BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:b0408571c6277e546c28b8caf24969dd CATEGORIES:Extended Trip CREATED:20240119T210300 SUMMARY:Travers Valley / Sunset saddle / Robert Ridge URL;VALUE=URI:https://live.nelsontrampingclub.org.nz/events/calendar/1368/travers-valley- sunset-saddle-robert-ridge?tmpl=component DESCRIPTION:Fit trip. Tents needed.  Map BS24 Pourangahau/Mt Robert\nDay 1 – Drive to S t Arnaud.  Park cars at lower Mt Robert carpark and walk along Lakeside tra ck to Hopeless Hut, up the Travers Valley (around 8 hrs). Apparently there is limited camping room around the hut so it would be good to arrange shari ng tents. Hopeless hut is 6 bunks.  If you want to stay in the hut (if ther e are free bunks) please bring a hut ticket.\nDay 2 – Walk up Hopeless cree k to Sunset Saddle (1900m), side trip to climb Mt Angelus (1hr), camp at Hi napouri tarn. \nDay 3 – Walk out via Robert Ridge back to carpark.\nThere a re some descriptions of the route on the Internet.  They reference loose bo ulders / boulder hopping and it involves walking up / across scree.  We wou ld need a fine forecast and good weather / visibility.  Sounds like it woul d take @4hrs to get to the saddle from Hopeless Hut.  The ATC group stayed at Bushline Hut on the way out, then walked back to Kerr Bay the next day.\ nThis is from an Auckland Tramping Club write up:\nThe track heads up valle y from Hopeless hut terminating in a large imposing cirque. There are two p ossible options for conquering the cirque walls. Either climb directly up, to the true left of the waterfall, or scramble up the large scree fan on th e west side of the cirque, staying closer to the northern side of the fan. (the GPX file I have goes up the shingle fan) The latter option is the more recognised route and the direction we took. The slope is loose and scrambl y. Once you connect with the head wall, a cairned route can be picked up to take you higher. From here to the saddle is almost entirely rock travel. T his part of the route could be more difficult to follow in bad weather.\nTw o high tarns in rocky basins are eventually reached and the cairned route ( passing between the tarns) is more easily followed from here to the top of the saddle. If you don’t like boulder hopping then this is not the trip for you. There were a few tiny patches of snow to traverse which could be easi ly avoided. We reached Sunset Saddle (1900m) bang on mid day and were greet ed with expansive views in all directions. Lake Angelus Hut could be seen i n the distance. The saddle would be a fantastic spot to be sitting at sunse t.\nDescending from the saddle was no great drama and well cairned. We pass ed a high alpine tarn on the way down to the larger Hinepouri Tarn and deci ded it was a very appealing place to stop and set up camp for the night hav ing ample flattish areas for our six tents.\nColdwater hut to Hopeless Hut: 5-6 hours\n Hopeless Hut to Sunset Saddle: 4 hours\n Sunset Saddle to Ange lus peak and return: 1 hour\n Sunset Saddle to high tarn campsite: 1 hour:\ n Lake Angelus Hut to Bushline Hut: 4-5 hours\n Bushline Hut to St Arnaud: 2-3 hours\n (https://www.aucktramping.org.nz/about-atc/all-trip-reports?vie w=article&id=576:hopeless-creek-sunset-saddle-robert-ridge&catid=12 0)https://www.aucktramping.org.nz/about-atc/all-trip-reports?view=article&a mp;id=576 (https://www.aucktramping.org.nz/about-atc/all-trip-reports?view= article&id=576):hopeless-creek-sunset-saddle-robert-ridge&catid=120 \n (https://whatisbruceupto.com/2022/02/26/nelson-lakes-5-days-with-highlig hts-waiau-pass-and-sunset-saddle/)https://whatisbruceupto.com/2022/02/26/ne lson-lakes-5-days-with-highlights-waiau-pass-and-sunset-saddle/ (https://wh atisbruceupto.com/2022/02/26/nelson-lakes-5-days-with-highlights-waiau-pass -and-sunset-saddle/)\n (https://www.nelsonlakesshuttles.co.nz/trip.reports2 1.html)https://www.nelsonlakesshuttles.co.nz/trip.reports21.html\nTrip Lead er : Jo Gould\nPhone : 027 281 1548\nEmail : This email address is being pr otected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.\nArea : Nels on Lakes National Park\nPanic Date : 30-01-2024\nEmergency Contact Name : A ndrew Russell\nContacts Address : 19 Avon Terrace, Nelson\nContacts Phone/s : 02040013737\nContacts Email Address : This email address is being protec ted from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.\nPlanned Route : Park at lower Mt Robert carpark. Walk to Hopeless Hut along Lakeside trac k (via Lakehead hut). Day 2 - over Sunset Saddle to camp at Hinapouri tarn . Day 3 out along Robert Ridge or via Speargrass if weather not good\nAlte rnative Route : If weather not good enough to go over Sunset saddle we will return the way we came\nGrading : Select an appropriate grade for the hard est day on your Trip.\nGrade : Fit\nCost : The travel distances are used to calculate the cost of a trip. The trip co-ordinator will complete these va lues. However, if you know the values, for example by using Google Maps, th en by all means complete. Make sure the values (double to include return jo urney) are correct to be fair to the drivers and participants. IMPORTANT: T he rate table needs to have a month and year value for cents/kilometre. Tri p coordinator is responsible to entering this information.\nSealed km (Ente r the number of kms travelled on sealed roads to/from the trip) : 0\nUnseal ed km (Enter the number of kms travelled on unsealed roads to/from trip.) : 0\nSignoff : Default is Programme, please set the Status to either 'Comple ted' or 'Cancelled' when appropriate. Also enter the number of Visitor and Total numbers on your trip. Thanks. NOTE: When the status is Completed or C ancelled the event WON'T appear on the Home page calendars.\nEvent Status : Completed\nVisitors : 2\nTotal : 6\n This event was imported from: https:/ /live.nelsontrampingclub.org.nz/events/calendar/1368/travers-valley-sunset- saddle-robert-ridge?tmpl=component X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Fit trip. Tents needed.  Map BS24 Pourangahau/Mt Robert

