in the grass, partly rocky, climbing sections I. to easy II. grade (UIAA) - in wet conditions the grass (snowgrass) is very slippery! Potential fall height up to 150 metres. It is recommended that you only walk this section in the direction suggested here.
- Descent from Rabbit Pass: Steep scree in the upper dozen metres, greatest danger is stepping on a loose stone and slipping/falling. Potential height of fall: 15 - 20 metres in the rock. In at least one place it is worthwhile to let the backpacks down a few metres on a rope.
- Cascade Saddle: Very long and above the timberline steep ascent, climbing sections up to I, in wet conditions the grass (snowgrass) is very slippery! Quite exposed terrain, be careful in strong winds. Potential fall height: several dozen metres.
Also note:
.- Take along an emergency beacon (Personal Locator Beacon), available for loan from the Department of Conservation (DOC).
- Tell acquaintances and the DOC (if the emergency beacon is on loan) of the route and planned return, so that they can raise the alarm in case of doubt.
- Check current conditions beforehand - weather, trail conditions, water levels at the fords - also with the DOC or with usually very helpful private tour operators.
- Surface water can be contaminated with giardia (intestinal parasites) - only drink out of water that does not run past a hut or pastures, otherwise boil it.
- Allow for at least three reserve days (delays due to weather, blocked paths, waterlogging) .
- Take the tour only in the direction described - two pass ascents are much more dangerous in the opposite direction (descent) .
- There is no mobile phone reception anywhere.
- The hole in the ozone layer is close - make sure you wear good sun protection (factor 30 or higher).
- Adjust the compass: The magnetic declination (declination) is nowhere on land as far away from the poles higher than in New Zealand - in the Aspiring area approx. + 24 ° East (in Central Europe approx. + 2 ° East).
Furts:
The tactic of fording a river, which is rather unusual in Central Europe, is widespread in New Zealand. The Wilkin River, in particular, presents a challenge.
- Time of day: Glacier- or snow-fed rivers have the lowest water level in the morning. <Footwear: Never walk barefoot! New Zealanders through with hiking boots, but afterwards the boots are wet for days. Recommendation: Rubber sandals (Crocs or similar), they light and can also be used other purposes.
- Dressing out: To avoid wet clothes, take off trouser legs, trousers, pants or even a shirt, depending on the depth of the water, and be glad to have warm and dry clothes afterwards.
- Suitable place: The shortest way is rarely the best - in wide places the water is shallower and the current is less. A long way through shallow water is always better than a short way through deep water. At river bends there are often gravel bars that go diagonally through the river bed.
- Explore the exact route: it is best to cross the river diagonally downstream, so you have to work less against the current. If in doubt, it is better to explore the best way beforehand without luggage.
- Use a stick/branch for sounding: on the side facing the current, otherwise you cannot set it up stably.
- Lower the harness and chest strap - this is the only way to get the rucksack off quickly in the worst case.
Places where a tour abort is possible:
- Siberia Hut (small plane)
- Ford the Wilkin River/Kerin Forks Hut (jet boat, runs öfters in nice weather and also takes people unannounced, times posted at Siberia Hut)
- Top Forks Hut (small plane/helicopter)
- Camerons Flat at the confluence of the West and East branches of the Matukituki River (gravel track from Wanaka to Raspberry Creek car park, farm, small plane)
Small aircraft/helicopters must be chartered individually and arranged prior to the tour.
Assistance en route:
- Hut Wardens/Rangers are stationed at Siberia Hut, Aspiring Hut and Dart Hut and have radios. However, they are not always on site.
- Shortwave radios in almost all huts - they may only be used by hikers in an emergency.
- There are a few farms near the confluence of the West and East branches of the Matukituki River (Camerons Flat).
- Other hikers: On nice days a few, but sometimes nobody for days, especially on the section über Rabbit Pass. Around Siberia and Aspiring Hut and along the gravel road in the West Matukituki Valley it is a bit busier. On this gravel road and at the Raspberry Creek car park in good weather, car excursions may be possible.
- Emergency beacon (Personal Locator Beacon): Only one emergency signal can be sent, whereupon the device is located by the mountain rescue and a rescue operation is started. No messages can be transmitted. The device must be returned in time, otherwise a rescue operation will also be started automatically.
- In order to narrow down the search area for a possible rescue operation, it is useful to enter the current route planning in the hut books and to have a short conversation with each hut warden/ranger.
Tips and suggestions
Hostels:Huts in New Zealand are in fact huts and not mountain inns. They are usually not staffed and do not offer the opportunity to stock up. (The designation „Serviced Hut“ means only that there are fuel supplies for the stove.) At large huts there are Hut Wardens/Rangers, but they do not have the function of an AV hut host in Europe. They usually have a short-wave radio system for emergency calls.
There is usually a large room with tables and benches, sometimes a fireplace for heating, rarely wood or coals. Water usually comes from a cistern on the roof, the (usually only) sink is usually outside. Modern outhouses are usually a few steps away. The sleeping places are bunk beds with mattresses, there are no blankets.
The huts are paid for with hut tickets or hut passes, which can be purchased from the DOC (exception: the NZAC - New Zealand Alpine Club - owned Aspiring Hut is payable at the Mt Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre, if necessary directly from the hut warden).
