“On a Mish” #48 The Trampers Mountain (Part One). Avalanche Peak(1833m). Arthurs Pass National Park. 10.5.2011. Avalanche Peak is a classic trampers mountain with easy access directly from Arthurs Pass Village, and it can be climbed comfortably in a day. With that said the mountain is far from a hill and should be treated with caution. The it gets its ominous name ‘Avalanche Peak’ for a reason!
Arthurs Pass National Park is one of Nz’s smallest, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in elevation. Numerous peaks stand at over 2000m (big for this part on New Zealand), and many are accessed directly from the road that travels through the village. You could spend a lifetime exploring and climbing around this awesome little national park and still have plenty of places and peaks left on your ‘to-do-list’. A mountain that I recommend you start with is the trampers mountain known as ‘Avalanche Peak’.
At 1833m the mountain is exposed to the elements and during the months of winter it will live up to its name with snow avalanches rumbling down after big storms. However, if climbed in the right conditions, a climb up Avalanche Peak(1833m) can be one of the best easy day climbs in all of New Zealand.
On this trip I stayed in my van / home at the time, at the icy Klondyke Corner campsite. I had an enjoyable night on the banks of the Waimakariri watching the local Kea play with the many items / toys the other tourist had unknowingly brought them. The Kea is one of nature’s best entertainers as long as they aren’t destroying anything of yours!
An early-ish start began with a short drive up to the village and the start of the track in the dark. After parking up, I started hiking and was well up the Avalanche Creek Track at first light. There are two tracks that lead to the summit, and I chose to climb up beside Avalanche Creek (steepest track) then descend via Scotts Creek Track. In my eyes the steep up and then gradual down makes the day easier on your knees and means you don’t need to worry about a steep descent at the end of your mish.
The first section is steep upward walking which gets the blood pumping right from the word go. It’s tough but luckily there are many points for rest breaks with views of the numerous waterfalls that plummet their way down Avalanche Creek towards Arthurs Pass Village. After some time climbing up through the beech forest you get up above the treeline, and from this point there are views in every direction, and the hard uphill work up is rewarded…
