Lochnagar

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From Tuesday 18 March 2014
To Friday 21 March 2014
Cost: $NULL 

Trip Leader:

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Phone: 522 4458 (preferred)

Description  

The Team

At this stage Pat Holland, Gina Andrews, and Mike Drake. Invited Dave Quested and Brian Renwick but no replies. Brian was heading into Fenella Hut when I came out on Wednesday, so probably still in the hills.

 

Contact Numbers

Mike  021 1044928

Gina 021 628252 (only 6 digits!) Asked Gina for confirmation.

Pat 027 3098083

 

Notes - Pam

We did this trip mid December. In from Matukituki; you head up the hill to Shotover Saddle just before Waterfall Stream? Anyway, now there is a sign and a poled route all the way from the main track( to Aspiring Hut.)  People go up to Shotover Saddle as a day trip. About 3 hrs up. Lots of spaniards near the saddle.  Tarns just over the saddle are good camp spots.

Then down to right, cross Tyndall Stream to true left and sidle keeping quite high until you reach the final ridge before the Tummel Burn. We basically followed Moirs. Down to Tummel Burn, though it helps to find the old rocky gully with cairns, then old FS track to left with permolat markers as its very cliffy right at the end.

We kept going on cattle tracks down the Shotover. 4wd track from Pine Creek Flat takes you up towards Lochnagar. There is a pully/cage in good order to cross Lake Creek. Poled route to Lochnagar where there is a great little hut. It took us 15 hrs to get to Lochnagar from Shotover saddle!!  Spent a lot of time route finding. As the weather was bad we came out the same way but had planned to climb up to the right, crossing the lake outlet, onto the ridge and make our way along to Snowy Creek, then Rees Saddle, Dart Hut, Cascade Saddle and back to the Matukituki. You really need visibility.  Overall, we had planned a 5 day trip.

Trip

(Includes additional notes from Pam)

Current thoughts.

Day 1: Walk up to Shotover Saddle and over, to a campsite by the tarns.

Day 2: Follow Tyndall Stream to Junction Flat, then along the Shotover River, then onto Lochnagar Hut. [Pam: Dead celery pines, as described in Moirs, on the ridge down to The Forks/Tummel Burn Hut are still there. Veer right from them to find the 'right'  cairned bushy then rocky gully. There are a few. There was a point in the Shotover; over the creek draining Pt 2095 where we climbed up the face rather than go through impenetrable scrub. However, if you can keep to cattle tracks you should be OK.] Also suggested on one website to keep around 1200m following Tyndall Creek. Looking at the contours this looks like a good idea.

Day 3: Climb spur opposite the hut to Point 1865. Continue along the ridge towards Pt 1896 to Pt 2182, then drop down into Snowy Creek and find a campsite. [Pam: Yes, though you'll have to travel on the eastern side of the ridge for some of the way. This is steep and we had taken a rope, iceaxes for this. You can see the ridge up Pine Creek as you walk down the Shotover.]

Day 4: Head towards Rees Saddle and join the crowds to the Dart River, then the poled route to Cascade Saddle and camp.

Day 5: Over Cascade Saddle to the Matukituki River West, and back to the car.

Notes:

1. Pam mentioned something about permission going over land on Day 2. Will check this out.
2. Anyone have Moir's Guide for the area?
3. There is an option to go over Mt Tyndall but I am not sure what the south approach would be like.

Meetup

1. Meet in Wanaka so only need to take one vehicle. Probably best meeting time is Tuesday 18th as Pat is tramping with FMC coming out on Monday 17th. Will not be enough time to travel to Wanaka then walk to the first camp over Shotover Saddle. Pat?
2. Pat to travel from Dunedin.
3. Mike either from Christchurch to Dunedin/Wanaka. [Will likely travel from Christchurch to Wanaka on Sunday. Will stay at Wanaka Lakeview Holiday Park.]
4. Gina will be already in the area doing the Alps to Ocean. [Gina travelling from Oamaru to Wanaka on Sunday.]
5. Place to meet? Suggest coffee bar corner Helwick St/Ardmore St.
6. Time either Monday or Tuesday, but start Tuesday 18th.

 

 

 

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