A relatively easy and accessible peak in Arthurs Pass. The views of the higher surrounding peaks are breathtaking!
We chose this walk as it’s fairly short and provides a great way to get quite high into the mountains. Having left Christchurch at about 11am, we were back down having ice creams in the pass by 4pm. the route we took was up Avalanche Peak Track and down Scotts Track. The only slightly difficult bit of route finding was at the very start, locating the start of the track from the road. Once on the path the rest of the way is obvious, but the path can be steep and rough in places.
Being December there was very little snow, we only kicked a few steps to get onto the ridge. But for the majority of the year there’s quite a lot of snow, which could change the difficulty of the top. But with proper equipment it shouldn’t be a problem, it would never be more than a snow/neve slope. On a clear day, which we had, the views in all directions from the top are incredible. Especially towards Mt Rollerston, which still held quite a lot of snow.
A special note has to made about the Kea’s. Kea’s are New Zealand Mountain Parrots, and are quite an endangered species, although in this area there are large numbers of them. They are not afraid of humans, and are always on the lookout for easy food. Often they can be found ripping apart rucksacks with their hooked beaks in search of food. As a result they should not be fed or encouraged to scavenge.