Waiau Pass south along Mat to Lewis late Feb.

[Rob A]

No issues with navigation and also happy picking a route through this sort of country.
Looking at Mid to late February.
Happy to hear any sage and specific advice from people who have done Waiau Thomson DUrville to Matakitaki East Br, then West Br out over three tarns 6000.

Regards
Rob

[wayno]

there's a bit of advice here including photos with the route to take over various passes.

http://www.nelsonlakesshuttles.co.nz/tripreports.htm

http://www.topomap.co.nz/

[Rob A]

Thanks. Have the Topos and have been onto Nelson lakes site.
This is the sort of stuff that is interesting when you look at peoples notes; http://www.nelsonlakesshuttles.co.nz/im ... e%20RL.jpg
Why you would give away elevation to walk along tussock grass, in any sort of weather, from the safety of where Im sitting now seems odd.
Theres a route from the saddle down left of the photo to the DUrville track, maybe that is what encourages people to the red course rather than yellow.

[wayno]

you never know till you get up close as to why they might have done what they did.

[wayno]

someone took afall of thompsons pass a few months back. i saw a photo and the weather didnt look good at the time. might be a bit slippery in the wet. you might also want to consider descending between waiau and thompsons as another alternative

[wayno]

you could also check out this link but the website is down at present

http://tramper.co.nz/?6273

[wayno]

these guys descended right down between the passes

http://www.ferguson.org.nz/tramping/tra ... /index.htm

[Rob A]

The DUrville valley and straight up the pass is one of the routes suggested when coming from Lewis pass three tarns.
Or I guess, coming down it in reasonable weather.
But that sort of stuff is controlable. Its the green shiny stuff to bluffs thats the sucker punch.
When sidling round the head of DUrville along the SE ridge, from the images Ive seen, Id rather stay up yellow, but I havent been there yet.
If the weathers nasty theres always the bail out Waiau River, flats. The nicest bits have probably already been Contance to Thompson.

The last time I was in St A a couple of years ago Feb/March, they had weather and a snow dump down to below a thousand that left people crawling into plastic bags all over the place.
Next day was a post card, though they sort of kind of closed Roberts ridge.

[wayno]

no snow today.....
http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recrea ... ud-webcam/

http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recrea ... on-tasman/

[DaveNoble]

I've done one trip over Waiau Pass from Blue Lake to St James Walkway - it was in January, and I can remember using an ice axe (and crampons?) for assistance coming down steep snow on the pass (going down into the Waiau) - but I think this is not typical. On another trip - we went from Lewis Pass over Three Tarns and then over David Saddle to the D'Urville - and then over Moss Pass to Blue Lake - that was a nicer trip overall. Three Tarns was not too hard. David Saddle was a bit harder on the descent to the D'Urville. The Sven Brabyn guidebook was quite useful and includes notes on Thompson Pass as well.

I think if there is snow and/or ice on the passes then microspikes and trekking poles could be a good compromise rather than taking axe and crampons.

Dave

[Rob A]

Thanks David. The David Moss Waiau Thompson would make a blinder of a circuit, rather than come in through St A.

Wayne, the Thompson faller is written up at the FastFind site. Actual location isnt given other than generally Thompson, but it sounded like the sort of heavy pack loose stone steep incline accident that could happen anywhere specially in drizzle. http://www.fastfindplb.com/en/rescues/l ... php?RID=36

Re following the chute out of Thompson Pass, the following screenshot is from part of route discussed over at NZ Tramper. It skirts south east ridge overlooking the actual pass rather than go through it and turn, and also seems to confirm the often discussed "un named pass" or "upper DUrville Pass is what is now marked D'Urville Pass on BS24 Mount Robert.

If the screenshot is gone, I reported it to the moderator to make sure I wasnt infringing forum rules.

[tasadam]

If the screenshot is gone, I reported it to the moderator to make sure I wasnt infringing forum rules.

As the screenshot is taken from another website and appears to be quite old, no problem here unless anyone raises specific reasons as to why this should not be posted.

[sef]

The route to the base of Waiau pass has been recently cut and marked (2010). The rest of the route goes fine on the most likely looking contours on the topo map, with the narrow scree draining the basin west of pt1937 in the vicinity of David Saddle being the key to that bit. Keep an eye out for blue ducks!

[wayno]

the washed out bridge on the sabine
https://picasaweb.google.com/tjalledeno ... 2689208770