Arthur's Pass National Park - Townsend Creek / Minchin Pass
Time: 3-4 days one way
Difficulty: Difficult slow route, marked track, long unmarked route sections, river crossings
Huts: Kiwi Hut (6 bunks), Minchin Bivouac (2 bunks), Poulter Hut (10 bunks), Trust/Poulter Hut (6 bunks), Casey Hut (12 bunks)
Features: Lake, alpine pass, steep gorge, beech fringed river valleys
Route Guides: Minchin Pass - Townsend Creek (1.5MB)
Location: This route is best tackled starting from the West Coast side, as if there is going to be any stop-you-in-your-tracks sections it's definitely going to be here. This route starts at the Aickens car park beside SH73, 23km westwards of Arthur's Pass village.
Difficulty: Difficult slow route, marked track, long unmarked route sections, river crossings
Huts: Kiwi Hut (6 bunks), Minchin Bivouac (2 bunks), Poulter Hut (10 bunks), Trust/Poulter Hut (6 bunks), Casey Hut (12 bunks)
Features: Lake, alpine pass, steep gorge, beech fringed river valleys
Route Guides: Minchin Pass - Townsend Creek (1.5MB)
Location: This route is best tackled starting from the West Coast side, as if there is going to be any stop-you-in-your-tracks sections it's definitely going to be here. This route starts at the Aickens car park beside SH73, 23km westwards of Arthur's Pass village.
Aickens to Minchin Bivouac (8.5-11.5 hours one way)
Note: This route has multiple river crossings! If there is heavy rainfall or rivers are high postpone your trip. The "flood track" shown on some maps from the Morrison footbridge (Deception River) to Aickens is not viable when the rivers are running high, as it also can be cut-off. The terms "true-left & right" are used in this description, they refer to side of valley always looking downstream or down hill.
If the Otira River is safe to cross, start from the Aickens car park, cross the stile and follow the fence line to the river. After crossing the Otira, make for the end of the band of tall trees immediately opposite (marked by an orange triangle).
A track leads through scrub and gorse to grassy flats. Continue walking along these grassy flats to Pfeifer Creek. There is a signposted turn-off to Lake Kaurapataka.
The route continues along the true-left of the Taramakau, but you may be forced into a crossing of the river prior to the Otehake confluence, depending where the river lies in its bed on the day. At any rate, cross the Taramakau to the true-right where it is safe to do so. A vehicle track leading to the private hut opposite the Otehake may provide the best option. Continue upstream, avoiding the private lands around the hut. A sign-post adjacent the the river indicates the turn-off to Kiwi hut about 1.8km west of the Otehake junction. Continue past this turn-off, using the river flats on the true-right. About 4km up river find a suitable crossing of the Taramakau to its true-left and venture up the shingle fan to join Townsend Creek.
It is extremely important you find Townsend Creek, and not one of the other treacherous creeks that run off the range. It is at NZTM coordinates E1500828 N5265928. At this stage you are 4-5 hours into your journey, Minchin Bivouac is at least a futher 4.5 - 6.5 hours on, if you don't have adequate daylight hours turn back now to Kiwi hut.
Follow Townsend Creek upstream, as you get deeper into the mountain range the stream terraces disappear (about 1.3km from the Taramakau), and imposing gorge walls start to rise on both sides. The creek must be running clear and not swift for you to continue. Continue into the gorge. There may be places where you need to swim across short deep pools. Towards the head of the gorge things become less straightforward. At about the 750m contour (E1502761 N5264122) at creek carrying seemingly more water tumbles in on the true-right - DO NOT FOLLOW THIS STREAM! The continuation of Townsend Creek is the middle of the three streams in this area (there may be rock cairns or markers if they haven't washed away).
Follow this middle stream, at some point you should [hopefully] find a marked trail on the true-left that bypasses a waterfall in the stream. Where the trail re-enters Townsend Creek you are about 1 hour of intense boulder hopping from Minchin Pass.
Once on Minchin Pass (1082m) follow the stream that drains it on its south side, this leads into Minchin Stream and a pole-marked route on its true-right through alpine scrub to the Minchin Bivouac. Take a deep breath, the most difficult part is over!
Minchin Bivouac to Poulter Hut (2-4 hours one way)
From the bivouac follow the route down into Minchin Stream. The route continues downstream, frequently crossing and recrossing the stream for about 1.5km to the Linwood Stream confluence. From near this junction a marked route ascends the scrubby hillside on the true-right and onto rocky outcrops above precipitous bluffs, bypassing the impassable gorge below. It soon descends steeply back to Minchin Stream, and you continue the cross/recross the stream until you reach Lake Minchin in 1.5km. The track sidles around the eastern side of the lake, leading into a well marked track through the beech forest descending easy gradients onto the river flats of the Poulter Valley. The Poulter hut is situated on a tussock flat up against the edge of the forest.