Tenting:
Tent sites are usually located at the venues and are also paid for via venue tickets or passes, but there are also some official tent sites away from the venues.
Apart from this, camping is allowed on public land (e.g. in national parks) where it is not expressly prohibited. It is generally prohibited within 500 metres of „Great Walks“ and within 50 metres of all other footpaths, as well as in the immediate vicinity of lodges (except on their official camping sites).
&Uml;s
&Uml;brigens: In New Zealand English there is the term „Freedom Camping“, this refers only to sleeping in a vehicle or tent within 200 metres of a road. There is no direct translation for the German expression „wild zelten“.
Ways:
The paths are rarely laid out or developed; they are usually marked routes. Markings are generally very good - almost without exception all trails are marked with orange plastic triangles in the forest, and orange poles in grassland or rocky areas. In river plains, however, there are often no markings; here you have to aim for a large orange triangle (if available) at the nearest edge of the forest. When the water level is low, it makes sense to walk without a trail in the river bed, otherwise you usually have to take impassable routes through the forest. Often sections of a river are washed away or become impassable due to a landslide - then you have to take time-consuming and energy-consuming detours.
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Animals:
There are no really dangerous or poisonous animals in New Zealand, but introduced wasps and two rare species of poisonous spiders are the worst to fear.
.The most unpleasant animal is tiny and is called a sandfly, but it does not live very often in the sand, nor is it a fly, but - zoologically correct - a crab. There are myriads of them, especially in the sand and in damp places. They do not sting, but scratch the surface of the skin, which is more itchy and heals more slowly than a mosquito bite. At night, however, you are fortunate to have peace of mind.
At car parks and hotels, the cute and clever Keas (mountain parrots) often attack shoes, left luggage and rubber seals of cars with their powerful beaks.
The biggest enemy of the extensive bird life, which often takes place on the ground in New Zealand, are introduced small insects - that's why you often see traps hidden in the building, but these are more for monitoring than for population minimisation. The most unpopular intruder and object of hatred for many New Zealanders is the „possum“, which comes from Australia and is strictly protected there. If you hear rustling and rodent calls at night, there is usually a possum behind it.
Walking times:
In New Zealand, walking times for different trails are given according to how difficult and popular a trail is. For well-trodden and well-known trails, some time is added to prevent planning errors by inexperienced hikers. For less frequented, more difficult paths reserved for men, it is rather a minimum time for particularly sporty hikers with little luggage (without breaks, of course). In short: you need considerably longer than officially stated - especially if you admire the landscape while hiking.
The minimum time for a particularly sporty hiker with little luggage (without breaks, of course).
Catering:
Due to the long duration of the hike, it is advisable to optimise the food according to the weight-calorie ratio. Müsli bars, nuts, dried fruit, firm biscuits („Ginger Nuts“), powdered milk and outdoor pasta („Angel Hair“: very thin spaghetti with short cooking time) are available in the larger supermarkets (e.g. in Wanaka). Pudding powder, instant soups, sweets with sugar and crispbread should be brought back from Europe, if desired. Caution: declare all foodstuffs on entry, the penalties for violating the law are horrendous! Formally, importing food is forbidden in principle, but de facto you can bring in packaged and industrially produced food if you declare it.
Müll:
There is no way to dispose of müll on the way, this should be thought of in the planning. However, cardboard/paper can be useful when lighting the fire in the huts. If you are lucky, you will meet nice people who are on their last day in the wilderness and take müll for you.
Weather and trail condition information:
.You should use every opportunity to get up-to-date information (weather, trail conditions, water conditions) and exchange information with other hikers, hut keepers and rangers.
Public transport
- Private bus Wanaka - Haast: ask the driver to drop you off at the Blue Pools (no stop), bus departure times can be obtained from the Tourist Information Office (iSite) in Wanaka, the bus departs just across the road .
- Alternatively, you can also take a jet boat up the Makarora River .
- From Chinaman’s Bluff car park, a private tour operator from Queenstown runs once a day according to a timetable, but actually this has to be booked in advance (iSite), which is almost impossible to plan .
- Alternatively, there is the possibility to return by jet boat - but this also has to be booked in advance (iSite) .
- The easiest way is to organise a private ride, provided there are cars in the car park .
Directions
As the start and end points of the tour are very far apart, it does not make logistical sense to travel there by car.For those who want to be dropped off: Blue Pools car park on State Highway 6 Haast - Wanaka, to be picked up at Chinaman’s Bluff car park, please note that the gravel road there leads through fords that cannot or must not be driven through by all (rental) vehicles.
.Coordinates
Author’s map recommendations
Equipment
- Tent
- Food for the whole time
- possibly sticks
- Perhaps navigation equipment (and sufficient batteries)
- Approx. 5 metres of rope/thick cord (for abseiling backpacks)
- Emergency radio beacon (Personal Locator Beacon)
- light rubber shoes for fording
- Tickets or passes from the DOC to stay overnight at the fords .
- DAV pass for the Aspiring Hut
Derived from the technical difficulty and the stamina requirements.
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