Day 1 – Drive to St Arnaud.  Park cars at lower Mt Robert carpark and walk along Lakeside track to Hopeless Hut, up the Travers Valley (around 8 hrs). Apparently there is limited camping room around the hut so it would be goo d to arrange sharing tents. Hopeless hut is 6 bunks.  If you want to s tay in the hut (if there are free bunks) please bring a hut ticket.

D ay 2 – Walk up Hopeless creek to Sunset Saddle (1900m), side trip to climb Mt Angelus (1hr), camp at Hinapouri tarn. 

Day 3 – Walk out via Robert Ridge back to carpark.

There are some descriptions of the rout e on the Internet.  They reference loose boulders / boulder hopping an d it involves walking up / across scree.  We would need a fine forecas t and good weather / visibility.  Sounds like it would take @4hrs to g et to the saddle from Hopeless Hut.  The ATC group stayed at Bushline Hut on the way out, then walked back to Kerr Bay the next day.

This i s from an Auckland Tramping Club write up:

The track heads up valley from Hopeless hut terminating in a large imposing cirque. There are two pos sible options for conquering the cirque walls. Either climb directly up, to the true left of the waterfall, or scramble up the large scree fan on the west side of the cirque, staying closer to the northern side of the fan. (t he GPX file I have goes up the shingle fan) The latter option is the more r ecognised route and the direction we took. The slope is loose and scrambly. Once you connect with the head wall, a cairned route can be picked up to t ake you higher. From here to the saddle is almost entirely rock travel. Thi s part of the route could be more difficult to follow in bad weather.

Two high tarns in rocky basins are eventually reached and the cairned rout e (passing between the tarns) is more easily followed from here to the top of the saddle. If you don’t like boulder hopping then this is not the trip for you. There were a few tiny patches of snow to traverse which could be e asily avoided. We reached Sunset Saddle (1900m) bang on mid day and were gr eeted with expansive views in all directions. Lake Angelus Hut could be see n in the distance. The saddle would be a fantastic spot to be sitting at su nset.

Descending from the saddle was no great drama and well cairned. We passed a high alpine tarn on the way down to the larger Hinepouri Tarn and decided it was a very appealing place to stop and set up camp for the n ight having ample flattish areas for our six tents.

Coldwater hut to Hopeless Hut: 5-6 hours
Hopeless Hut to Sunset Saddle: 4 hours
Sunset Saddle to Angelus peak and return: 1 hour
Sunset Saddle to hig h tarn campsite: 1 hour:
Lake Angelus Hut to Bushline Hut: 4-5 hours< br /> Bushline Hut to St Arnaud: 2-3 hours

https ://www.aucktramping.org.nz/about-atc/all-trip-reports?view=article&id=5 76:hopeless-creek-sunset-saddle-robert-ridge&catid=120

https://whatisbruceupto.com/2022/02/26/nelson-lakes-5-days-with-highligh ts-waiau-pass-and-sunset-saddle/

https://www.nelsonlakesshuttles.co.nz/trip .reports21.html

< td class='label'>Event Status :
Trip Leader :
Jo Gould
\n
Phone : 027 281 1548\n
Email : This email address is being protected fro m spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.\n< /td>
Area : Nelson Lakes National Park\n
Panic Date : 30-01-2024\n
Emergency Contact Name : Andrew Russell\n
Contacts Address : 19 Avon Terrace, Nelson\n
Contacts Phone/s : 0204001 3737\n
Contacts Email Address : This emai l address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.\n
Planned Rout e : Park at lower Mt Robert carpark. Walk to Hopeless Hut along L akeside track (via Lakehead hut). Day 2 - over Sunset Saddle to camp at Hi napouri tarn. Day 3 out along Robert Ridge or via Speargrass if weather no t good\n
Alternative Route : If wea ther not good enough to go over Sunset saddle we will return the way we cam e\n
Grading : Select an appropriate grade for the hardest day on your Trip.\n
G rade : Fit\n
Cost : The tr avel distances are used to calculate the cost of a trip. The trip co-ordina tor will complete these values. However, if you know the values, for exampl e by using Google Maps, then by all means complete. Make sure the values (d ouble to include return journey) are correct to be fair to the drivers and participants. IMPORTANT: The rate table needs to have a month and year valu e for cents/kilometre. Trip coordinator is responsible to entering this inf ormation.\n
Sealed km (Enter the number of k ms travelled on sealed roads to/from the trip) : 0\n
Unsealed km (Enter the number of kms travelled on unseale d roads to/from trip.) : 0\n
Signof f : Default is Programme, please set the Status to either 'Complet ed' or 'Cancelled' when appropriate. Also enter the number of Visitor and T otal numbers on your trip. Thanks. NOTE: When the status is Completed or Ca ncelled the event WON'T appear on the Home page calendars.\n
Completed\n
Visitors : 2\n
Total : 6\n
This event was imported from: https://live.nelsontrampingclub.org.nz/e vents/calendar/1368/travers-valley-sunset-saddle-robert-ridge?tmpl=componen tDTSTAMP:20260624T154325 DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240127 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240130 SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR