Dragons Teeth, 30 December 2015 to 3 January 2016
Day 1: From the southern end of the Quartz Range Road over the Lead Hills to Lake Clara and to Boulder Lake Hut.
Day 2: Up Arena Creek to Green Saddle and along the tops to the Needles Eye. Here we ditched our packs and scrambled up the north ridge of The Needle. We then continued to Adelaide Tarn Hut; since it was full, we bivvied among tussocks 80m higher up.
Day 3: Dragons Teeth High Route to Lonely Lake Hut, with a side trip to the Dragons Teeth's high point (Pt 1663m).
Day 4: In steady rain, south over the Douglas Range tops, sidling under Kakapo Peak and the Waingaro Peaks. Fenella Hut was full; we spent the night at Cobb Hut.
Day 5: Down the Cobb River to Chaffey Hut and to the car park at Trilobite Hut (Cobb Reservoir).
Party: Crystal Brindle 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.
Trip map. 1 grid square = 10km. Left click on map then select "Sizes -> Original" in bottom right corner of screen to view full size.
Trip start - about to set off for the Lead Hills
DragonsTeeth010Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsNew ZealandQuartz Range RoadTrampingsign
On the north ridge of the Lead Hills
DragonsTeeth012Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount OlympusNew ZealandTramping
On the north ridge of the Lead Hills, looking at Mount Olympus
DragonsTeeth014Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount OlympusNew ZealandTramping
On the north ridge of the Lead Hills
DragonsTeeth015Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount OlympusNew ZealandTramping
On the north ridge of the Lead Hills
DragonsTeeth020Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount OlympusNew ZealandTramping
On the north ridge of the Lead Hills
DragonsTeeth026aDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount OlympusNew ZealandTramping
On the north ridge of the Lead Hills
DragonsTeeth027Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount OlympusNew ZealandTramping
On the north ridge of the Lead Hills
DragonsTeeth032Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount OlympusNew ZealandTramping
On the north ridge of the Lead Hills,. The Dragons Teeth are just visible in the background.
DragonsTeeth035Douglas RangeDragons TeethKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount OlympusNew ZealandTramping
On the north ridge of the Lead Hills
DragonsTeeth036Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount OlympusNew ZealandTramping
About to climb into cloud on the north ridge of Lead Hills.
DragonsTeeth041Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsNew ZealandTramping
View of Boulder Lake from the east ridge of Clark Peak, Lead Hills. Caesar Knob is on the far right.
DragonsTeeth073Boulder LakeCaesar KnobDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsNew ZealandTramping
Arena Creek and Calphurnia Peak from the east ridge of Clark Peak, Lead Hills.
DragonsTeeth075Arena CreekCalphurnia PeakDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsNew ZealandTramping
Panorama from the east ridge of Clark Peak, Lead Hills.
DragonsTeeth082aAnatoki RangeArena CreekBoulder LakeBoulder Lake HutCaesar KnobCalphurnia PeakDouglas RangeGladiator PeakKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount SnowdonNew ZealandTramping
Panorama from the east ridge of Clark Peak, Lead Hills.
DragonsTeeth082bAnatoki RangeArena CreekBoulder LakeBoulder Lake HutCaesar KnobCalphurnia PeakDouglas RangeGladiator PeakKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount SnowdonNew ZealandTramping
Looking into Boulder Lake from the east ridge of Clark Peak, Lead Hills.
DragonsTeeth084Arena CreekBoulder LakeCaesar KnobCalphurnia PeakDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsNew ZealandTramping
The old Boulder Lake Hut - hut interior
DragonsTeeth096Boulder LakeBoulder Lake HutDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandTrampinghut
Red tussock (Chionochloa rubra) fills Arena Creek, Kahurangi National Park. The route to Green Saddle climbs the open spur in the right-hand half of the image.
DragonsTeeth106Arena CreekBoulder LakeDouglas RangeFloraKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandTramping
From Red tussock
Bog in Arena Creek, Kahurangi National Park.
