I’d been keen to climb Mt Somers soon after moving Christchurch, but for a few weeks Covid-19 restrictions got in the way. After they lifted we set off to summit this mountain before winter set in. I’d seen some photos online and thought it would be just okay, but it exceeded my expectations. The views are excellent, and the mountain tall and rugged enough to make the climb very satisfying. And the lower slopes are forested with beech and later manuka trees, which makes for a nice change from the more open walks in the area.
On a clear day you can see a large section of the Southern Alps, nearby Mt Taylor (2333m), and views east over the Canterbury Plains. A few minutes walk west across the summit plateau takes you to a knoll from where you get better views to the west and south.
It was fairly busy on a Saturday after Covid restrictions lifted, but not enough to diminish the experience too much. Track notes at the end.
Mt Somers from Sharplin Falls Reserve: The Scenery
Shots from our first time up the mountain in May 2020, and also some from late May 2021 with a bit of snow, and clear views north and west which we did not get in May.
A few shots now from September…
Back to May…
A similar view from September…
Summit shots from September…
Descending again, all from May…
Track Notes
The route starts on the southern section of the Mt Somers multi-day track (although we met a guy who ran the whole circuit in 3.5 hours). It climbs to Staverley Hill, leaves the track to follow a poled route steeply up the south face of Mt Somers, then onto a flattish ridge to the summit.
This south facing route can be icy in winter, and if so would require ice axe and crampons. It was already quite slippery in a long-lasting morning frost when we did it in mid May, but in fact the upper sections were easy enough with a little fresh snow in September. It may also be hard to follow towards the top in poor visibility.
Nevertheless, in good weather it was a fairly straightforward climb, and the DOC estimate of 5 hours up is a fairly wild over-estimate. I think three to four hours will be enough for most regular hikers travelling with only day packs. Descending isn’t all that much quicker, especially if slippery. I’d say the whole walk is at the hard end of moderate depending on the conditions.
There’s a car park at Sharplin Falls Reserve but it seems to fill up quickly (or at least it did in the days post-Covid restrictions, perhaps full of desperate trampers getting their first fix in ages). There’s more information on this walk on the DOC website.
