Tracks
St Arnaud - Lewis Pass
Travers-Sabine
Track
• 4 – 7 days. Medium. Loop track with a road section.
Two river valleys linked by a straightforward alpine saddle at 1800m
Blue Lake
Track
• 2 – 4 days. Easy/medium. Return via same track.
Blue Lake is a small, pretty lake dammed by boulders at the head of the Sabine Valley. Beyond is Lake Constance and Waiau Pass. This track is avalanche-prone in winter and spring after snowfall or ...
Sabine-Waiau Pass-Thompson Pass-D'Urville
Track
• 5 – 7 days. Easy/medium. Loop track.
5 day trip accessed by kayak up Lake Rotoroa. Easy bush travel up and down Sabine and D'Urville valleys respectively. Sub-alpine tramp over 2 passes to connect the two valleys with section of unmar...
Waiau - Clarence Pass Lake Tennyson Circuit
Track
• 4 – 5 days. Medium/hard. Loop track.
A challenging 4-5 day circuit in the St. James Conservation Area / Nelson Lakes National Park featuring two alpine pass crossings and some unmarked track route finding. Starts and ends at Lake Tenn...
St Arnaud to Lewis Pass
Track
• 5 – 9 days. Medium/hard. One way.
A 5-9 day north-south route from St Arnaud to the Lewis Pass, via Travers Pass, Waiau Pass, Thompson Pass and Three Tarn Pass. takes in good sections of the Travers, Sabine, Matakitaki and Maruia v...
Track grades
- Easy
- Unusually smooth, well-marked track, easy gradients. Up to about 4 hours per day.
- Easy-medium
- Typical lowland track. Generally easy walking and well marked. Ascents of up to 1000m. Some easy river crossings, unmarked travel along rivers.
- Medium
- Typical tops track. Experienced trampers only. Rough, muddy and poorly marked or unmarked. Ascents of up to 2000m. River crossings, open tops, passes. Up to about 8 hours per day.
- Medium-hard
- Navigation and snow skills (use of ice axe and crampons) required. Glaciers, exposure to falls.
- Hard
- Rough or non-existent tracks. Following ridges, bush spurs, and rivers. Steep ascents, arduous travel, hazardous conditions, snow and navigation skills essential.