Lochnagar Loop

A five day loop from the Raspberry Creek carpark in the West Matukituki Valley. Day one took me to Aspiring Hut in the West Matukituki valley before heading up to camp in the Cascade Saddle area. Day 2 started with a walk down the upper Dart Valley before turning up toward the head of Snowy Creek. Day 3 was a shorter, but still very interesting day. It began with a trip over a saddle to the high basin above Pine Creek. From there, an intimidating sidle took me to another saddle overlooking Lochnagar, a beautiful lake created by a massive slide. A quick drop down brought me to my favorite hut in New Zealand. Day 4 began with a leisurely morning wandering around this beautiful area. Some time after noon, I forced myself to head out to the Shotover Valley where I turned upstream and made for Tummel Burn Hut. Day 5 took me over Shotover Saddle and back down to the West Matukituki Valley and Raspberry Flat.

Leon's Bridge in the West Matukituki Valley
Leon's Bridge West Matukituki
West Matukituki
Aspiring Hut
View from inside Aspiring Hut
Sign en route to The Pylon. The views are stunning, but it's always important to pay attention and respect the terrain.
View back downvalley from the Cascade Saddle route.
A look out to the head of the valley
Mt Barff and Mt Aspiring
Mt Aspiring
Panorama from above The Pylon
A look over to Mt Edward and the Dart Glacier area from near The Pylon.
Mt Ansted and a carved up Cascade Valley wall
Mt Aspiring keeps watch over Cascade Creek
Mt Aspiring watches over Cascade Creek.
A look up the Cascade Creek Valley to Mt Tyndall
Home in the Cascade Valley
Mt Aspiring alpenglow
Looking out from near Heads Leap
Rob Roy Peak and the West Matukituki from Heads Leap
Mt Edward in the morning
Edward Morning
Mt Edward
Edward Morning
Mt Edward and the Dart Glacier from the drop down to Cascade Saddle
Mt Edward and the Dart Glacier
The upper reaches of the Dart River. Water falls from the Marshall Glacier above.
Track in the Upper Dart Valley
It's a beautiful stroll down toward Dart Hut.
Dart Valley and Mt Cunningham
Looking back upstream to Mt Edward and Mt Ansted
Dart Hut from the Snowy Creek confluence
Looking back to the Dart Valley from the track to Rees Saddle
Mt Edward
Rees Saddle and Snowy Creek Bridge
A look up Snowy Creek from Rees Saddle
The Gloomy Gorge of Snowy Creek
Gloomy Gorge
This is a perfect characterization of New Zealand terrain. An unsorted, but vegetated alluvial fan on a steep slope. These mountains are young. In fact, technically, they are still growing. The only thing keeping them from rising in elevation is the rapid rate of erosion due to weather and surface processes. As dynamic as the terrain may be, the climate is still wet enough that even on a steep alluvial fan with constant bombardment from above, vegetation will still take hold.
A look straight up to Mt Tewha from the Snowy Valley
A nice view of the Tyndall Glacier. Mt Tyndall summit is the rightmost peak on the skyline.
Tyndall Glacier
Evening alpenglow on Mt Tyndall
Tyndall Alpenglow
Home in the Snowy Valley
Heading up to the Snowy-Pine Creek Saddle
Snowy Creek and Rees Saddle from near the Snowy-Pine Creek Saddle
Upper Pine Creek Basin