Wilson Creek circumnavigation, 8 - 9 December 2012

A splendid tops traverse in fine weather. From Fantail Falls car park we climbed through the bush to Mount Wilson, then along Wilson Ridge to Burnt Top and the Lindsay Peak. We bivvied just north of Mount Cross, which we traversed the next day before descending to the Haast Pass highway. Party: Lara Wilcocks and Danilo Hegg

Trip map. 1 grid square = 1km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size
Mount Brewster in an easterly gale, from the east ridge of Mount Wilson
Haast Pass Makarora Mount Brewster Mount Wilson New Zealand Topheavy Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 075
Unnamed Peak pt 1694m, Mt Cross and Mt Cameron from Mount Wilson. The serrated ridge of The Blister is in the foreground
Haast Pass Makarora Mount Cameron Mount Cross Mount Wilson New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek
Panorama from Wilson Ridge, looking south
Burnt Top Facade Cliffs Fish River Haast Pass Makarora Makarora River Mount Cameron Mount Cross Mount Wilson New Zealand Powder Flask Peak Robinson Creek The Blister Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 096b
On the east ridge of Mt Wilson, looking down into Robinson Creek (foreground) and the Makarora River
Haast Pass Makarora Makarora River Mount Wilson New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 102
View into the Wills River from Mt Wilson
Haast Pass Makarora Mount Wilson New Zealand Tramping Wills River Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 121
View across the Haast River from Mt Wilson. From left to right are Mount MacFarlane, Shattered Peak, Rough Ridge
Haast Pass Haast River Makarora Mount MacFarlane Mount Wilson New Zealand Rough Ridge Shattered Peak Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 123
The Blister and Burnt Top from Mount Wilson. The mountains west of the Fish River are on the skyline
Burnt Top Haast Pass Makarora Mount Burke Mount Cameron New Zealand Powder Flask Peak The Blister Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 129
Mount Armstrong from Mount Wilson. Brewster Hut is visible as a little red dot at centre image
Brewster Hut Haast Pass Makarora Mount Armstrong Mount Wilson New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 131
On Mount Wilson, looking into the Makarora River
Haast Pass Makarora Makarora River Mount Wilson New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Young Range Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 133
Lindsay Peaks route topo, from pt 1562m at the western end of Wilson Ridge
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Ridge route topo Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 136a
Burnt Top and the Lindsay Peaks (East Peak and High Peak) from pt 1562m at the western end of Wilson Ridge
Burnt Top Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Ridge Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 143
View into Strachan Creek from pt 1562m at the western end of Wilson Ridge. Mount Abrupt and Mt Peaceful are at the left edge of the image, The Joker on the far right. MacPherson Knob stands out above Mac Saddle at centre image.
Haast Pass Mac Saddle MacPherson Knob Makarora Mount Abrupt Mount Peaceful New Zealand Strachan Creek The Joker Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Ridge Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 155
View down Robinson Creek from Burn Top, Mount Wilson on left
Burnt Top Haast Pass Makarora Mount Wilson New Zealand Robinson Creek Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 156
View into Strachan Creek from Burnt Top. Mount Abrupt and Mt Peaceful are at the left edge of the image, The Joker is in cloud on the far right. MacPherson Knob stands out above Mac Saddle at centre image.
Burnt Top Haast Pass Mac Saddle MacPherson Knob Makarora Mount Abrupt Mount Peaceful New Zealand Strachan Creek The Joker Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 158
View down Wilson Creek from the saddle west of Burnt Top. Mount Cross is at centre image. Camerons Creek is right behind Mt Cross, with the Young Range on the left, Mt Shrimpton and the McKerrow Range on the right.
Burnt Top Haast Pass Makarora McKerrow Range Mount Cross Mount Shrimpton New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Young Range Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 168
On the Lindsay Peak's north ridge
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 170
View into the upper Fish River from Lindsay Peak. Mount Burke is the prominent peak in the foreground, on the far right
Fish River Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora Mount Burke New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 177a
Panorama from Lindsay Peak. Mount Burke is in the foreground on the left. Peaks on the skyline are Mt Aeolus, Mt Kuri, Pollux, Castor and Mt Alba. Mt Awful is exactly in front of Mt Alba, while unnamed peak pt 2026m is in front of Castor.