Poulter Hut to Trust/Poulter Hut (1 hour one way)
From the hut follow the pole-marked trail through the high matagouri shrubs out onto the riverbed of the Poulter. Cross diagonally downstream to the true-right of the river. Heading downstream you will eventually pick up a vehicular track that becomes more defined as you approach the Trust/Poulter hut.
Trust/Poulter Hut to Casey Hut (1.5 hours one way)
From the hut follow the well defined track in and out of forest and river flats for 5km to the Casey Stream. After fording the stream it is only 800m to the new Casey hut situated on the terraces overlooking the Poulter River.
Casey Hut Out (6-8.5 hours one way)
There are two ways of exiting the tramp from here...
Note: This route has multiple river crossings! If there is heavy rainfall or rivers are high postpone your trip. The "flood track" shown on some maps from the Morrison footbridge (Deception River) to Aickens is not viable when the rivers are running high, as it also can be cut-off. The terms "true-left & right" are used in this description, they refer to side of valley always looking downstream or down hill.
If the Otira River is safe to cross, start from the Aickens car park, cross the stile and follow the fence line to the river. After crossing the Otira, make for the end of the band of tall trees immediately opposite (marked by an orange triangle).
A track leads through scrub and gorse to grassy flats. Continue walking along these grassy flats to Pfeifer Creek. There is a signposted turn-off to Lake Kaurapataka.
The route continues along the true-left of the Taramakau, but you may be forced into a crossing of the river prior to the Otehake confluence, depending where the river lies in its bed on the day. At any rate, cross the Taramakau to the true-right where it is safe to do so. A vehicle track leading to the private hut opposite the Otehake may provide the best option. Continue upstream, avoiding the private lands around the hut. A sign-post adjacent the the river indicates the turn-off to Kiwi hut about 1.8km west of the Otehake junction. Continue past this turn-off, using the river flats on the true-right. About 4km up river find a suitable crossing of the Taramakau to its true-left and venture up the shingle fan to join Townsend Creek.
It is extremely important you find Townsend Creek, and not one of the other treacherous creeks that run off the range. It is at NZTM coordinates E1500828 N5265928. At this stage you are 4-5 hours into your journey, Minchin Bivouac is at least a futher 4.5 - 6.5 hours on, if you don't have adequate daylight hours turn back now to Kiwi hut.
Follow Townsend Creek upstream, as you get deeper into the mountain range the stream terraces disappear (about 1.3km from the Taramakau), and imposing gorge walls start to rise on both sides. The creek must be running clear and not swift for you to continue. Continue into the gorge. There may be places where you need to swim across short deep pools. Towards the head of the gorge things become less straightforward. At about the 750m contour (E1502761 N5264122) at creek carrying seemingly more water tumbles in on the true-right - DO NOT FOLLOW THIS STREAM! The continuation of Townsend Creek is the middle of the three streams in this area (there may be rock cairns or markers if they haven't washed away).
Follow this middle stream, at some point you should [hopefully] find a marked trail on the true-left that bypasses a waterfall in the stream. Where the trail re-enters Townsend Creek you are about 1 hour of intense boulder hopping from Minchin Pass.
Once on Minchin Pass (1082m) follow the stream that drains it on its south side, this leads into Minchin Stream and a pole-marked route on its true-right through alpine scrub to the Minchin Bivouac. Take a deep breath, the most difficult part is over!
Minchin Bivouac to Poulter Hut (2-4 hours one way)
From the bivouac follow the route down into Minchin Stream. The route continues downstream, frequently crossing and recrossing the stream for about 1.5km to the Linwood Stream confluence. From near this junction a marked route ascends the scrubby hillside on the true-right and onto rocky outcrops above precipitous bluffs, bypassing the impassable gorge below. It soon descends steeply back to Minchin Stream, and you continue the cross/recross the stream until you reach Lake Minchin in 1.5km. The track sidles around the eastern side of the lake, leading into a well marked track through the beech forest descending easy gradients onto the river flats of the Poulter Valley. The Poulter hut is situated on a tussock flat up against the edge of the forest.
Poulter Hut to Trust/Poulter Hut (1 hour one way)
From the hut follow the pole-marked trail through the high matagouri shrubs out onto the riverbed of the Poulter. Cross diagonally downstream to the true-right of the river. Heading downstream you will eventually pick up a vehicular track that becomes more defined as you approach the Trust/Poulter hut.
Trust/Poulter Hut to Casey Hut (1.5 hours one way)
From the hut follow the well defined track in and out of forest and river flats for 5km to the Casey Stream. After fording the stream it is only 800m to the new Casey hut situated on the terraces overlooking the Poulter River.
Casey Hut Out (6-8.5 hours one way)
There are two ways of exiting the tramp from here...
- Casey Saddle / Andrews Stream (6-8 hours one way)
- Poulter Valley / Binser Saddle (7.5-8.5 hours one way)