Cameron Hut

Wednesday, March 25th, 2026

Cameron River and Glacier, Otago Anniversary Weekend, 21/23 March 2026

A pretty good weather forecast promised  a great weekend walk for 6 members. Daylight saving at this time of the year means it was very dark when we departed town at 6.00am. A 3 hour drive saw us at the northern end of Lake Heron where the Cameron River track starts. It is about 16km walking to  Cameron Hut, a Canterbury Mountaineering Club hut near the base of the Cameron Glacier. The sign told us that it would be 5 to 6 hours walking. It was 20 years since our club had done this trip and at that time we went in with suitable gear to embark on some moderate climbing on the Glacier including ropes and harnesses. It had been quite easy to access the glacier at that time and members had a great time exploring the relatively flat area of the glacier and the numerous crevasses that formed beautiful sculpted shapes.
This time it was anticipated that significant glacier retreating had taken place, so we did carry crampons, axes and hard hats but did not anticipate doing the same as the last visit. It did make for heavy packs all the same with some of us also carrying tents in just in case the hut got too busy.Two exiting trampers we met warned us that kea were present at the hut, which did put us off the idea of putting them up.
The last 4 km of the walk did seem to go on longer than the previous 12 possibly because of the increase in the rate of climbing but eventually we got to a vacant hut which is not seen until you are almost upon it. It has 9 bunks, 3 high, with solar light and usb charging for devices. There was only the distant occasional kea call so one tent was erected. In the next wee while another 4 trampers turned up which meant that the hut was quite busy for cooking but the new arrivals also put up tents spreading the risk for kea attacks. One young man from Greenland complained about the weight of his pack which was over 20kg.
He had been unsure about drinking river water and had brought a weekend’s worth of bottled water.
The following day we started a leisurely stroll up the ramp towards what was once the access route to the glacier, the ramp is the top edge of the moraine wall and can be seen from almost the start of the tramp the previous day. Where it runs out there had been a route onto the ice…not now, 2 of us carried on climbing to a point where it got too difficult to carry on without getting to anywhere close to the glacier. The others found a good possie to look on. After descending a bit the 2 of us then donned our helmets and went down the moraine wall to the valley floor with the aim of climbing directly up the face of the glacier which is very rocky, see photos, to eventually reach the ice and after fitting crampons having a small explore. The ice had retreated by at least 100m in height and from our new perspective we could see where in the previous visit the route for access had been, now just sheer rock plummeting to the now rocky surface of what remains of the glacier.
The spectator group had returned to the hut and the 2 of us also returned there now along the valley floor to finish the day with well deserved cups of tea and a good rest.
The extra trampers had all left at this time and we did not really expect to see anyone else there, but wait , just on dark after we were all in bed 3 others turned up and they were looking for a bed in the hut. So a full hut and all the sounds and stirrings that go with that meant a fairly sleepless night and it was with some relief that we got up at 6 and prepare for our walk out. Initially there was a thick mist around the hut so thick that it was difficult to find the loo, but by the time we left at just after 7 it had cleared and another beautiful day was here. A much faster walk because of the downward gradient meant that we were back at the cars at lunchtime feeling hungry for pies in Geraldine. Sadly they were almost all gone by the time we got there with just mutton pies in the cabinet, but we made do with other offerings and continued home feeling very please with our weekend.
Thanks to Neil, Jen, Jenny, Julian and Lynette for great company on this adventure.
Robbie

Sugar Loaf – Rockburn Waitangi Weekend

Wednesday, March 11th, 2026

Trip Report: Sugar Loaf – Rockburn – Lake Sylvan, Waitangi Weekend 2026

Waitangi Weekend offered our group three days to explore the magnificent Rockburn Valley at the head of Lake Wakatipu, so three members set off at 2pm on Thursday from Oamaru, arriving at Lake Sylvan DOC camping ground at 7.30pm. This campsite along the Routeburn River offers scenic, well-arranged, partially secluded sites with toilets and running water.
Next morning we drove to the Routeburn shelter (after Jenny had hidden her bike under piles of bracken for the return trip) and were ready to set off walking by 8am. 10 minutes along the Routeburn Track we followed a signpost pointing uphill to the Sugar Loaf Track; it was a steep and steady climb for 2.5 hours to the boggy Sugarloaf Saddle, from where we had superb views across to the Humboldt Mountains, Lake Wakatipu, the Dart River and the Mt Earnslaw massif. Then it was a steep scramble down to the Rockburn River, using rocks and branches for handholds, crossing creeks and waterfalls through the mossy beech forest. The track is well marked and clear of windfall. From Sugar Loaf it took us 4 hours to walk to the wide, open and sunny grasslands of Theatre Flat. Walking over the swing bridge across the Rockburn to Theatre Flat was interesting: I didn’t notice there were no wire netting sides until I was halfway across! With a strong Nor’west blowing, we found a sheltered spot to camp by a copse of beech, right by the river. The Rockburn is a beautiful fast flowing river with a clear green tinge, rushing over boulders and forming deep pools.
Our plan for the middle day, Saturday, was to climb up to Park Pass and back to camp, so we set off at 8.15am and were pleased to find the route well marked in the bush and over the grassy flats. After two hours walking with rain thickening and cloud lowering over Park Pass, we decided it best to return to camp for lunch. The walk out to Lake Sylvan was going to be a long 18km over roots and slippery rocks, so we decided to pack up our tents and head 4km down river to some grassy flats we had admired on the way in. By mid afternoon all three of us were snuggling into our sleeping bags and boiling up hot drinks to stave off the wet and cold.
After a night of heavy rain, we woke to see mist clearing from the mountains, so we shook the rain from our tents and were on the Rockburn track again by 7.30am, bypassed the Rockburn hut in bright sunshine, and stopped for lunch enroute to Lake Sylvan at 12 noon. The track remains rough around the Lake, but at the foot of the Lake we joined the gravelled highway back to the magnificent new bridge and carpark. Robbie found the leafy old track back to the river, so he and Jenny took this shortcut and crossed the Routeburn River opposite the carpark.
Back to the camping ground by 2.30pm, Jenny hopped on her bike, biked for about 30 minutes up to the car at the Routeburn shelter carpark, then picked up Di and Robbie back at camp. We were away home by 3.30pm.
Thanks to Robbie and Di for a fabulous exploration of the beautiful Rockburn Valley, in all weathers!
Jenny Kitchin

Little Kyeburn and Buster Diggings

Sunday, February 1st, 2026

Plan B of the Nobbler – Mt Alexander due to the gale force winds forecast.  Instead of cancelling the trip two full cars of us travelled up the Danesys Pass and found it was indeed blowing a gale at the top of the pass so alternate arrangements were made.  John recommended Little Kyebrun being relatively sheltered, and we drove down another hour to the end of the road at Little Kyeburn carpark area.  

The walk up the valley was nice and sheltered, only getting window once we ventured up towards buster hut – the little bivvy shelter was a very welcome break from the wind up there for a lunch break.  Then a first visit to Buster Diggings for many of us, and the 4wd track back to the car.  A nice day out for a plan B.