Late august/september tramps

The Dragon's Teeth in Kahurangi National Park is a pretty spectacular route at any time of the year. Can be walked from either end (starting in Cobb Valley at the South or near Bainham in the north). If you start in the north you leave from near Bainham and work you way past Boulder Lake, up to Adelaide Tarn, Lonely Lake and through to the Cobb Valley. The Dragon's Teeth themselves are pretty gnarly country so you can drop below them then climb back up on to the range. A bit of bush bashing involved there and a long climb back up! I did the trip in summer so snow/avalanche wasn't an issue and can't give you any real details as to what it would be like at this time of year. Was up Mt Arthur the other weekend and there was a lot of white stuff there and certainly looked to be plenty over the rest of the park. It took us three and a bit days to do the trip. A few hoursi n on the first night where we camped on the walk in to Boulder Lake. First full day took us through to Adelaide Tarn, then next day to Lonely Lake. our final day took us from Lonely Lake out the Cobb though it would certainly be a more pleasent trip if you shacked up for another night at one of the huts at the top of the Cobb Valley. We were pushing it a bit too much. There is a good description of the trip in Classic Tramping. Alos lots of great trips in Nelson Lakes National Park if you want some more ideas. Travers Valley in particular is an area I like.

We were thinking of doing the Dragon's Teeth this September but, after speaking to someone who said there was still quite a lot of snow up there in November last year, we flagged it away.