Best tramp for first time?

I worked for Routeburn Walks Ltd. I was employed by Jim Gilkison who would have been almost 70 then. He founded Routeburn Walks after he retired as an accountant. Jim and his brother Scott were icons in the Otago tramping scene going back to the 1940s and 50s. Jim was then in the process of getting out of the business and Ton Snelder was buying in at the time. I enjoyed Jim much more, I think Ton saw the track more as a business scheme than Jim who was more of a tramper. In those days we were guiding parties of 12 with 2 guides per party. Most of the clients were NZers. We took the party from one end on the track to the other and did the cooking and everything. It was a case of first up in the morning and last to bed at night. I don't know who owns the company now. Last time I was there a huge party went by with a guide who had walkie talkie squalking. They were all Japanese I think.

When i walked the Routeburn we came across a guide and she was from Ulmate walks or guides cant remember which now,and she had a group of older and over weight americans and she said most of her clients were Americans and japanese as well

A lot of people do the Routeburn and then go down the Greenstone valley, or across into the Caples to make a circut of the trip and to add a couple more days. The Greenstone is a big long valley and maybe not quite as interesting as the Caples which involves another pass. Neither the Caples or the Greenstone are Great Walks but they do have good huts. A point about the Milford, it is never crowded. Access to both ends is by boat and they only allow you on the boat if you have booked. Everyone walks the track in the same direction. I have always been impressed with this as you never feel like there are too many people there. The downside is that the track gets booked out well in advance. Mind you, the ideal time to do the Milford is out of season and do it backwards. You need to bribe a fishing boat to take you in at the Milford end and then walk out over Dore Pass which is much higher and more alpine than MacKinnon Pass. I have done this a couple of times and you have the whole place to yourself. Watch out for avalanches though.

That is what i did Routeburn-caples-Greestone fantastic walk if you dont mind 250mm of rain in four hours between greenstone hut and Mckeller hut and trying to cross the river down from Mckeller hut

I've been reading up on the Routerburn track and have seen several sites that basically say you have to be a mountaineer to walk it in winter, due to snow, avalanches, etc (I'll be in NZ early Ocotber). Is it really that dangerous, or is this just meant to keep the fat Americans away? (Im American by the way, but not fat.) Id like to do this track, but am a little thrown off by all the warnings.

There is a section just as you cross the saddle that can be prone to avalanche. The track traverses a bluff with the lake below you. Mind you I have been across there in mid winter by walking over the frozen lake. But that won't be the case in October. It is hard to say what it will be like then. We are having a bad winter here, there have been 3 fatalities due to avalanche this season. We normally don't get any. I suggest you aim to do it but have a back up plan, maybe the Rees-Dart. It starts at the same place.

ccsmith sorry if i offended you

Is the Rees/Dart any safer in October though? My understanding of it is the Snowy creek section is sweeped by avalanches as well. Thats why DoC removes the Snowy Creek bridge each winter. Ive tramped once in October, and had a miserable time due to the abysmal weather/cold. Maybe it was just bad luck on my part. I'd stick to a lowland tramp. The West Matukituki: base yourself at Mt Aspiring hut and do day trips up to the bushline of the Cascade saddle route or to French Ridge/Mt Liverpool. Or do the Hollyford.

You make a good point Yarmoss. I have been away from the South Island for a while now so have forgotten the conditions for actual months. I do recall some great Labour weekend (late Oct)trips. I also don't really recall restricting our trips because of avalanches, but maybe we were just young and stupid. The point though I think is that spring weather can be highly unpredictable and this can last right into Christmas. The time for more sustained good weather is Jan Feb & March. In October ccsmith39 is going to have to be flexible. The Routeburn might be OK if there is a big thaw, and it might not. If a big rain storm goes through and all the rivers are up then everything will be out of the question. However it might be stunningly good weather too. It is very warm here for August at the moment so I am an optimist.

Yeah, mine was at Labour Weekend as well. Snowed and rained on me the whole way round the Caples/Greenstone and up the Routeburn to Lake MacKenzie. As it was the first day of the Great Walks season I had the huts to myself though (with the exception the hut wardens). It has been real warm here in Dunedin past 2 or 3 weeks. Maybe the snow will clear earlier this year and the Routeburn will be a goer.