Caples - Greenstone.

[kanangra]

Just back from a weekend in NZ. Our Jetstar flight was delayed and so didn't get to the car park at the start of the track until after dark on Friday night. Camped there and set off early in the morning via the Caples. Had breakfast at Mid Caples Hut. The track had been in the bush most of the way. I think next time I would just wander up the flats on the far side? After breakfast the the track spent more time out on the elevated river terraces which were very pleasant. Arrived at Upper Caples Hut in the clearing around Noon. Decided lunch could wait and so set off. Soon in dense forest on pleasant, light track and then horror of horrors a new super highway appeared!! What are they doing over there? Do they have to ruin everything? It looked like they were building a road not a walking track. Smashed rock and felled trees everywhere! This continued all the way to the saddle and down the other side. Very disappointing.

On the way up the weather closed in with sleet and then snow so no views unfortunately. Once down the other side we decided to visit Howden hut for a late lunch. It snowed the whole time we were there. Then we back tracked down to Mckellar Hut for the night in sleet and rain. A brand new hut complete with flushing toilets awaited us there? The back country is certainly getting very civilised over there. Whatever happened to the delightful old one? Spent a very comfortable and warm night there with several others.

Next day we set off down valley with an Italian guy who was looking for a lift from us at the end. He had done the Routeburn first and parked there. It turned out he had absolutely no food left so we shared our provisions with him.
A great day walking down the wide open flats of the Greenstone Valley. A group was being choppered into Steele Ck Hut when we arrived. Noted the old Mid Greenstone Hut high up on the bush edge. Apparantly it is closed now. Arrived at the new Greenstone Hut on an elevated hill side for lunch in brilliant sunshine. This is a far cry from the old Sly burn Hut which used to be on this site years ago. Basked on the front steps soaking up the rays and admiring the views. Not long after another group arrived labouring under the biggest packs I have ever seen. Thinking they must be out for a week I was surprised to hear only over night.

Reluctantly we pushed off down valley. Noted some marvelous camping spots beside the river in the vicinity of Slip Flat. Located the old hut high up on the hill side. Relieved to see that little had changed here in the 20 years or so since i had last been through. Decided to take in Lake Rere on the way back. A great decision as it is a beautiful lake. On the other side of the low saddle the track entered a delightful glade of Red beech before busting out into the open with views out over Lake Wakitipu. We followed the track through lush pasture lands back to the stock bridge and the car. An excellent trip.

K.

[wayno]

the old track from upper caples to the greenstone was pretty rough.. picking your way among tree roots and bolulders, the track down from the pass to the greenstone was steeper and could be pretty slippery, took a fair bit of care to get down.
the ranger at mckellar hut told me there were a lot of injuries on the track. so they decided to redo it once and for all.... they went through with a digger and explosives....
took me five hours to get from upper caples to the greenstone on the old track and it was a hard five hours. at one point i was up to my waist in a swamp.....
i remember when i got the the hard ground on the greenstone i collapsed on the ground for a good fifteen minutes recovering..... i wouldnt say i was unfit at the time either...
yes it was a nice unspoilt track though. but unfortunately it's popularity was it's demise. any track in that area that doesnt require hut bookings in summer gets hammered with the overflow of people who can't get hut bookings, and the pressure on bookings has gone mad recently, so peole then opt for the next nearest tracks and hey the greenstone caples is one of them... plus people double up with the routeburn..
so heaps of people on a rough track, a lot of them doing the track when they havent originally planned to and dont realise how rough it is, and hey what do you know , theres a lot of twisted and broken ankles on the track...
last year i booked the routeburn for new years in september no problems. this year i tried booking again for new years in december , the falls was booked out and i had to wait for a vacancy at mackenzie to get into mackenzie. in earlier years i could book the routeburn a month in advance at peak season no problems. i've noticed a lot more australians in recent years, germans and americans used to be the majority of people on the great walks in summer but over the holiday period now especially its aussies. it will get worse still as the rees dart is going to require booking next year or the year after. pushing another overflow of people onto whatever other tracks there are.....
all the tracks in that area are all pretty high grade tracks. so doc decided it was time to bring the caples into line you were never going to be able to stop the no's of injuries.
mckellar hut was overloaded with people in summer people sleeping everywhere including under the hut so time to double it's size....
if you do the routeburn and you are in huts and down like big huts then avoid mackenzie and routeburn falls huts, although they are the most scenic locations. bunk rooms that can be over thirty people...... less choice on other great walks. most of the huts are just plain massive....
the group being helicoptered in might have been guided walkers, they get that option in rough weather , one day on the routeburn the chief guide checked the track from mackenzie to the falls. he couldnt stand upright so he got his group helicoptered helicoptered to the falls, only three of us made the walk

[kanangra]

Interesting. Trouble is in the process the wilderness values are heavily compromised.

K.

[wayno]

yeah but they are easily access walks serviced by regular public transport services and only a days walk from the road ends..
its a shame what they did to the upper caples. it's fantastic bush. a real goblin forest.... but it just couldnt stay the way it was based on the circumstances.

[Schmeed]

Yeah I have to say i was very disappointed with the new track which they were building. I was hoping for the harder track. I had just come of the Routeburn and were looking for a challenge. Between Mckellar Saddle and Upper Caples, we walking for about 2 hours on all the roots and etc and I had the time of my life (only done great walks prior),I wish that they had kept it like that.

Before we know it great walks will be walking the Caples track and this should be kept for those who want to see the wilderness and experience some tough tramping.

[wayno]

the caples attracts a high volume of people, its a 30k trip, easily accessible by regular shuttle in a highly popular area for tramping, too many people were getting injured on the old caples track, it was treacherous in the wet, impassable in heavy rain...
if you want rough there are plenty of rough tracks around, dusky track, george sound. various west coast tracks, stewart island, and central north island tracks.

