Avalanche Peak – Crow River Route

Avalanche Peak–Crow River is a 12.22-mile (19.65-km) one-way traverse from Arthur’s Pass village to Klondyke Corner. It climbs Avalanche Peak, follows the narrow ridge toward Mt Rolleston, drops on the marked Crow Valley scree, passes Crow Hut and exits over the braided Waimakariri flats. This is an expert, two-day trip; the route stages total about 9½–10½ hours moving, with Crow Hut between days. The mapped line follows the steeper direct Avalanche Peak Track and includes the final gravel road to Klondyke. The shorter 17.8-km GPS figure stops at the western road entrance, roughly 1.84 km before the corner. Arrange a car drop or shuttle before you start.

The climb begins in the village and rises about a thousand metres to Avalanche Peak. The direct Avalanche Peak Track is steep and reaches the summit in about three to four hours. Scotts Track is a separate, more gradual approach with broader views and less strain on the knees, but taking it changes the mapped line. Expect a demanding climb over rough, rocky ground before the high ridge opens the view across Arthur’s Pass and the surrounding peaks.

From Avalanche Peak, the route turns toward Mt Rolleston and spends about an hour on a narrow, rocky ridge. The line often sidles below the crest and is not continuously marked, so keep the main ridge in view and resist dropping into earlier scree bowls: those gullies end at bluffs. The correct Crow Valley descent is marked by stakes and a cairn. From the marked point, the whole scree slope is visible, Devils Punchbowl Falls shows its full drop on the opposite slope, and the ridge rises more sharply beyond the descent. The long scree narrows and then fans out; expect loose rock and no comfortable, stable trail surface.

At the bottom, follow the riverbed downstream for about 20 minutes to Crow Hut on the true-right bank, at the edge of the beech forest and an alpine meadow. The hut has 10 bunks, mattresses, heating, a non-flush toilet and stream water. It is first-come, first-served, so carry your own food and plan for the hut as an overnight stop rather than a resupply point.

Allow about four hours from Crow Hut to Klondyke Corner. The route alternates between riverbank travel and marked bush track; an active rockfall area lies about 15 minutes downstream from the hut. After crossing the Crow before its confluence, marked track through beech forest leads onto grassy flats. The final stretch alternates between flats and shingle riverbed, with several unbridged Waimakariri crossings around bluffs. Crossing points can shift with the braided channels, and the route can feel long after the alpine ridge. Once you reach the gravel road, follow it to Klondyke Corner. The Turkey Flat exit to the Bealey road bridge is a different option and is not included here.

The name recalls an orange-wattled crow, or South Island kōkako, seen during an 1865 exploration. It was last reported in the park in the 1930s and is probably extinct. At the head of Crow Valley, Mt Rolleston’s Crow face is also a popular winter climbing route.