Caples Greenstone
Waitangi Weekend 2024
With Waitangi day being on a Tuesday, I decided to put the Greenstone/Caples on the programme so we could have the Monday off to give us four days to do this track and I had seven members interested in coming along.
The plan was to go up the Caples valley, staying in the upper Caples hut which is managed by the NZ Deerstalkers and then over Mckellar Saddle into the Greenstone Valley, staying at the DOC Mckellar hut and then down to the DOC Greenstone hut.
The weather for the weekend was a bit of a mixed bag with a bit of rain each day and about 60mm forecasted for the last day, but everyone was keen so two vehicles left Oamaru at 6am on the Saturday morning. We had a morning tea stop in Cromwell and then a stop in Queenstown to buy some hut tickets and check the weather with DOC, which was still forecasted for a bit of rain and to pick up the key to the upper Caples hut.
We then headed out to Glenorchy and around the south side of Lake Wakatipu to the Greenstone car park. We had lunch in the car park shelter before starting the hike at about 12.15pm with the plan for the 1st day being to hike 5hrs 16km up to the upper Caples hut. The 1st haft hour we followed a track up above the river till it opened up to a big clearing where the Greenstone valley and the Caples valley meet. We then carried on up the Caples valley following the river in and out of Beach forest and grasses flats in light rain from time to time, so it was on and off with the rain jackets a bit.
After about 2 ½ hrs we crossed a bridge over a deep river gorge to arrive at the Mid Caples DOC hut, where we stopped for a break and a snack. It was then off further up the valley in improving weather over big grasses flats for about an hour till we entered the bush again on a well formed track till we reached the Upper Caples hut about 5pm.
There were six hunters in the hut and we were a bit of a surprise for them because they thought they were the only booking in the hut for the night. They had been there for a few days so had spread there gear out everywhere, but they soon made room for us and we all settled down for the night, playing cards (Five crowns) talking to the hunters and we were all in bed just after 9pm.
Day 2 we were all up and ready to go about 8.15am and the plan for the day was about 5 hrs hiking over 15km up over Mckellar saddle 945 m into the Greenstone valley to Mckellar hut. The day was a bit cloudy and cool but no rain, so we headed off up a well formed track in the bush, climbing steadily for about 2 ½ hrs till we came out of the bush on to a plateau. Across the top it was all board walked to protect the vegetation with a few tarns and it was a bit cool and misty around the mountain tops, so the views were a bit limited. Once the saddle had been reached it was a steep zig zag track down into the Greenstone valley to the head of the Lake Mckellar and the junction with the track that goes up to the Routeburn or down the Greenstone.
At this stage light rain was starting to fall so there was no mucking around, so we headed off down the track in the bush beside Lake Mckellar for 3 ½ km till we reached Mckellar hut about 1.15pm. At the hut we were the 1st there and we were welcomed by a very friendly hut warden who offered us some hot water and lit the fire for us before sitting down with us and giving us some info on the area. During the afternoon the rain kept falling and other wet hikers started to arrive and everyone was greeted by the warden. We played Five Crowns again and by this time everyone was starting to get quite competitive and we were all in bed by about 9.30pm and the rain continued all night.
Day 3 we were all up and ready to go about 8am and the plan for the day was about 5hrs hiking over 18km to the Greenstone hut. The day was overcast with a cool wind blowing down the valley which we would have behind us and the rain had all but stopped. The track from the hut follows down the river alternating between tussock flats which were a bit soggy with the rain over night and bush which had slippery tree roots. The track passes through an old landside before reaching a gorge and then crossing over a wire swing bridge over Steele creek, passing the private Steele creek private lodge and the other Deerstalkers Mid Greenstone hut. The track continued down the open valley past a white terraced bank back into the bush to a junction in the track that lead over a bridge over a gorge and up to a flat area where the Greenstone hut sits.
Once again we were the 1st to the hut just after 1pm and the sun had come out, so the afternoon was relaxing with some going for a wash down by the river and some having a bit of a snooze, but we got another game of Five Crowns in before tea. By late afternoon the hut was starting to get full with people, with some doing the TA, others just starting the hike up the valley and a few like us just hiking out the next day. It was a very relaxing night with everyone mingling together on the big deck outside the hut and there was two young Stags came out of the bush to feed about 50m from the hut. Once again cards were play before heading off to bed.
Day 4 we were all ready to go about 7.45am after watching three young Stags feeding not far from the hut and with the last day being 3-4 hrs and 12km. The heavy rain that was forecast was nowhere to be seen with sunny blue skies, so it was back down over the bridge back to the junction and back on to the main track. We continue down the Greenstone track where the Valley narrows sharply as the river enters a long section of gorge, but about halfway down the gorge it opens up to a large open area known as Slip Flat and a great wee camping spot. The track re-enters the bush and river gorge and carries on down to it opens but up again with the Caples valley.
It was then over a bridge over the Caples river and a 30 min walk back out to the car park, arriving about 11am after a very satisfying four days had by all. Driving back out we could see where all the rain went and that was up in the Dart valley. We all finished the day off with a debrief and lunch in Glenorchy before the long drive home.
I would like to thank Juilan, Lynette, Robbie, Jenny, Colin and Jane for your company and making it a very enjoyable hike.
Neville
