CURRENT ALERTS
Thieves breaking into vehicles
Thieves have been breaking into cars and motor-homes at various car-parks and some camp-sites along SH.73 on a regular basis (day & night). They have been stealing passports, credit cards, money, electronic devices and recreation equipment. Take your absolute valuables with you on the walks, and don't leave other valuable items in plain sight in your vehicle. Report any suspicious activity to Police '111', and note down registration plates of vehicles!
Seven Mile Creek track washed out
Severe flooding of Seven Mile Creek (Taipo Valley, Dillons huts) has washed away the lower part of the tramping track leading to the Kelly Range. Travel would be dangerous if the creek is in high flow!
Thieves breaking into vehicles
Thieves have been breaking into cars and motor-homes at various car-parks and some camp-sites along SH.73 on a regular basis (day & night). They have been stealing passports, credit cards, money, electronic devices and recreation equipment. Take your absolute valuables with you on the walks, and don't leave other valuable items in plain sight in your vehicle. Report any suspicious activity to Police '111', and note down registration plates of vehicles!
Seven Mile Creek track washed out
Severe flooding of Seven Mile Creek (Taipo Valley, Dillons huts) has washed away the lower part of the tramping track leading to the Kelly Range. Travel would be dangerous if the creek is in high flow!
Arthur's Pass National Park - Kelly Range / Carroll Hut
Time: 1-2 days
Difficulty: Marked track, some unmarked route sections, side-stream crossings
Huts: Carroll Hut (10 bunks)
Features: On a fine day, great views to the sea and endless mountain ranges. Alpine meadows, fault scarps. Kellys Hill
Route Guides: Harman Pass - Taipo River - Kelly Saddle (1.6MB)
Location: The track begins 17km west of Arthur's Pass. A small gravel road leads in to the carpark for 300m, just on the west side of Kellys Creek bridge (there are no road signs).
Difficulty: Marked track, some unmarked route sections, side-stream crossings
Huts: Carroll Hut (10 bunks)
Features: On a fine day, great views to the sea and endless mountain ranges. Alpine meadows, fault scarps. Kellys Hill
Route Guides: Harman Pass - Taipo River - Kelly Saddle (1.6MB)
Location: The track begins 17km west of Arthur's Pass. A small gravel road leads in to the carpark for 300m, just on the west side of Kellys Creek bridge (there are no road signs).
Kellys Creek carpark to Carroll Hut (2-3 hours one way)
From the carpark follow the signposted track a short distance to the first side creek crossing. This creek can flood badly, and there is potential in high water to be washed off your feet into the much more treacherous Kellys Creek - do not attempt this trip in heavy rain!
A short distance in the marked track turns sharply and climbs steeply up the spur beside the side creek for about 500m, before climbing onto the prominent ridgeline. The track is steep in places, and can be very muddy/slippery after rainfall. A further 900 metres of ascending through the podocarp forest exits the tree-line at 950m ASL onto a alpine scrub covered rocky ridge. The track sidles upwards on the south side of ridge, crossing two avalanche paths (scree chutes) that descend from Kellys Hill above. These chutes can be active from May - November, moreso after heavy snowfalls. On occasion the track can be very icy in this area, and crampons & ice-axe may be required to cross safely.
At 1100m ASL, the track tops out on tussock covered alpine meadows adjacent a waterfall plunging over the nearby escarpment. Follow the poled route to the hut (200m), crossing a multitude of small creeks in the bogs.
Carroll Hut to Kellys Hill (1-2 hours one way)
Only attempt this route in good visibility, fine weather, and low avalanche risk (ice-axe & crampons may be required in winter).
From the hut followed the poled route onto the top of the nearby terrace, just before you reach the group of small shallow tarns on Kelly Saddle (1165m), a poled route takes off up the steep hillside to the northeast. Follow the poles through a mixture of tussock and scree.
As you ascend the hill a antenna mast will come into view, aim for it, this is situated on an unnamed 1408m high hill. The view from here looks out to the West Coast, Lake Brunner, and has superb views south along the Kellys Range and it's collection of tarns. Most people are happy with this viewpoint, but if you want to ascend the actual Kellys Hill (1394m) you will need to descend into the shallow saddle to the northeast, and climb the small hill beyond, a diastance of 400m.
Descend the identical route to the hut.
Carroll Hut to the 1313m point on the Kelly Range (2-3 hours one way)
Only attempt this route in good visibility, fine weather, it is substantially unmarked.
