3 Passes Route: Southern Alps

In the heart of the Southern Alps of New Zealand lies one of the absolute transalpine classic trekking routes; the 3 Passes. It is revered by many as one of the great backcountry hikes the country has on offer. Its remoteness and reliance on perfect conditions means many a trip is sent back due to high water and wild weather. This January we set out to experience one of the classics.

- Mike Dawson

It was nothing out of the ordinary for this part of the country, but the visibility was minimal as we pulled off SH73. The windscreen wipers were raging against the barrelling rain as we stared out of the windscreen up the somewhat wet and stormy-looking valley of the Waimakariri River. Barely able to make out our route in the distance, and reliant on the somewhat promising weather report, we decided to head up with the idea of turning back if it didn’t improve. We loaded our full packs on our backs and set off embarking on a classic NZ Alpine route, the 3 Passes.

Our route would see us traversing Harman, Whitehorn, and Browning passes. This route is a challenging hike, encompassing 3 mountain passes, endless river crossing and some wild backcountry terrain. The trip begins with wet socks immediately, the first river crossing of the Waimakariri River right out of the carpark, sets the scene instantly. As you work your way the 4-5 hours up to Carrington Hut the magnificence of Carrington Peak start to emerge through the foggy skyline. From here the true nature of this ‘walk’ begins to emerge. The track heading up the White River is the first test. If your party in unable to get across the river here, it’s likely that the future river crossings will be impassable. Wise advice.