Arthur's Pass National Park - Barker Hut
Time: 2 days return
Difficulty: Unmarked route, river crossings
Huts: Carrington Hut (36 bunks), Barker Hut (6 bunks)
Features: Expansive alpine views, glaciers, adjacent Mt Murchison the Park's higest mountain
Location: The route described here starts at Carrington hut at the confluence of the Waimakariri and White Rivers.
Difficulty: Unmarked route, river crossings
Huts: Carrington Hut (36 bunks), Barker Hut (6 bunks)
Features: Expansive alpine views, glaciers, adjacent Mt Murchison the Park's higest mountain
Location: The route described here starts at Carrington hut at the confluence of the Waimakariri and White Rivers.
Klondyke Corner to Carrington Hut (4-6 hours one way)
Visit Carrington Hut Route
Carrington Hut To Barker Hut (5-6 hours one way)
Note: This route passes through extensive areas of active avalanche terrain in winter/spring. The terms "true-left & right" are used in this description, they refer to side of valley always looking downstream or down hill.
From Carrington hut follow the signposted and marked route towards Harman Pass. After about 700m the track moves out onto the riverflats of the White River. Continue up river on the true-right. At some very large boulders in the river consider looking for a safe crossing to the true-left - you may need to explore the river for some distance to find a viable crossing (the Clough Cableway shown on some maps no longer exists!).
Once across the river continue upstream, crossing the two streams of the Taipoiti River. After the 2nd crossing a cairned route should be encountered close to the forest edge in the open riverbed. Follow this route carefully upstream for 800m to the confluence of the Kilmarnock Falls Stream. This stream can be difficult and dangerous to cross in swift water conditions. The route continues beside the river for a further 1km.
Once past the last beech forest section, keep an eye out for a large solidary boulder beside the river with a cairn of rocks atop. Looking diagonally upslope ahead of yourself you may make out a line of rock cairns ascending the hillside up a large scree slope. Note: You are also entering very active and dangerous avalanche terrain here in winter/spring! Follow the cairns uphill. These should ascend to about mid-slope between the river and the major bluffs above. If you are lucky you may find a track sidling the contour upstream, if not (most likely), start moving upstream keeping around mid-slope, moving through alpine scrub and scree. Eventually (hopefully) you will see above/below you a marker pole or two, and possibly a better benched "track". If not, as you finally approach two very deep side streams in your path look for the marker poles either side, and make directly to them. Both these streams are avalanche chutes in winter/spring. The entry and exits to these streams can be steep and loose. Beyond the streams the route follows the 1200m contour back to the upper White River, eventually descending an ugly gully back to the river bank.
A cairned route takes you upstream to the crossing of the Cahill Glacier Stream. Crossing the stream, the cairned route leads steeply uphill, over a moraine ridge, to the edge of a canyon above the White River (this is the site of the now destroyed swingbridge - a memorial plaque and anchors will be seen). Move upstream, above the canyon for about 30m. This takes you out onto a ledge, where a very steep gully leads back to the river below. Descend this gully one at a time, to avoid killing each other in rockfall!
Once at the river it should be possible to find a place where you can leap the river on large boulders. Once on the true-right, cairns of rocks lead in nearly every conceivable direction, pick one, and follow it through a moraine boulder field on the terrace, all routes lead to a steep rock gully through the bluffs above. Climb up the gully following rock cairns, the hut toilet will come into view first, then the hut perched on its moraine spur.
Barker hut is owned by the Canterbury Mountaineering Club. Visit cmc.net.nz to see instructions on how to pay your hut fees!
Exploring above the hut can be dangerous without mountaineering knowledge, as there are moraine covered glaciers in this area with hidden or poorly bridged crevasses.
Visit Carrington Hut Route
Carrington Hut To Barker Hut (5-6 hours one way)
Note: This route passes through extensive areas of active avalanche terrain in winter/spring. The terms "true-left & right" are used in this description, they refer to side of valley always looking downstream or down hill.
From Carrington hut follow the signposted and marked route towards Harman Pass. After about 700m the track moves out onto the riverflats of the White River. Continue up river on the true-right. At some very large boulders in the river consider looking for a safe crossing to the true-left - you may need to explore the river for some distance to find a viable crossing (the Clough Cableway shown on some maps no longer exists!).
Once across the river continue upstream, crossing the two streams of the Taipoiti River. After the 2nd crossing a cairned route should be encountered close to the forest edge in the open riverbed. Follow this route carefully upstream for 800m to the confluence of the Kilmarnock Falls Stream. This stream can be difficult and dangerous to cross in swift water conditions. The route continues beside the river for a further 1km.
Once past the last beech forest section, keep an eye out for a large solidary boulder beside the river with a cairn of rocks atop. Looking diagonally upslope ahead of yourself you may make out a line of rock cairns ascending the hillside up a large scree slope. Note: You are also entering very active and dangerous avalanche terrain here in winter/spring! Follow the cairns uphill. These should ascend to about mid-slope between the river and the major bluffs above. If you are lucky you may find a track sidling the contour upstream, if not (most likely), start moving upstream keeping around mid-slope, moving through alpine scrub and scree. Eventually (hopefully) you will see above/below you a marker pole or two, and possibly a better benched "track". If not, as you finally approach two very deep side streams in your path look for the marker poles either side, and make directly to them. Both these streams are avalanche chutes in winter/spring. The entry and exits to these streams can be steep and loose. Beyond the streams the route follows the 1200m contour back to the upper White River, eventually descending an ugly gully back to the river bank.
A cairned route takes you upstream to the crossing of the Cahill Glacier Stream. Crossing the stream, the cairned route leads steeply uphill, over a moraine ridge, to the edge of a canyon above the White River (this is the site of the now destroyed swingbridge - a memorial plaque and anchors will be seen). Move upstream, above the canyon for about 30m. This takes you out onto a ledge, where a very steep gully leads back to the river below. Descend this gully one at a time, to avoid killing each other in rockfall!
Once at the river it should be possible to find a place where you can leap the river on large boulders. Once on the true-right, cairns of rocks lead in nearly every conceivable direction, pick one, and follow it through a moraine boulder field on the terrace, all routes lead to a steep rock gully through the bluffs above. Climb up the gully following rock cairns, the hut toilet will come into view first, then the hut perched on its moraine spur.
Barker hut is owned by the Canterbury Mountaineering Club. Visit cmc.net.nz to see instructions on how to pay your hut fees!
Exploring above the hut can be dangerous without mountaineering knowledge, as there are moraine covered glaciers in this area with hidden or poorly bridged crevasses.