Avalanche Peak Route

Avalanche Peak Route is a 4.2-mile (6.8 km) point-to-point hike from the signed Avalanche Peak Track start behind Arthur's Pass Visitor Centre to Punchbowl car park. It climbs Avalanche Peak Track, follows the yellow-poled ridge to the 1,833 m summit, retraces the shared summit spur, then descends by Scotts Route. The climb gains about 1,100 m. Allow 6–8 hours, with seven a sensible plan for the ridge and stops. Save it for a clear, settled day if you're already comfortable on steep mountain tracks. The two ends are different access points, so arrange a pickup or a second vehicle; don't use SH73's shoulder to get back.

The signed route starts just before Glasgow Bridge over Avalanche Creek. The track climbs steeply through mountain beech on the creek's south side, over rocky ground and past bluffs where waterfalls sometimes come into view. It then leaves the creek and reaches the bushline in about 1½ hours. That's a good place to enjoy the first big view down Bealey Valley toward Cora Lynn Station, Black Range and Mount Bealey. If cloud is already hiding the route, stop here and turn back rather than following poles into poor visibility.

Above the trees, the worn route follows a narrow ridge between the Rough Creek and Avalanche Creek catchments, through tussock and low alpine plants. There are steep drop-offs on the sides. Keep to the yellow markers and note the Scotts ridge on your right for the descent later. The two ridges look close, but a hidden canyon blocks the shortcut between them; don't leave the marked line to cross over.

About 20–30 minutes from the top, the prominent ridge flattens near 1,680 m. The route then drops into a basin before climbing steep scree beside the bluffs. Yellow and orange poles share the last ten minutes to the summit; return along that same short spur to reach the Scotts descent. The final crest is narrow, rocky and sheer-sided. Wind, ice, snow or poor visibility can make this section unsafe, and there's no sheltered way to force it.

At 1,833 m, the summit looks across the Southern Alps, with Mount Rolleston and Crow Glacier prominent on a clear day. Include the narrow ridge in the foreground if you want your photo to show the shape of the climb. Kea are often heard or seen around the alpine slopes; rock wrens may turn up above the trees, but neither is guaranteed.

Retrace the summit spur and follow the orange poles northeast toward Mount Cassidy, not toward Mount Rolleston. The route drops over a rocky, water-worn ridge above McGrath Creek, then returns below bushline on a less steep track between McGrath and Wardens creeks. It turns south across several streams and boggy patches before crossing SH73 by the marked path to Punchbowl car park. That lower descent eases the grade, but wet ground and the route junctions still deserve attention.

The summit route is expert alpine terrain, with rapid weather changes and exposure to wind. Snow and ice bring avalanche risk, usually from May through November but for as long as snow remains; summer and autumn are generally the better seasons. Check the current avalanche advisory and track advice before setting out. Dogs aren't allowed.

If you want to see how the ridge feels before committing, the bushline is a sensible turnaround in poor visibility or when the climb has already used your reserves. For a summit outing with a gentler ascent, the Scotts Track out-and-back is the park's recommended alternative, but it still reaches the same exposed expert route above treeline.