Bushwalk Australia

Hi Im planning to do caples, greenstone, routeburn, sugarloaf pass, rees-dart and cascade saddle side trip combination in January taking about 12 days. Just a couple of things i need a bit more info about.

I cant actually book any of the huts/campsites on the routeburn because well its all booked out anyways but we are doing the dusky before that which may take longer if rain impedes our passage and so dont have firm dates for our second tramp. I know that it's legal to camp more than 500m off the trail and that near the routeburn flat huts is another trail that follows the north branch that we can easily follow to find a campsite so that location is ok. On the DOC maps there is a similar trail that goes to the end of lake Mackenzie that is easily over a km away from the hut and track but has anybody camped at that end of the lake and is it ok? Please only comment on this if you have done this yourself or know a friend who has. (Note that Im not trying to break any rules and im an experienced hiker who can navigate away from the trail).

Also one idea that i want to explore is crossing the dart river to get to the dart track. I understand that the 5 passes track (beans burn) starts on the other side of the dart river near chinamans bluff and have read that it MAY be crossable at this point but that information was before the landslide 18 mths ago and i wondered if anyone had any more recent information about crossing the dart river in January? I also need information on how easy it is to walk north along the true right side of the river from rockburn river to beans burn. Again ive read that its possible (here http://www.thehikinglife.com/2010/09/qu ... aka-route/) but have little information about the actual conditions. If it turns out i cant i am exploring other options but wanted to rule this possibility out first.

Thanks

As you are aware, camping within 500m of a Great Walk track is prohibited. My understanding is that the track that goes to the east end of Lake Mackenzie is considered part of the Routeburn so you would need to go another 500m.

Yes, there are good sheltered campsites up the north branch of the Routeburn that are outside the exclusion zone. PM me for details.

Yes, walking up the TR of the Dart is straightforward - however, river level may force you off the grassy flat and into the bush which slows progress a lot.

No, crossing the Dart is not easy at any level and quickly impossible with any rain. Of course it's a bit academic because the Dart track is not yet reopened and no guarantee that the scheduled Nov 2016 opening will be met.

BTW, the Rockburn hut is long gone - crushed by a tree and now removed.

Have you looked at routeguides.co.nz ? There are a few tracks detailed that experienced trampers might use to make for an interesting trip and avoid the Routeburn - PM me if you'd like some detail.

people have drowned crossing the dart river around the routeburn when its not in flood, this is one of the wettest places in the world, it rains frequently, and rivers rise rapidly and frequently, its rough rocky ground at the head of lake mackenzie, you can walk to the beans burn up the western side of the dart river

No surprise here - the planned reopening of the Dart track has been delayed indefinitely.

deleted link to outdated report

The increase in lake level and downstream erosion add extra dimensions to thoughts of crossing.

Thats a pretty old news report @bernieq. Media (ODT) here reported last week that DOC planned on having the track open by December.

whats that noise I can hear? must be the sound of the stampede of thousands of hikers headed for the rees dart track....

Oops, thanks for the correction, madpom. I was digging for other info and came across the report - clearly didn't check the date!

DOC Rees-Dart Track

10 March 2015: Partial closure on the Dart Track

Due to an active land slide, the Dart Track is partially closed to walking. The section between Bedford Bridge and Sandy Bluff is impassable. Contact the Queenstown Visitor Centre, +64 3 442 7935 or queenstownvc@doc.govt.nz, to discuss your options.

Work is being carried out through winter and spring 2016, and the aim is to reopen the closed section by November 2016.

The rest of the Rees Dart Track is open.

This is a long term alert. Reviewed on 8 September 2016.

Of course there is no guarantee that the work will actually be completed.

Current dart track alerts:
28 October 2016: Dart Track closed from Chinamans carpark
Windfalls and snow have caused severe damage on the Dart Track. The track is closed from Chinamans carpark. Due to the extent of the damage, this closure may last a number of months.

19 October 2016: Closures due to landslides on Dart Track
Due to an active land slide, the Dart Track is partially closed to walking. The section between Bedford Bridge and Sandy Bluff is impassable. Please call the Queenstown Visitor Centre to discuss your options.

The recent heavy snowfall event has resulted in a further slip across the Dart track south of Dart Hut. Staff are yet to assess the full extent of the slip and what additional damage the snowfall may have had on the remainder of the Dart Rees Track. In the meantime people using the track need to take care and are asked to report any damage to the Queenstown Visitor Centre.

I was holding out hope after the report from the 19th but now thinking its looking unlikely - i think they need to realign the track if they are always having to fix it!
Now i need a back up plan i like... 3 choices and they all kinda suck:
1. Bus from routeburn to rees and walk in and out and do side trip to cascade saddle
2. Bus to matukituki valley and walk over cascade saddle to rees
3. 5 passes (which means i miss cascade saddle)
None are particularly appealing although no.1 is most likely
Any other suggestions greatly appreciated

all weather dependant routes cascade saddle on the matukituki side is inadviseable in wet weather, wet tussock on a steep slope is treacherous