Trip Reports

Three Passes Trip   —   3rd - 9th March 1998

Written by Ralph

The Three Passes trip is a transalpine route with excitement, variety and contrast as it traverses spectacular, dramatic scenery across the main divide. Taking on challenges is part of life, and so seven of us set out to complete the Three Passes Trip. We intended this to be a four-day trip, but the gods had other plans.

The Three Passes Trip starts from Klondyke Corner, just south of Arthur’s Pass on the banks of the Waimakiriri River. It crosses the Harman, Whitehorn and Browning passes, and finishes near Lake Kaniere inland from Hokitika. Part of the trip follows an old benched pack trail begun during the 1860’s.

Tuesday was just a level plod up the Waimakiriri River to Carrington Hut. Our entertainment was provided by David and Paul who were betting on how many other people would be in the hut - one said 5 and the other said 3. When we arrived there were 5; but 2 of these then headed on to camp on the other side of Harman Pass that evening. I’m still not sure who really won that bet.

Wednesday morning we scrambled up the narrow gorge of the Taipoiti River, until we came out onto the tussock slopes. A well-worn trail lead across the tussock slopes to Harman Pass. Look for the occasional edelweiss flowering beside the Taipoiti river.

From Harman Pass we turned south east past Ariels Tarns and towards Whitehorn Pass, at the top of a permenant snowfield. We lunched on the top, looking directly at the Cronin Glacier. The drop from Whitehorn Pass to the Cronin River is steep and rocky, and we were glad to reach the river terraces. Look for more edelweiss flowering here. travel was easy along the left bank of the river, but harder on the right. Near the end a worn trail we left the riverbed to bypass a deep gorge, and lead to Park Morpeth Hut. This was our longest day, and we were glad to have a rest at the end of it.

Thursday morning I was torn from my well-earned sleep by a loud cry from outside, “Get away you naughty kea!” It seems the cheeky rascal had gone foraging inside Christine’s tent while she was out. From near the hut we could see Browning Pass. We passed the Clough Memorial at the foot of the pass, and climbed the steep zigzag trail to Browning Pass. Look for yet more edelweiss flowering on the way up. On the other side of the pass, Lake Browning lies in a gently rolling tussock basin. We followed the trail through the tussock and down to the Arahura River bed, then picked up the old benched track back down to the Harman Hut. That evening we sent a radio message to Brian to pick us up the following afternoon. That night the barometer dropped an incredible ammount and the rain began.

Friday we followed the old track across the Styx Saddle to Grassy Flat Hut for lunch. River levels were rising, but we decided to carry on with caution. However two and a half hours before the road- end we ran into a side stream that we could not cross. We pitched camp and waited for the river levels to go down. but after two nights of camping in the rain we gave up, and on Sunday we headed back to Grassy Flat Hut and radioed for a helicopter to take us out.

Monday morning saw us all packed up ready and waiting for the helicopter. The flight out was wonderful and Brian was waiting where the chopper dropped us. We were all glad to be out at last.

In the end, it was not the three passes that stopped us ; we got through all of the alpine terrain without any problem. We were stopped on a well-formed bush track by rising river levels due to rain. Some day I will go back there and walk that last two and a half hours through the bush.