[roysta]

I've done both the old and the new on the Caples and frankly I think they've done a good job with the new track, it was very average before.
Wayno's right, this is close to the road and is hardly wilderness and the way I see it DOC could be setting this up for a Great Walk or close to it.
The new McKeller Hut is a vast improvement, the old one was getting pretty worn out.
The Greenstone Hut has been operating for a few years now and is probably one of the best non-Great Walk huts around.
The Greenstone and Caples Valleys are fantastic and easy walking, but, if you want to do something a bit rugged in there try Steele Creek, it's a nice solid day going down the middle from Upper Caples.

[Mountain Rocket]

I must admit I was happy to see the end of the Caples-Greenstone walk. Kinda anti-climactic after walking the Routeburn (not really surprising).
We smashed it out in one day. Walking along a degraded stream with cattle and the likes is not my idea of a nice walk.

Nice and easy though.

[bernieq]

... a new super highway appeared!! What are they doing over there? Do they have to ruin everything?

... frankly I think they've done a good job with the new track

It’s a difficult balance, isn’t it – just how much track work should be done as numbers increase?

On the one hand, with greatly increasing traffic comes increase degradation / erosion so some track work is needed to minimise the impact (or severey limit access - the least palatable option IMO). However, a soft track requires frequent maintenance which is costly. So, tracks are engineered with a bias to reduce maintenance.

... the Caples track and this should be kept for those who want to see the wilderness and experience some tough tramping

In this particular case, it’s not like this is the only wilderness experience close by. As wayno suggested there is Steele Creek. There is also Scottsburn and Kay Creeks and up onto the tops between Wakatipu and the Greenstone. From the start of the Routeburn there is the 5 Passes tramp (5 – 9 days minimal track) and other tramps less well know still.

mid Greenstone Valley - Apr 2009

True, the Caples/Greenstone, Rees/Dart and the Routeburn have exploded in popularity but there is still a plethora of choice if you want wilderness.

[wayno]

there were a lot of injuries on the upper caples track over the saddle, numbers of walkers keep increasing, plus doc are removing the upper caples hut and upgrading the mid caples hut. caples isnt really back country, its close to teh routeburn and its only a 30 k trip from road end to road end. so track upgrade.... yeah i know it was a massive change from the original track, no comparison... doc seem to be a bit all or nothing.

but as suggested, theres no end of back country routes in nz, get the muirs guides for information of back country routes, nz is a labrynth of ridges spurs and valleys, i've flown over the south island numerous times but i still struggle to recognise all the geography...
or go surf tramper.co.nz or doc for route suggestions.

[roysta]

theres no end of back country routes in nz, get the moirs guides for information of back country routes

so true, lots to see

[kanangra]

I'm still annoyed about them taking out the Upper Caples Hut. Why would you remove a perfectly good hut in such a great location. Perfect for parties coming over from Scotts Ck. or from Steele Ck. the other way.

K.

[wayno]

in all their intelligence, the national parks sited it on a flood plane.....
and they want to make it a family friendly walk, cheaper to just upgrade one hut closer to the road end....
no sure how much time the new track cuts, but it took me five and a half hours walking time between upper caples and mckellar hut.. whack at least another hour and a half plus stopped time from mid caples,... not much family friendly about that.... mind you the only shuttle i know of only gets to teh road end on the greenstone at 2 30, i was there in autumn and had to walk flat out non stop to get to upper caples before dark, not that its an issue finding the track. but again if you've got young kids you'd probably want to stop a mid caples anyway, its two hours walking at a reasonable pace....

[bernieq]

As wayno indicated, the Upper Caples hut (12 bunk) is sited near the confluence of Fraser & Kay Creeks and Caples River - and is difficult to access following rain.

True, the hut is useful when travelling to/from Kay & Steele Creeks but not many do this, I suspect. My suggestion is to not rely on huts and take a tent.

Also be aware that the 12-bunk mid-Caples hut will be replaced with a 24-bunk new hut (before the Upper Caples hut is removed) and that it’s only 7km (90 minute easy walk) between the two huts.

BTW, a 24-bunk hut on a DOC-designated “family-friendly easier tramping track" is another good reason to carry a tent

[wayno]

yup. theres nothing like getting away from it all with the experience of a large doc hut in bad weather.... all those people. all that condensation... all that noise.
try a great walk,, up to 50 in a hut.....
even worse, they are full of aussies..

[wayno]

so this is the distance you'd have to swim to the hut in a flood.....
i'd start a fair way up river though to have a chance of hitting the hut....

[wayno]

i'll miss the old tracks wonderful nuances, like this puddle.
i debated about whether i should put the camera away, i decided to. next step it went up to my waist..

[GPSGuided]

i'll miss the old tracks wonderful nuances, like this puddle.
i debated about whether i should put the camera away, i decided to. next step it went up to my waist..

Ouch! What then?

[wayno]

it's called wading....

[roysta]

i'll miss the old tracks wonderful nuances, like this puddle.

I won't, thank god for the new.

[wayno]

i'll miss the old tracks wonderful nuances, like this puddle.

I won't, thank god for the new.

yeah when i got to the wee puddle, i'd just finished five hours of walking over the pass, picking my way through rocks, tree roots and negotiating a steep slippery descent, i was starting to relax thinking i was over the worst and it was all easy flat walking, but the track had saved its best for last for me...., when i got clear of the swamp and came out onto som grass i just fell onto the ground and lay there for quarter of an hour recovering.... i hadnt thought about taking a break on the walk over, would have been a good idea....