Nelson Lakes National Park is home to some of New Zealand’s most iconic tracks. After previously tackling Robert Ridge in winter, I returned in summer to climb Mt Angelus (Maniniaro) and explore the rugged & less-travelled Mahanga Range. This trip report covers the transition from the popular Angelus Hut area to the quieter, and sometimes overgrown tracks of the D’Urville Valley.
Angelus Ridge is one of the most iconic tracks in Nelson Lakes National Park. Having previously tackled Robert Ridge only in winter conditions, I was keen to experience the route in summer. For this solo mission, my primary goal was to summit Mt Angelus (Maniniaro), a peak I had missed on previous trips due to time constraints.
The ultimate goal of every trip is never about the summit or the distance but rather coming home safe.
Robert Ridge
The climb up to Robert Ridge via the Pinchgut track is always a “slog” with a full pack, but the panoramic views make it entirely worth the effort. Navigating the ridge in summer felt remarkably different from my winter experience. Where snow had once provided a smooth, easy highway, I was now picking my way through a few sharp boulder fields—a technical challenge for many hikers I passed along the way.
Top Tip: Robert Ridge Route has had multiple rescues and fatalities on it so Mountain Safety Council have this safety video. It is only suitable in fine weather. The weather can change at any time, with high winds and poor visibility. It is an alpine environment. Alpine gear & avalanche knowledge is required from May – October. The Speargrass Creek Route to Angelus Hut is suitable as an alternative route when the weather is bad. The DoC staff in the Visitor Centre in St Arnaud can provide updates on current conditions. A good rule to remember is that on a calm day, Angelus Hut (1650 m) is at least 6oC colder than at Lake Rotoiti. Subtract another 2oC for every 10 km/h of wind. Subtract another 6.5oC for every 1,000 m ascent.
Rather than booking the popular Angelus Hut, I opted for a quieter experience. I found a secluded spot off Robert Ridge to camp next to a small tarn in a basin (west of pt 1885) just before the final descent to Angelus Hut
Summiting Angelus Peak (Maniniaro)
The next morning, I passed by Lake Angelus (Rotomaninitua) on my way to Hinapouri Tarn. I left my pack stashed behind a rock and carried a day pack to climb Mt Angelus (Maniniaro). The route is well-cairned with a clear foot-trail. It does get a bit steeper near the summit (2,075m) and less confident hikers may struggle with the terrain but no alpine equipment is required when there is no snow. From the summit, the views across the Travers Range are breathtaking.
The ‘knee-bashing’ Mt Cedric Track
After descending from Angelus Peak, I continued on the Mt Cedric Track. Like Robert Ridge, this route spends significant time above the bushline and involves boulder hopping. While I had read warnings about the long and “knee-bashing” steepness of the descent, I found it quite manageable—especially compared to the technical, rugged bush-bashing I had done on the West Coast. My knees were still very grateful to reach Sabine Hut at the end of the descent though.
Top Tip: The beech forest in Nelson Lakes can have many wasps, especially in January to April. Always carry antihistamine tablets. The sand flies are also extremely prevalent. Take insect repellent and cover up as much as possible to avoid bites.
Mt Misery
The sandflies at Sabine Hut were relentless, prompting a quick departure. Progress on the Sabine-D’Urville track was slow due to erosion and wind-fall. I had walked this track a few years ago and the track had deteriorated more since then.
The track was slipping into Lake Rotoroa and there was a lot of tree fall including one section of 100metres where the track had completely disappeared under all the large fallen trees. Climbing over and under the trees took time and energy and when I finally arrived at Misery Jetty I realised I was done for the day but not before half-heartedly starting up the Mt Misery track before wisely turning back, realising I lacked the daylight and energy for the 1,000m ascent.
I camped on the only flattish, non-boggy ground available near the jetty, right in the middle of the track. I enjoyed watching the curious native long-fin eels while dodging not so curious sandflies.
Top Tip: A sandfly headnet is a great piece of kit to add to your pack for any tramping in Nelson Lakes National Park.
The climb to Mt Misery Hut the following day was relentless, but the reward was a charming, cozy two-person hut in an incredible location. It even features a “loo with a view”—an open-air thunderbox overlooking the Travers Range.
Mahanga Range
I made the short climb up Mt Misery behind the hut. I could see Angelus Peak, Mt Hopeless, Mt Travers and Cupola. With a changing forecast and limited time, I decided to alter my original plan of heading towards the Ella Range and traverse the Mahanga Range. I had an Inreach for this trip but with phone reception I could actually phone my emergency contact, Tony, rather than having to send him a message. I had been checking in with Tony every night via the Inreach and he would send me updated weather forecasts.
Staying the night at Mt Misery Hut seemed very appealing but I walked along the broad ridge towards point 1775. There was a good foot trail along the first part of this ridge. I found a tarn north of point 1775 and set up camp for the night.