From hut follow the poled route onto the top of the nearby terrace (Kelly Saddle 1165m). A poled route does head southwest down the Kelly Range, passing several large mountain tarns on its way - this route eventually descends steeply into the Taipo Valley adjacent to Seven Mile Creek. However as an alternative, follow the ridgeline heading southwest from Kelly Saddle (looking down onto the hut below). The ridge becomes more defined, and after 1.5km arrives on the 1385m point with good views onto the tarns below. Continue following the ridge southwest, through a saddle, before ascending onto the 1411m point, this is about 1.1km. The ridge continues, more narrow and defined, passing a series of interesting water filled fault-lines parallel to the ridge.
The prominent tussock knob, in the vicinity of the 1313m point is arrived at after 1.7km of travel from the 1411m point. This area gives great views straight up Hunts Creek to Bijleveld Col, and is a good vantage point for Tara Tama (1854m) on the other side of the Taipo River. A route (partially poled) does descend from here towards the Hunts Saddle area.
Return the same way to the hut, but from the 1411m point you may descend the spur directly to the tarns, finding the poled route here, following it back to Kelly Saddle and the hut.
From the carpark follow the signposted track a short distance to the first side creek crossing. This creek can flood badly, and there is potential in high water to be washed off your feet into the much more treacherous Kellys Creek - do not attempt this trip in heavy rain!
A short distance in the marked track turns sharply and climbs steeply up the spur beside the side creek for about 500m, before climbing onto the prominent ridgeline. The track is steep in places, and can be very muddy/slippery after rainfall. A further 900 metres of ascending through the podocarp forest exits the tree-line at 950m ASL onto a alpine scrub covered rocky ridge. The track sidles upwards on the south side of ridge, crossing two avalanche paths (scree chutes) that descend from Kellys Hill above. These chutes can be active from May - November, moreso after heavy snowfalls. On occasion the track can be very icy in this area, and crampons & ice-axe may be required to cross safely.
At 1100m ASL, the track tops out on tussock covered alpine meadows adjacent a waterfall plunging over the nearby escarpment. Follow the poled route to the hut (200m), crossing a multitude of small creeks in the bogs.
Carroll Hut to Kellys Hill (1-2 hours one way)
Only attempt this route in good visibility, fine weather, and low avalanche risk (ice-axe & crampons may be required in winter).
From the hut followed the poled route onto the top of the nearby terrace, just before you reach the group of small shallow tarns on Kelly Saddle (1165m), a poled route takes off up the steep hillside to the northeast. Follow the poles through a mixture of tussock and scree.
As you ascend the hill a antenna mast will come into view, aim for it, this is situated on an unnamed 1408m high hill. The view from here looks out to the West Coast, Lake Brunner, and has superb views south along the Kellys Range and it's collection of tarns. Most people are happy with this viewpoint, but if you want to ascend the actual Kellys Hill (1394m) you will need to descend into the shallow saddle to the northeast, and climb the small hill beyond, a diastance of 400m.
Descend the identical route to the hut.
Carroll Hut to the 1313m point on the Kelly Range (2-3 hours one way)
Only attempt this route in good visibility, fine weather, it is substantially unmarked.
From hut follow the poled route onto the top of the nearby terrace (Kelly Saddle 1165m). A poled route does head southwest down the Kelly Range, passing several large mountain tarns on its way - this route eventually descends steeply into the Taipo Valley adjacent to Seven Mile Creek. However as an alternative, follow the ridgeline heading southwest from Kelly Saddle (looking down onto the hut below). The ridge becomes more defined, and after 1.5km arrives on the 1385m point with good views onto the tarns below. Continue following the ridge southwest, through a saddle, before ascending onto the 1411m point, this is about 1.1km. The ridge continues, more narrow and defined, passing a series of interesting water filled fault-lines parallel to the ridge.
The prominent tussock knob, in the vicinity of the 1313m point is arrived at after 1.7km of travel from the 1411m point. This area gives great views straight up Hunts Creek to Bijleveld Col, and is a good vantage point for Tara Tama (1854m) on the other side of the Taipo River. A route (partially poled) does descend from here towards the Hunts Saddle area.
Return the same way to the hut, but from the 1411m point you may descend the spur directly to the tarns, finding the poled route here, following it back to Kelly Saddle and the hut.
