new zealand: Mt arthur summit

Kahurangi National Park, Tasman / 9kms one way / 5-9hrs return / Advanced

The Mt Arthur summit hike is a fantastic day walk. After leisurely walk through a thick, lush forest - you will be amazed with continuous scenery of the Kahurangi National Park view and ever stretching mountains.

There is an option to add several side trips to the track and even make it a multi day hike, which is very typical for many hikes of the Tasman region. Therefore it is good to make some solid plans prior your walk, especially if you are even slightly temped to explore further on, so you can inform your intensions for trusted parties.

The walk is not physically highly demanding, however this is a backcountry tramp. There are rough and rugged sections with slippery rocks and scree - as well as muddy and wet sections when rain. A few steep climbs will give you a little bit of a challenge, so make sure you have a good footwear for any occasion.

During the winter you need a propriety equipment and experience to navigate the route.

ARRIVAL: Nelson

I was staying in Nelson, which is a great town roughly 75 kms from the Mt Arthur car park. This is great spot to access easily any of the walks all around the Tasman region. I was on a holiday so I didn’t have any tight timelines, and therefore I was able to wait good weather.

The road to the car park is a bit rough with steep hills and few pot holes. You have an option to have a good car, or leave a car to the bottom of the road leading to a car park and get a ride, as there are fairly regular traffic due the popularity of the walks.

Walk

I started the walk at the Flora car park to Mt Arthur Hut. It took roughly 45mins through the lush thick forest , while slowly climbing higher and witnessing beautiful views of the region.

From the hut you will follow a route to Wharepapa/Arthur Range where you truly start to see a beauty of the panoramic views and rock formations making this region so special. These views can be seen throughout the whole climb to the Mt Arthur, however the hike is extremely exposed all of the elements so be prepared to turn back incase things get alarming. There are no cover, or water available, as well as the landscape doesn’t provide any shelter.

As I was arriving to the summit itself, the sky started to become cloudy with full overcast and by the time I got to the summit itself, the visibility was zero. I enjoyed the lunch hoping to see some of the magnificent view, however without any luck.

As the wind was strong and freezing levels, I decided to start my walk back. It took only 10 minutes to walk and the views were back on. Seemed that this is a pretty typical for these mountains, however I wasn’t upset at all. The scenery had been incredible whole way through, and I still got a chance to see all of the surroundings even the peak itself was clouded over.

descent

The route back is exactly the same as you came from. The great news is the scenery is different as you see it from the different point of view. So many alternative routes, and mountains to be seen - which truly sets your imagination wild wanting to go and explore further more. I noticed already doing plans to return and explore the network of hikes without any strict timeframes.

All and all this is a fantastic track. Variety of the scenery was great, without great effort. Highly recommended walk if you are limited with time or some of the other hike aren’t accessible due the weather, or high river levels when the roads become unaccessible.

Quick tips:

Check the weather for the national parks, again and again.

Plan well, allow time to complete the walk, and let someone know about your plans, even thou this is a popular track.

You have an option to take several turns to another tracks if you wish to make this longer hike.

Take sunblock in all seasons. As weather can change quickly, other equipment worth taking is a waterproof jacket and pants, warm layered clothing, hat and gloves and a head torch. There are toilets along the way but sometimes no paper, so bring your own.

Take food and snacks to keep your energy up. Just remember to bring ALL your rubbish - including food scraps - back with you. It’s a great practice to learn, no matter where you hike, to support sustainable activities, as well as preserving nature.

The track is rugged at times with a steep sections, as well as wet and muddy sections - so it’s better to have strong, rigid footwear. Definitely no sport or casual shoes.

As always, it is good to have a map and cellphone. Even thou the trail is pretty straightforward and well marked, you are expected to stay on marked paths. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Enjoy one of the most scenic day hikes!