DragonsTeeth120Arena CreekDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandTrampingbog
Arena Creek and Boulder Lake
DragonsTeeth128Arena CreekBoulder LakeDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandTramping
On Green Saddle, looking south
DragonsTeeth141Douglas RangeGreen SaddleKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandTramping
Neocicindela garnerae, a tiger beetle. Green Saddle, Douglas Range, Kahurangi National Park.
DragonsTeeth156Arena CreekDouglas RangeFaunaGreen SaddleKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNeocicindela garneraeNeocicindela parryiNew ZealandTrampingbeetletiger beetle
View from Green Saddle: Arena Creek and Boulder Lake.
DragonsTeeth161Arena CreekBoulder LakeDouglas RangeGreen SaddleKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandTramping
View south along the Douglas Range. Yuletide Peak is on left, The Needle is on the right. The route to Adelaide Tarn sidles the scrubby slopes in the foreground.
DragonsTeeth162Douglas RangeGreen SaddleKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandThe NeedleTrampingYuletide Peak
View of the Lead Hills from near Green Saddle.
DragonsTeeth165Douglas RangeGreen SaddleKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsMount ClarkNew ZealandTramping
View into Clark River from near Green Saddle. The peaks on the skyline are, from left to right, The Needle, the Dragons Teeth, Mount Douglas and Trident.
DragonsTeeth167Clark RiverDouglas RangeDragons TeethGreen SaddleKahurangiKahurangi National ParkMount DouglasNew ZealandThe NeedleTrampingTrident
View into Clark River from near Green Saddle. The peaks on the skyline are, from left to right, The Needle, the Dragons Teeth, Mount Douglas and Trident.
DragonsTeeth170Clark RiverDouglas RangeDragons TeethGreen SaddleKahurangiKahurangi National ParkMount DouglasNew ZealandThe NeedleTrampingTrident
Mount Douglas and Trident from Needles Eye
DragonsTeeth190Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkMount AdamsNeedles EyeNew ZealandTrampingTrident
View down the Anatoki River from Needles Eye
DragonsTeeth196Anatoki RiverDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNeedles EyeNew ZealandTramping
Scrambling on The Needle. The Anatoki River below.
DragonsTeeth201Anatoki RiverDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandThe NeedleTramping
View from The Needle: Adelaide Tarn, Mount Douglas, Trident.
DragonsTeeth207Adelaide TarnDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkMount DouglasNew ZealandThe NeedleTrampingTrident
View from The Needle: Adelaide Tarn, Dragons Teeth, Mount Douglas, Trident.
DragonsTeeth209aAdelaide TarnDouglas RangeDragons TeethKahurangiKahurangi National ParkMount DouglasNew ZealandThe NeedleTrampingTrident
The Needle's summit pyramid from the north.
DragonsTeeth212Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkNew ZealandThe NeedleTramping
Clark River headwaters and Mount Olympus from The Needle.
DragonsTeeth213Clark RiverDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkMount OlympusNew ZealandThe NeedleTramping
Lead Hills from The Needle.
DragonsTeeth215Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsNew ZealandThe NeedleTramping
Scrambling up The Needle's north ridge. Lead Hills are in the background.
DragonsTeeth219Douglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkLead HillsNew ZealandThe NeedleTramping
View of Mount Douglas, Trident and Adelaide Tarn from the summit of The Needle.
DragonsTeeth226Adelaide TarnDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkMount DouglasNew ZealandThe NeedleTrampingTrident
Clark River headwaters and Mount Olympus from The Needle.
DragonsTeeth228Clark RiverDouglas RangeKahurangiKahurangi National ParkMount OlympusNew ZealandThe NeedleTramping
Dave Pratt
on December 31, 2017Great trip and pics Danilo! Question: Is there any info out there on the Dragons Teeth high route?
Chris Jones
on May 15, 2016I love looking at the photos of your trips. Great work!