Adventure Magazine

Scott’s track up to Avalanche Peak is a steep and rocky but
easily accessible path from Arthurs Pass village. Rising the
1.1km over 2.5km, this is no walk in the park especially with an
overnight pack on your back. But it also offers plenty to enjoy as
you try to keep your heart rate in check.
Within the first half-hour you get to take in priceless views
eastwards to the Temple Basin ski field and the ice-splattered
summits of Stuart, Phipps and Blimit, all over 1900m. Behind
us Arthurs Pass village became more and more like a miniature
kitset as we climbed. Kea were calling across to each other
as they searched for breakfast amongst the trees and shrubs.
The sound of water cascading down the 130 metre Devils
Punchbowl waterfall across the valley ebbed and flowed for the
first hour or so, muted by the trees, the distance and the breeze.
At 1300 metres we emerged out of the bush-line and onto a
tussock covered ridge littered with flowering Mount Cook Lily,
daisies and other alpine plants, and wide vistas from Otira to
Waimakariri. The dark jagged rocks of Mt Rolleston (2275m)
began to dominate the horizon to the north-west.
There are plenty of false tops to clamber over before the path
became massive ice-shattered greywacke boulders, and later
became the crumbly, black argillite which covers the summit.
Despite the warnings about the steep drop-offs along the path
even the most cautious in our party conquered these with ease,
although I admit they could cause some issues in high winds
and rain. It had taken us less than four hours to conquer the
peak and in perfect time and perfect place to enjoy some wellearned
lunch as well as the reward of some 6-star scenery.
Southwards and way below the Crow River courses its way
down a steep, well forested valley scarred with rockslides.
Further south we got a glimpse of the Waimakariri with its
spectacularly flat and wide steep-sided glacial valley. To the
north and east are full views of the Arthurs Pass peaks, Otira
Gorge and the very thin, fragile looking strip of State Highway
73 making its precarious way to Greymouth and the West
Coast.
Northwest, the skyline is dominated by the jagged, black rock
of Mt Rolleston rising another 450 metres above us, it’s lower
faces softened by the bright white of the Crow and Rolleston
glaciers. Fine silver ribbons marked streams of ice-melt
plummeting off the bluffs, making their way to become the Crow
River. We had no idea how much we would get to enjoy gulping
down those icy-cold ancient waters later that afternoon when we
eventually reached the Crow River.
Our leaders had given us plenty of advice about choosing the
right scree slope to descend. We were given dire warnings of
deadly bluffs and the risk of serious and sometimes fatal injuries
for those who get it wrong. Fortunately, we had great visibility,
light winds and plenty of time. There was also still a bit of that
buzz in the group after reaching the summit.
Spirits were high as we scrambled down a small scree slope to
the south of the peak, just as the day began to warm up. From
here the trail followed the ridge NNW towards Mt Rolleston. A
shout-out is due to those people who gathered all those rocks
and made up the arrows pointing along the ridge – reassuring
us we were not lost. On our left and several hundred metres
below, we noticed the tiny red roof of Crow Hut sitting in a
clearing alongside the river. I remember thinking the site looked
like an ideal spot for pitching a tent later that evening.
After what seemed like an age, we had covered the 1.5km from
Avalanche Peak and were staring down the 700-metre scree
slope, with no idea that it was to become our temporary little
Previous Page: Our party of 7 on Avalanche Peak, Mt Rolleston in the backgound.
Above: Reaching for the top as the day started to warm up.
Right: Emerging from the treeline on Scotts Track with Otira gorge in the distance.
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