Goat Hill via Barrack Creek Route, Arthur’s Pass NZ
Magnificent views on an adventurous route up through lush West Coast forest & along a rocky alpine ridge to Goat Hill (1656m) in Arthur’s Pass National Park near Otira.
This somewhat adventurous climb up the Barrack Creek Route to Goat Hill (1656m) was our first walk on the West Coast side of Arthur’s Pass National Park. The views are really spectacular, and include Mt Rolleston and numerous other peaks, the Otira River, Deception Valley, and the attractive Barrack Creek Valley. Also, the vegetation is different enough to add interest for someone used to the plants back east. The route is quite rough in sections, both through the forest and up towards the summit, and requires some scrambling. If you are okay with this then it will only add to the adventure. All in all a very satisfying day tramp that we’ll be sure to repeat. And you’ll probably have the place to yourself.
I recommend this walk in fine weather and when dry underfoot. Track notes at the end.
Goat Hill via Barrack Creek Route: The Scenery
Lush forest on the lower slopes. A werewere-kokako. These blue mushtooms are on New Zealand’s $50 bill. Very cute. My wife Sophia noticed this – she’s not all that attentive, but is mad about mushrooms. The sub-alpine scrub at maybe 900-1000m of elevation. There were a number of alpine plants I’d not seen before. I imagine these would look very nice when in bloom, although still interesting like this. Spider webs. Climbing the last bit towards the summit of Goat Hill (1656m). Looking up towards the summit. It looked like it might clear but that wasn’t to happen for another hour and a half. Sophia heading off back as I waited around for the cloud to clear and get a few shots. It’s hard to leave a mountain without getting the views and the photos of those views. Cloud clearing from Barrack Valley. It was exciting to see what we’d been missing, and the views kept opening up from here. Sophia left the summit before me. You can see her on the ridge. Gorge Creek feeding into the Deception River. Getting a look at the Otira River. Barrack Creek Valley. The mist clearing from Mt Rolleston on the right. A panorama south. Our second lunch spot on point 1578m. Sophia waited here for me to take pictures at the summit and on the ridge as the cloud cleared. A panorama looking back towards the summit (left). I think that is Mt Franklin centre right. Mt Stuart left and Mt Rolleston centre right. Goat Hill on the right, and point 1578m on the left. Sophia admiring Mt Rolleston (2275m). This is still on the to-do list, but might require some more experience and snow craft skills before we take it on. A pleasing panorama of Arthur’s Pass National Park to the south-west. The summit poking out to the right. Sophia backed by Mt Stuart (or at least point 1835m – the summit is a bit out of view I think). Mt Rolleston, Mt Philistine and the Otira River. We could only see half way up these mountains on the way out.
This sub-alpine forest/woodland reminded me a bit of some Australian forests. A few big trees about, this one leaning out over the hillside. It was a steep track through the forest. Very ferny. Crossing the boulder strewn Barrack Creek on the way back. I fell here on the way out and cut myself. The boulders are not that stable so beware!
Track Notes
It’s a sometimes steep & rough but nevertheless well marked track through the forest, then alpine scrub to the bushline. From there you follow the increasingly rocky ridge with a scramble to reach the summit. A fun walk but not for beginners, and best in dry weather I’d say.
The route starts at the side of the road just before the Otira River Bridge. You follow a grassy vehicle track through a fence and onto the bouldery Barrack Creek bed. Walk upstream for maybe 5 minutes or so and keep your eyes out for an orange marker on the northern side where you enter the forest. (There’s a scramble required just to get out of the creek bed).
It’s a sometimes steep & rough but nevertheless well marked track through the forest, then alpine scrub to the bushline. There is some scrambling required through the forest pretty much from the get go. And the track markers get less frequent in the heath vegetation higher up, but there are a few small cairns around and we never felt like we would lose the track. From the bushline you follow the increasingly rocky ridge with more scrambling to reach the summit.
A fun walk but not for beginners, and best in dry weather I’d say. I wouldn’t want to climb back down through the forest in the wet, nor do all that boulder hopping and scrambling on the ridge. We got the idea for the walk from Canterbury Foothills and Forest: A Walking and Tramping Guide.
