More information
The Trail Klondyke Corner to Carrington Hu
view of the grassy trail before the riverbed becomes the trail.
The hut is still far here but it is behind the first mountain at the base of the second you see
More ▶︎
Route Planning
Checking the map for a route over the head of the Waimakariri Valley into the Rolleston Valley. Be aware in summer of the snowfields to the left of the Col: while climbing the slopes is easy, where they level out ...
More ▶︎
At the top
If intending to cross over into the Rolleston from the Waimak, DON'T go over the actual Waimak Col (you'll see why on the other side!). Cairns lead up to the left of the Col, which is a fairly straightforward route.
More ▶︎
Top of Rolleston Valley
There are sporadic cairns down into the Rolleston Valley, but they can be difficult to pick out against the scree. Stick to the true left of the stream.
More ▶︎
Pick Your Path
Try to stay reasonably high above the river on the true left for the easiest route down and to avoid bluffs near the gorge. Some bits will require a bit of a scramble and the scree is unsatisfactorily inconsistent. Traverse ...
More ▶︎
Grass my Arse
Sections of alpine "herbs" break up the scree slopes high above the Rolleston River. There is no track through these and only one or two cairns to spot. Stay midway up the slopes though, no matter how frustrating it might ...
More ▶︎
The Track Starts
After three or four scree/shrub combinations, where the gorge below opens out a little, keep an eye out for the track markers on the opposite side of the river (marked here by the red arrow). A steep scree leads directly ...
More ▶︎
Track Descent
The map shows the track crossing two small tributaries before heading sharply down to meet the main river. You may not, in fact cross any tributaries and when the track ends at a large orange marker on the edge of ...
More ▶︎