Mt Arthur - Gordons Pyramid

I did a traverse of Mt Arthur and then across to Gordon's Pyramid and back to Flora Saddle via Clouston's Mine and the Gridiron shelters as a day trip a few years ago. There were no problems and it was a wonderful day. The poled track through Horseshoe Basin is certainly there. I don't know quite what you mean by going via 1380. That spur just leads down into Horseshoe Creek and I bet it is grotty down there.

As shown on map BQ24 Tapawera, the poleline contours around Horseshoe Basin, roughly at 1500m, and then begins to head north, droping height and swinging around to the north-west. There is a 1440m knoll shown on the map. From this point, the poleline heads west then north-west down to a saddle (1140m) then up to the north-east and on to Gordons Puramid. However, from the 1440m knoll, there is a spur running north which drops into a saddle and then up to a knoll at 1380m. From there a ridge runs north-west, drops to 1300m, then up to Gordons Pyramid (yes, if you continued NE, you would finish up in Horseshoe Ck :) It's this 2nd route that I'm enquiring about. I've read a couple of track notes that seem to go this 2nd route - but, clearly, the map shows a different track.

my advice is stick to the poled route i have tramped this area many times not showen on the map are many sink holes not eaisly seen some time. also with contours they are at 20 mtres so dont realy give you a good iddication of the terrain witch is fairly rough away from the main track.

I see what you mean now. Good map reading. It looks like 1140 is actually a soak hole. However there is probably a reason why the track follows the route it does, which may be more obvious on the ground. I suspect the diference is minimal anyway. And as tonya says, there are local hazards there that you have to be aware of.

OK, I can answer my own question now - there are (at least) a couple of errors on the BQ24-Tapawera map. 1st - the map shows the track to Gordons Pyramid turning off the Mt Arthur track approx 1km beyond the actual turn-off (which is well signposted). The actual turn-off is at NZTM E1574975 N5438073 2nd - the map shows the poled route to Gordon's Pyramid descending to the west of the point 1140 - this is not correct. The actual poled route sensibly follows the ridge to the east, over point 1380. I've uploaded a GPX file of the actual poled route (the track is obvious in good weather) from the Mt Arthur track to the summit of Gordons Pyramid : Approach to Gordons Pyramid.gpx

I see from your photos you must have made the trip, do you have the track times from the leslie track turn off up to the saddle then down to Flannagins hut and out to the road end.

Wilkinson Horror signpost (Leslie R turnoff) to Baton Saddle : 3hrs (lots of short stops and a 10min chat with a guy descending from the saddle - he'd come across the tops from Mt Gommoroah) Baton Saddle to Flanagan Hut : 2hrs (no stops) - I'm not sure that the poled route is the best - next time I'd stay higher up on the true right and avoid the Spaniard grass and the bog at the valley floor - the last km of the route passes through the trees, easy walking, on the true right before curving down to the stream and crossing to the hut) Flanagan Hut to Baton Tk end (bridge crossing and start of 4WD Track) : 4.5hrs (30+min of stops - could easily do this in less than 4hrs if you were in a hurry) 4WD Tk to Baton Valley Rd : 45min It's an enjoyable route, the only slow/tedious bit being from the treeline, over the saddle and down to the hut. The Baton looks like a good trout stream so if you are into fishing, take a rod.