Temple Basin - Page Memorial Shelter

Track Grade: Tramping Track & Unmarked Route
Walking Time: 4 - 6 hours return
Features: Outstanding views, alpine basins, day shelter
Location:Starts from the Temple Basin Carpark, at the top of the Pass, 5km West of Arthur's Pass Village.

Description: It starts as a 4 wheel-drive track then continues up the hill as a tramping track for about 1½ hours to the Ski Club huts.

From here it becomes an unmarked route to Downhill basin and Page Shelter. Walk along the trail on the south side of the ski lodge buildings, this leads to a rocky spur to the right-side of the Temple rope-tow. Follow this ever steepening spur to where it joins the the well-formed benched track leading to Page Shelter. On clear days there are outstanding views of the surrounding peaks and in summer the basins offer wonderful displays of mountain flowers.

Temple Col: On a clear day, without snow on the ground, it is possible to ascend to Temple Col (1774m). This will take an additional 2 hours return. Follow the downhill ski tow directly to the col. From the col there are broad views to the peaks in the ranges east.

Return exactly the same way!

The shelter was partly funded by Nancy Page as a memorial to her husband Robin and son Fred. The Pages were early members of the ski club; one outcrop at Downhill Basin was known as their 'landmark'. After their deaths – Fred en route to London as a teenager – the shelter was built on that outcrop