Castor Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora Mount Aeolus Mount Alba Mount Awful Mount Burke Mount Kuri New Zealand Pollux Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 180
Panorama from Lindsay Peak, looking north
Branch Creek Cowan Creek Doleful Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Lopside Knob Makarora Mount Campbell Mount Diomede Mount Nerger Mount Victor Mount Webster New Zealand Strachan Creek The Joker The Twirligig Tramping Wilson Creek Yestev Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 186b
View into The Twirligig and Mount Campbell from Lindsay Peak. Heave Up is just right (and in front of) of Mt Campbell; Lopside Knob on the far left
Haast Pass Heave Up Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Lopside Knob Makarora Mount Campbell New Zealand The Twirligig Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 188
Haast and Landsborough Rivers and Mt Hooker, from Lindsay Peak
Haast Pass Haast River Landsborough River Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora Mount Hooker New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 190
Lara on the summit of Lindsay Peak
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 191
Lara on the summit of Lindsay Peak
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora Mount Burke New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 193
Mount Brwester from the Main Divide of the Southern Alps, south of the Lindsay Peaks
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora Mount Brewster New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 195
The Lindsay Peaks at dusk, from the south
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 205
Sunset from our bivvy site just north of Mt Cross. Mount Cameron is the prominent peak just right of centre image
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora Mount Cameron Mount Cross Mount Stuart New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 212
Sunset over pt 1690m, Mt Stuart and Mt Cameron
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora Mount Cameron Mount Cross Mount Stuart New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 214
Panorama from the ridge north of Mt Cross: Powder Flask Peak, pt 1694m and pt 1690m, Mt Stuart and Mt Cameron
Haast Pass Makarora Mount Cameron Mount Cross Mount Stuart New Zealand Powder Flask Peak Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 216
Panorama from the ridge north of Mt Cross: Powder Flask Peak, pt 1694m and pt 1690m, Mt Stuart and Mt Cameron
Haast Pass Makarora Mount Cameron Mount Cross Mount Stuart New Zealand Powder Flask Peak Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 222
Lindsay Peaks
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek airplane Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 223
On the Main Divide of the Southern Alps between the Lindsay Peaks and Mt Cross
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Makarora Mount Cross New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 230
On the Main Divide of the Southern Alps between the Lindsay Peaks and Mt Cross
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora Mount Cross New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek
Lindsay Peaks. The middle one is highest
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Makarora New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 243
Fish River headwaters, with Mt Burke and The Keystone
Fish River Haast Pass Makarora Mount Burke Mount Cross New Zealand The Keystone Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 249
On Mt Cross. Mt Brewster behind
Haast Pass Makarora Mount Brewster Mount Cross New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 252
Lindsay Peaks
Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 257
Pt 1690m, Mt Stuart and Mt Cameron from Mt Cross
Haast Pass Makarora Mount Cameron Mount Stuart New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 259
Wilson Creek from bushline on the east ridge of Mt Cross, The Lindsay Peaks, Burn Top and The Blister are on the skyline
Burnt Top Haast Pass Lindsay Peak Lindsay Peaks Makarora Mount Cross New Zealand Robinson Creek The Blister Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 297
Descending the east ridge of Mt Cross to the Haast Pass road
Haast Pass Makarora Mount Cross New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 298
Short-horned grasshopper (Sigaus australis) swimming in a pond on the souhern slopes of Mt Cross
Fauna Haast Pass Makarora Mount Cross New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek grasshopper insect shorthorned grasshopper sigaus Wilson Creek Circumnavigation Sigaus australis
Short-horned grasshopper (Sigaus australis) swimming in a pond on the souhern slopes of Mt Cross
Fauna Haast Pass Makarora Mount Cross New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek grasshopper insect shorthorned grasshopper sigaus Wilson Creek Circumnavigation Sigaus australis
Short-horned grasshopper (Sigaus australis) swimming in a pond on the souhern slopes of Mt Cross
Fauna Haast Pass Makarora Mount Cross New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek grasshopper insect shorthorned grasshopper sigaus Wilson Creek Circumnavigation Sigaus australis
Short-horned grasshopper (Sigaus australis) swimming in a pond on the souhern slopes of Mt Cross
Fauna Haast Pass Makarora Mount Cross New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek grasshopper insect shorthorned grasshopper sigaus Wilson Creek Circumnavigation Sigaus australis
Morning dew on mountain toatoa (Phyllocladus alpinus) with female cones. Cameron Flat, Makarora Valley
Flora Haast Pass Makarora Mountain toatoa New Zealand Phyllocladus asplenifolius Phyllocladus asplenifolius var. alpinus Tramping Wilson Creek celery pine dew Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 003
Morning dew on mountain toatoa (Phyllocladus alpinus) with female cones. Cameron Flat, Makarora Valley
Flora Haast Pass Makarora Mountain toatoa New Zealand Phyllocladus asplenifolius Phyllocladus asplenifolius var. alpinus Tramping Wilson Creek celery pine dew Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 007
Morning dew on mountain toatoa (Phyllocladus alpinus) with female cones. Cameron Flat, Makarora Valley
Flora Haast Pass Makarora Mountain toatoa New Zealand Phyllocladus asplenifolius Phyllocladus asplenifolius var. alpinus Tramping Wilson Creek celery pine dew Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 010
Toadstool, Haast Pass
Flora Haast Pass Makarora Mount Wilson New Zealand Tramping Wilson Creek mushroom toadstool Wilson Creek Circumnavigation 014