Snowy Creek to Lochnagar

Cant help you on the ascent from the head of lochnagar. But the sidle west of 2182, 2176 looked doable from where I descended into the snowy. Just don't be tempted to descend direct from there to the snowy though. The spurs west if where you'll hit the ridge look really tempting from the top (more so than the 'usual route'). But all bluff out lower down. Edit: except now I reread you're walking it the opposite direction so will already know that by then!

I've been looking at this issue for a while and i'm not as yet convinced it isn't possible to reach the head of Lochnagar. With relative ease that is. And likely from the Snowy Ck. When kathryn and i followed Twenty Five Mile Ck from the Rees, we intended to ascend from the creek to overlook Lochnagar. We were bouyed by the appearance of the route we'd intended from below the 98m waterfall at the head of Twenty Five Mile Ck. but the time we had was dwindling. It is our intention to return for a look. Probably on an overnighter via Shelter Rock hut and over the saddle above. Possibly this march when we're in the area. It should give a view of the spurs you mention.

Thanks for the thoughts. It could make sense to head over Shotover Saddle first and up to Lochnagar, paddle up the north side of the lake to the head and have a look from there. Easy to check out those spurs from below and see if there's a practical way through and up to 1886. Retreat if I don't like it, presuming I don't put the iceaxe or crampons through the packraft. Once at 1886 or thereabouts it should be reasonably straightforward to head east and then down into the Snowy. The spur you used into the Snowy starting from 1950 is the best one to head down? The spur that starts at about CA10 5200 5600 could be an option?

Hi Ian, I've got some photos I can send you from my time at the lake. PM me your email and I'll send them to you. My personal opinion is they are not ridges that I would want to descend, I'm not even sure if its possible to get over to the Lochnagar side at the top, but its up to you :)

Looking at my pics: even getting past the waterfall at the head of the lake looks challenging! Nothing showing the spurs you are contemplating.

Sounds, looks like heading down into there from above would be ill advised, I'll have think about going up to the head of Lochnagar with the packraft and having a poke around. It would be an interesting look around, even if I don't find a way out of there. Yes, the waterfall and that diagonal bluff [about here](https://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-44.579433,168.579712&z=15&pin=1) look challenging, there might or might not be a diagonal ledge leading back to above it: I think if you got above that, heading north to about [here](https://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-44.56962,168.575764&z=15&pin=1) then through to 1886 wouldn't be too bad. Not locked into this plan, may go with something completely different, depending on if Routeburn road end becomes public transport accessible later or not.

Arthur Borrell R.I.P.(station owner of the Branches back in the day)told us a few years before he died that a few MTB/pack rafters had carried their bikes down to the head of the lake and packrafted out to the outlet, eventually biking down to the Shotver Road. He thought they were foolhardy but only because they were using Warehouse quality packrafts! That sidle at the head of Pine Creek is indeed steep and exposed on slippery snowgrass but for a man of your experience, it shouldn't be an issue if you ensure foot placement on the uphill side of the tussocks and don't do it if there is a thin layer of snow overlying the tussock. I carried crampons and was prepared to use them on the tussock but didn't find it necessary. On our original foray into the Shotover from 12 Mile Creek, our plan was to head from there up to Rees Saddle but there was a light snowfall predicted so we bailed at 16 Mile and that's how we got to meet Arthur. We dropped in to apologise for not having permission to be there and not only did he serve us afternoon tea on Royal Dalton with chocolate chip biccies, but he arranged a ride out to Queenstown with his visitors. What a splendid engaging man he was and a tragedy to hear of his death (collapsed riverbank). He worked in bare feet.

Do I need permission from Branches Station to go down from Shotover Saddle and up Lake Creek to Lochnagar? Thanks for the help.

Yes. Permission required for that