Late February to mid March. (2009) 6 to 8 days starting at L Rotoiti or Rotoroa, hard. Cross Waiau Pass from Lake Constance, up to Lake Thompson and over Thompson Pass. Sidle to unnamed pass (1820m), over it to unnamed tarn (Matakitaki River catchment) and climb to David Saddle. Finally down to D’Urville River and out. Any information on the above route would be much appreciated, especially from the unnamed pass (1820m) to David Saddle.
Check out my post here:
http://tramper.co.nz/?view=topic&id=327
I have uploaded a .gpx tracklog from Feb 2006 for Thompson Pass - Unnamed Pass - East Matakitaki River:
http://tramper.co.nz/?view=object&id=3478
Route guides:
http://tramper.co.nz/?1962
&
http://www.nelsonlakesshuttles.co.nz/lewis_pass%20Matakitaki%20Valleys%20David%20Saddle%20St%20Arnaud.htm
hope this helps
cheers ........... skiveoff
Can you try uploading that GPX file again. I would be really interested to see it
Hi pmcke
I've uploaded it again post here:
http://tramper.co.nz/index.cfm?view=object&id=3490&versionId=4962
but there seems to be errors on the site at the moment as I can't access it either
cheers ............skive off
Thanks. Managed to download it OK
Hi, yeah there was a glitch with handling that format of GPX. Fixed now.
We did David Pass in low cloud a few years ago, pioneered our own route some where up the right then pioneered our own way down the carpet grass to the track. Then I nearly got swept away in the creek at the bottom before the bivvy.
(was doing Lewis Pass to St Arnard)
I've gone from Waiau up over Thompson and straight down into the D'Urville before - no problems although a bit of Spaniard around the upper D'Urville. As you suspect, the siddling round part would be the trickier bit, I've heard there's a right way and a wrong way to do it - the guy that runs yellow house backpackers (if he's still there) and also the guy that runs the shuttle service (def still there) in St Arnaud do a lot of tramping and have given me many useful tips in the past. Also, there's a sweet little camp spot for two by a tarn and stream on the way down from Waiau - when I was at Lake Thompson it was crazy with flies - unpleasant. Good luck and share your photos :)
Hi skiveoff
With the changes to the website I keep getting at error message when I try and follow the link through to your gpx file. Is there any chance you email this to me at sarahmilicich at hotmail dot com. We are planning on starting this route at the end of the week and it would be great to have the gpx loaded up.
Cheers
Sarah
We did Waiau/Thompson and out to Lewis Pass. Check my facebook page for photos of the trip. It includes some of the sidle from Thompsons to D'Urville (un-named) Pass and the descent off that. It was a fantastic trip.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.232401763442250.81000.100000172848080&type=3