Overnight camping in Hooker Valley for a newbie
Really keen to do my first backcountry camping trip this spring/summer, so I was thinking of doing the Hooker Valley Track and camping somewhere reasonably close to the hut in case I run into trouble. Just struggling to wrap my head around the rules - I know I can't use the facilities unless I pay and to pack in & out/bury waste away from water etc, but how far from the track & hut should I stay? I also checked the rules for campfires and checkitsalright says that fires are permitted in the backcountry under the right conditions without a permit, but then also that a permit is required. Which is correct?
First forget a campfire especially in summer. Up there there is probably nothing to burn. That track is not much effort so I wonder which hut you are going to deviate towards. Not a lot of camping options up there
The Hooker valley seems an odd choice for camping as a newbie.
So much moraine. No forest really. Hooker hut is inaccessible to all but the most intrepid and it would be almost ridiculous to attempt that and then just camp nearby. The Playing Fields on the Ball Pass route strikes me as the only place to camp. That sits a few hundred metres above the glacier. I'd be surprised if you would see the white ice of the glacier from there now anyway.
https://flic.kr/p/6gHAXE https://flic.kr/p/f8q36W https://flic.kr/p/f7UeR4
https://flic.kr/p/f8aKnT
Aren't there other options to consider for camping as a newbie
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| Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
|---|---|
| Started by | lucmars |
| On | 5 May 2023 |
| Replies | 3 |
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