Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Day 1: Greenstone Car Park to Upper Caples Hut
3½-5½ HOURS, 16KM
The track departs the car park and in a few minutes passes a junction where the left fork
leads to a bridge across the Greenstone River. Remain on the true left (north) side of the
Greenstone River, pass the confluence with the Caples River and, 30 minutes from the car
park, arrive at a signposted junction. Here, the Greenstone Track heads southwest, quickly
crossing a swing bridge over the Caples.
The
Caples Track
continues along the true left side of the Caples River, but stays in
beech forest above the valley to avoid crossing Greenstone Station. At one point the
woolshed of an old homestead may be spotted on the far bank.
It's 2½ hours along the east bank before the well-marked track descends past an impress-
ive gorge and crosses a bridge over the Caples to Mid Caples Hut (12 bunks) on an open ter-
race above the river. From the hut the track remains on the true right (west) side of the river
and crosses open grassy flats for the first hour. You then ascend into beech forest to round a
small gorge before quickly returning to the flats.
Eventually the track turns into bush before it emerges at the southern end of
Top Flat
. It
takes about 25 minutes to cross the flat and cut through more beech forest to Upper Caples
Hut. Just before the hut is a signposted junction with the Steele Saddle route south to the
Greenstone Track, an extremely difficult tramp (10 to 12 hours). Upper Caples Hut (12
bunks) is on a grassy flat where the valley begins to narrow, 1½ to 2½ hours from Mid
Caples Hut. It's a scenic location to spend the night, with the Ailsa Mountains rising directly
behind the hut.
Day 2: Upper Caples Hut to McKellar Hut
6-7 HOURS, 13KM, 520M ASCENT, 380M DESCENT
The track leaves the valley floor and climbs gently to McKellar Saddle, two hours from the
hut. At first it is quite rough with exposed tree roots and rocks, but becomes easier after an
hour as it sidles up towards the bush edge.
Two hours from the hut it reaches
McKellar Saddle
(945m), an extremely wet and boggy
area crossed by boardwalks built to protect the fragile subalpine vegetation. The views are
good from the saddle - on a clear day the peaks and hanging valleys of Fiordland can be
seen to the west.
