Computing and internet resources downloads, fun games and humourWelcome!
We have internet resources and fun, for computing, personal and internet development.

 

The Cass - Lagoon trip in Arthur's Pass

  

 

In a fit of post work and pre-Christmas insanity we decided to do the Cass Lagoon tramp (or hike for all you Americans) in reverse, going the more difficult way from the Lagoon end to Cass. This tramp is in Arthur's Pass in the Southern Alps and is only 2 hours away from our home in Christchurch New Zealand. There are many beautiful tramps up in the Alps, and this is but one of them. Our legs cursed us for days afterwards.

 

This was a 2 day trip.

The first day required a very steep climb to the first pass, and down into a valley, we then walked down the valley to the hut at the end.

 

Day 2 started from the hut, up another valley, over another pass, and back down a third valley to the road.

It was not what I call a 'fun' tramp, as I was carrying a tent making my pack quite heavy, which didn't make life easier. The valleys are beautiful and unfortunately we didn't catch them on film.

 

We walked on a trail for most of it with some sojourns off into the rivers when the track disappeared, and even a bit of bush crashing at the end when we got a bit lost.

 

When we finished the tramp we were walking like ducks, our knees had packed up on us, making getting up and down difficult, our feet had blisters and were bruised from the river walking.... but I would go again tomorrow its so beautiful. You can drink from the streams, the air is clean and birdsong fill the forest.

 

Click on  pictures below to see  enlarged

From the Pass East

Looking down the valley, we climbed from the level of the river below. Boy it was hard, through native bush, a pine plantation, and finally across alpine tussock.

From the Pass West

Looking up the valley, we are at the level of the mountains in the pic, but below the snow.

The Pass

Note the alpine vegetation, this pass is snow bound during winter

Valley walking

We dropped down into a valley of dense native bush, and for part of it we had to find our own way down the glacial streams

Route finding

The sort of landscape at the bottom of the valley, the rocks are hard going on your feet when you have a big pack, and you quickly get used to having wet feet.

Home, the hut!

The Hamilton Hut on the end of the first day. The hut sleeps about 20, nice and clean. There was a party of 4 From Chirstchurch and an Israeli couple there as well. During the night we were tormented by possums trying to break in.

Morning day 2

Looking from the hut, 8 am, to the valley we had to walk up. The beginning of the second pass is in the distance.

From the pass back to the hut

A murderous climb (the agony of which could not be caught on film) was over and we reached the pass in about 3 hours from the hut. Boy our legs hurt!

Pass to road

Looking from the pass down to the road again, it was a loooong way down! The valley was bush with a glacial river fanning out at the end which we had to walk through.

 

We have walked many tramps in New Zealand and love the outdoors, this is only the most recent one, not the hardest nor the most fun. Would you like to show your trip on our site or do you have some information about tramping in New Zealand that you would like to share?

 

Either leave a message here, or contact me here.

 

Other sites featuring this tramp:

http://www.softrock.co.nz/apis/inf081.htm

Here is a site in French!

Another site this time in Japanese

Finally this time in German.

 

Green Dot marks place. Click map for full South Island