Cascade Saddle Route

[mtbarney]

I'm considering doing the cascade saddle route ( from the mt aspiring side). I have read quite a bit about it and know that it is steep and exposed but I am trying to compare it with climbs that I have done and and am familiar with.

The hardest climb that I have done locally is Mount Barney in SE QLD. Is there anyone ou there who has climbed both Mt Barney and the Cascade Saddle Route and can offer some indication about the relative difficulty of each climb?

[wayno]

doc post current track conditions online
it's dangerous in the wet with slippery tussock and rock that gets slippery, in the dry it's safe if you hav a head for heights, not a technical climb, some hand over hand required on steep sections, good under foor
http://doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation ... onal-park/
Cascade Saddle Route

Deep snow and ice present on alpine section - route not recommended in current condition.

Mt Aspiring National Park Visitor Centre

metservice.com do a mountain forecast for asipiring and fiordland

[sef]

It's technically much easier than any ridge on Barney, including the slab/staircase on south.

The exposure isn't as apparent, but that's probably misleading -- (as above) you can go a long way on wet snowgrass.

[1iron]

If doing it in Summer when the snow has gone it is not technically difficult just a hard slog. But it gets you to my favourite place, Cascade saddle.

[mtbarney]

Thanks everyone. Very helpful, I'm planning late Janary so I'm hoping for good weather.

[whynotwalk]

It's a superb place in the right weather conditions. We went up there from the Dart Glacier side in March a few years back. A couple of images are attached to illustrate both its beauty and the verticality

cheers

Peter

Looking down the West Matukituki valley from Cascade Saddle

Mt Aspiring/Tititea from the Saddle

The West Matukituki edge at Cascade Saddle

The Dart Glacier from Cascade Saddle

[wayno]

It's a superb place in the right weather conditions. We went up there from the Dart Glacier side in March a few years back. A couple of images are attached to illustrate both its beauty and the verticality

cheers

Peter

remember you dont climb to cascade saddle itself from the Matukutuki side, so don't be put off by the steep slopes in those pictures, you climb up further down the ridge where it isnt as steep.

[icemancometh]

not technical at all but just watch your footing and pay attention and enjoy yourself

[Bush Walker]

Met an experienced walker at the Liverpool Hut in mid November who was fully equipped for winter conditions ( crampons etc) and turned back just before the top on the way to the Cascade Saddle. He had climbed up from Aspiring Hut, so it was a real disappointment to turn back.

Not to be underestimated !

[Bush Walker]

Great photos. Next time when I'm in Wanaka!

[mtbarney]

This is a very belated post for anyone interested. I finally got to to get to the cascade saddle and pylon in march this year with my wife and 25 yo daughter. We came up from the dart side and camped out at the cascade saddle itself. Beautiful spot but be prepared to fend off keas all night or get your tent ripped. We were warned to do this by the ranger and lucky we did. We took turn at sitting up doing guard watch .We repulsed at least 7 kea attacks during the night.
We hiked up to the pylon the next morning and descended to Aspiring Hut. All the literature warns against descending from the pylon to the west matukituki valley, but in fine weather it's not a problem. Wet weather would be a no no.

[wayno]

awesome
I"ve seen kea play with guy ropes and undo knots but i dont know of any cases where they have damage tents...

[mtbarney]

Wayno, the ranger told us in this paticular area, the keas have learned that there is food inside the tents. I have read accounts of where the keas ripped a hole in the tent, got in, opened up rucksacks and removed food.....all without waking the occupants! It was only discovered in the morning. In this paticular incident they also threw some boots in the creek just for the hell of it. If you think of delinquent adolescent boys, you pretty much have their personalities sussed.

With our kea....he would circle the tent on foot from about 10 meters away and then suddenly put his head down and charge straight at the tent, like a rugby player headed for the try line. It would have been comical , except the bugger was trying to wreck our $900 dollar hillieberg tent!

This was repeated 7 times during the night. Lucky there was three of us....we got two hours sleep at a time .

[wayno]

yeah they are smart birds, when they get together they wind each other up and they are worse. one trick is to slide down steel roofs in the morning....,, there used to be at least thirty times the numbers of them that there are today..... imagine having that many around.....

[JamesMc]

I thought it was illegal to camp at Cascade Saddle these days. Surprised the rangers would be giving advice on kea management. Having said that, l camped there on my first walk in NZ - wonderful spot.


JamesMc

[wayno]

I think DOC had to admit they couldnt stop people camping there, their answer was to install a toilet on the saddle to minimise the pollution. the ranger has to be down at the hut in the evening to collect hut fees so they cant be up on the saddle nearly a mile above trying to stop campers...

[mtbarney]

James, we told the ranger at Dart hut, and aspiring hut, what we intended to do / had done. Neither batted an eyelid, and fact regarded it as normal. No suggestion whatsoever not to do it. The ranger at Aspiring Hut was particularly helpful in regard to keas. I guess she was sick of complaints by trampers about gear being stolen by keas and tried to minimse it by educating hikers about what the keas can do.
She in fact told us that 85 % of the tents pitched there were damaged by keas. It's such a slog from the hut to the saddle, she rarely does it.
The toilet is actually located beside the creek below the Pylon. I'm guessing about 2 k from the saddle itself. Not nich help if you have to go in a hurry if you're camped at the saddle. lol

Having said that, we would do this trip again in a flash....it would have to be one of the most amazing places on earth.

[forest]

In April the Ranger at Dart hut was fine with campers at the saddle. She did comment about Keas damaging gear though. Must admit the 2 guys I chatted to who camped at the saddle looked pretty worn out after playing bird games all night. The bad boy keas were still happily sitting on the rocks above the tent when i wandered on.

Ah so that's where the loo is up there. Couldn't recall seeing it but I didn't wander all the way to the pylon. Seems an odd spot considering a lot of the traffic must come from Dart Hut and only go as far as Cascade saddle.

Awesome place to walk. It would have to be the best place I have been. Crystal clear weather made my week on the Rees Dart a dream come true. Id do the same walk again in a heartbeat.

[wayno]

ah rangers vary so much, the lady who was the ranger at aspiring hut when i was there described the 1400m steep vertical ascent to the pylon above the saddle as "a lovely walk" and did it regularly....
i'm surprised they dont put a sign up about the kea, mind you DOC are already known for putting signs up for just about everything.

http://www.wildernessmag.co.nz/view/pag ... a-chuckle/

[forest]

Had to love this sign on the Dart track around the work near Quinns Flat.....

1.JPG (71.25 KiB) Viewed 19205 times

Everyone that walked down that day from Dart hut was confused with the sign. Most waited for a while then just walked through confused.
I must admit I just stood listening for a few minutes and couldn't detect another sound. mmm, confused. I couldn't recall hearing a fog horn all day. Had I been daydreaming and missed the sound ??
Ended up running down the track only to find all the gear alone and the workers no where to be seen. Were they about to blow it ?? I had no idea but never did find those track workers. Why leave a blasting sign out when no one is home.
Though some one would blow me up that day.....

All the sign needed was a indication that if you have waited XX time and no sound that it's clear.

Hot topic in Daley's Flat hut that night.

[wayno]

notify doc when you see stupid crap like that.
those contractors never put much thought into how the sign read given how ambiguous it is.... and wasted peoples time.... its not isolated...