A fine Saturday forecast had us arriving at the Cobb reservoir carpark late friday afternoon. A quick hike up to Sylvester hut gave us time to explore the area so I dropped the pack and continued up the ridge to get views down to Iron lake and the intended route up to the summit of Iron Hill. We woke to a fabulous sunrise and I was away from the hut at 6.30am with the intention to get along the tops to Fenella Hut. Di walked back down to the car and drove up to the Trilobite carpark and walked up the valley to Fenella. Having downloaded a gpx from NZ Route Guides, unlimited visibility and a reasonably well cairned route had me at Fenella hut 8 hours later somewhat foot sore but ecstatic about the awesome views and route. Sunday was overcast so we motored back to car in 3hrs. An absolutely breathtaking 36km trip with stunning tops and river valley travel.
Download GPX file of trip, Download KML of trip
View out to Lake Lockett
P1010698 View east down ridge to Lake Sylvester from ridge east of Iron Lake
P1010701a The two Sylvesters
P1010706 Looking out to Lake Lockett and a cloud shrouded Mt Snowden behind.
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Sylvester Hut
P1010710 A bright sunrise at Sylvester Hut with Di taking a photograph of a kea sitting on a rock beside the hut.
P1010712 Kea on the hut porch.
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Iron Lake looking from the south
P1010716 View SE from the summit of Iron Hill
P1010722a Quartz deposits on the summit of Iron Hill.
P1010726 A panarama of the ridgetops I will be travelling along with the track above Fenella ending under the letter R in Ruby Lake which indicates where I left the ridgetops.
P1010728a View down to the Cobb river valley from Iron Hill
P1010731 Lake Lillie
P1010732 Another view down ridgeline to Mt Benson
P1010733 View SE back up to Iron Hill
P1010735 - P1010736
Mt Benson and Ruby Lake
P1010745a Cobb valley
P1010747 Back to Iron Hill
P1010748 - P1010751
Mt Benson summit
P1010752 Ruby Lake from around Mt Benson with Diamond lake to right with ridgeline travelled down from Iron Hill
P1010753 - P1010754
Panarama across the cobb valley
P1010759a2 Boulder sidle around Spot Height 1631
P1010760 Looking back SE along sidle path to Mt Benson
P1010761 Looking NW to Spot Height 1503m and once you get to the saddle before this there is a big sidle around to the left side and then up a gut. As you got closer you saw trails traversing the slope.
P1010763 Looking back SE to SP 1672 and the scree slope down to saddle
P1010765 The ridgeline veers to the right towards Waingaro Peak
P1010767 Lake Cobb to the left and Waingaro Peak to right
P1010772a The start of the marked track down to Fanella looking back along the ridge tops to Iron Hill
P1010774 Historic Tent camp which has recently being repaired to a livable state. Check out the before image.
P1010780 Tent camp as seen in 2011
DSC02025 Chaffey Hut
P1010784 Again this has recently being lovingly renovated and is now usable as a hut
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- P1010783
The hut as seen in 2011
DSC02031
