Libretto / Lewis Tops

got the topos? http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap?v=2&ll=-42.397492,172.400846&z=11

Thanks, Wayno - yes, I have the whole of NZ on my GPS and on PC (from NZ Open GPS Project - http://gwprojects.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1561 ). This is the complete LINZ Topo50 series maps.

Hi Bernie, Can't help you with the Libretto Range as as I've only seen it from a distance. However I can give you some insights into the country further west that you are also contemplating visiting. The Lewis tops are very nice & relatively easy country. Well worth a look! I'd be tempted to start and finish from the Lewis Pass road; say start at the Nina & come out at the Pass or vice versa. If you want to visit Lake Christabel & the hut you can get down from the tops via either the Robinson Saddle or Rough Creek routes which are cut and poled. Lots of this country especially above the bush line & also a lot of the beech forest is walkable though untracked. Re Lucretia or Duchess Stream routes to the tops; I suspect Lucretia is the easier of the two but Duchess which I've only been in to the head of from Brass Monkey biv looks ok. You can also carry on up into the head of the Nina cross a saddle, drop into the Blue Grey River and then get on to the Robinson Saddle track down to Lake Christabel.

Hi Glenn, thanks for the response – yes, if I go for the Lewis Tops, my thinking was leaning to Nina River – Lewis Pass (via Duchess Stream). At 24km, this might be the better option for a short trip (compared to 30 – 45km in the Libretto/Opera Ranges) Anyone tramped the Libretto/Opera Ranges ?

Another interesting option could be up the track to Mueller atarn then along the Freyberg Range. So much good walking.

Hi Matthew, Yeah, I had read your track notes to Mueller Tarn and thought, if no track-work has been done since your update in 2007, it would be very overgrown by now. However, Freyberg Range looks interesting too (so many choices !). Do you know of other recognised routes up onto these tops? perhaps near Cannibal Gorge Hut or Ada Pass ? Maybe up to Mueller Tarn and out to Mt Mueller – then east along the Range and drop down onto the St James Walkway and back to Lewis Pass – about 30km, a relaxed 3-day tramp.

Here's a report from just 3 years ago :) http://nelsontrampingclub.org.nz/node/138#12 And here's one from 2013 http://importedkiwi.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/mueller-tarn-lewis-pass/ From memory it is the kind of forest that wouldn't overgrow quickly but would suffer from windfall, and it sounds like that is indeed the state of it. This is a good little track so it's sad it's not being maintained.

Thanks for the links, Matthew – the track doesn’t sound too bad reading them. I hunted up a few photos of the Freyberg Range – looks like an interesting stroll along there too. So, now I have three trips mapped out ! 1. Boyle – Faust – Boyle Flats – Anne Cullers Hut – Opera Range – Trovatore – Zampa – Maruia River – Lewis Pass 40km 2. Nina River – Nina Hut – Lucretia Hut – Brass Monkey Biv – Grand Duchess – Lewis Tops – Lewis Pass 35km 3. Maruia Springs – Mueller Tarn – Mt Mueller – Freyberg Range – Mt Freyberg – Ada Pass – Maruia River – Lewis Pass 30km Choices, choices, choices :)