Starting toward Mt Windward, I encountered craggy terrain that felt slightly too technical for a solo mission and too slow with changing weather on its way. Trusting my instincts, I backtracked to a scree slope and descended toward the D’Urville River on a scree slope opposite the tarn north of point 1775. Knowing when to change plans or turn around is critical for safety in the bush where the weather, terrain or distance can trap you as the margin for error is very small. Optimism is never an adequate plan.
Exploring the D’Urville Valley
The scree slope was an old avalanche pathway that kept me out of the bush until I got much lower and I only had a short 300m drop through the bush which was very open. The D’Urville river was low, making for a straightforward crossing.
I walked up the valley to George Lyon Hut (formerly Ella Hut). It is a site with significant history, named after the first chief ranger of Nelson Lakes National Park, who was instrumental in early conservation. He was also responsible for the development of the park’s early hut network. I met my first people in a few days. Two men who had climbed over Moss Pass that day. The comments in the hut book made me giggle, with one that the track needed a “haircut.”
As predicted, the rain moved in the following day. I made a day trip up to Upper D’Urville Hut. It is a route that is quite overgrown and receives little foot traffic. I still enjoyed wandering up towards the head of the valley with Mt Dorothy and Mt Magadalene towering over me. I found it took me the signposted DoC time due to the track conditions, and I lost the route a few times although coming back I was much quicker as the markers were more visible on the return journey.
The rain finally eased as I headed back down the valley to Morgan Hut for the night, enjoying the beech forest and friendly robins. The D’Urville Valley is very quiet compared to the busy Sabine Valley that has constant traffic from people on the Travers-Sabine Loop and Te Araroa thru-hikers. The track winds through beech forest and has very little elevation. I bumped into only one person who made me laugh when his first words to me were, “Have you seen any trout?”
I spent a quiet night alone in Morgan hut, fending the wily weka away from my shoes.
Speargrass Hut: A challenging night
From Morgan Hut I decided to have a big day and walk all the way up to Speargrass Hut. The cheeky weka continued to stalk me down the valley. Before crossing the D’Urville River, I made a short detour to D’Urville hut.
Top Tip: The D’Urville River is not bridged and can be difficult to cross after rain. In higher flows, I have found it easier to walk down towards the Lake where there are some gravel bars and the river is shallower due to braids.
Back on the Sabine-D’Urville track again, it was slow progress. The track was muddy, overgrown and a few small bridges had been washed out. After prolonged rain, this section could become difficult with one stream about a metre deep in dry weather. I took a short cut and instead of walking all the way around to the bridge at the Sabine track junction, I crossed the Sabine River and bush bashed to get back onto the track.
Top Tip: This crossing was fast-flowing and should only be attempted by those with strong river crossing skills and confidence.
I reached Speargrass Hut just after dark and found a place under the beech trees to set up camp. Unfortunately, during the night I became violently ill, likely from a virus I had picked up on the trail. I was glad I was already in isolation in my tent so I wouldn’t risk getting others sick. The virus wreaked havoc on me through to the next morning. I immediately knew I wouldn’t be going anywhere that day as I was severely dehydrated and felt dizzy every time I even sat up. I spent the day lying down in my tent, sipping away at electrolytes.
The Ultimate Goal: Coming Home Safe
I stayed in touch with my emergency contact, who reminded me to use my Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) if things deteriorated. I cannot overstate the importance of having a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) or satellite communicator whenever venturing out in the bush and most especially when solo; it provides critical peace of mind when things don’t go to plan and allows rescuers to quickly locate you.
By the second morning, I felt strong enough to walk out to St Arnaud, taking it slowly.
A tramp does not require recklessness to become dangerous. The mountains do not care about your confidence, experience or fitness, but rather your preparation, timing, awareness and adaptability. These are the things that will keep you safe. Changing my plans multiple times this trip and having to stay put somewhere for 24 hrs on this trip was a stark reminder of this.
The ultimate goal of every trip is never about the summit or the distance but rather coming home safe.
Top Tip: The invasive alga lindavia is present in Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa. It causes lake snow – a sticky mucus that hangs below the surface of the water.
All gear that has been in either lake must be dry for 48 hours before swimming or taking water from any alpine lake or tarn, including Rotomaninitua/Lake Angelus.
Route Info
St Arnaud to campsite next to tarn west of point 1885 via Robert Ridge: 5-6hr | 17.4km | 1,383m elevation
Robert Ridge Campsite to Angelus Hut, Angelus Peak, Mt Cedric Track, Sabine Hut, Misery Jetty: 9 – 10hr | 20.8km | 1,134m elevation
Misery Jetty to Mt Misery Hut, Mt Misery, tarn north of point 1775: 7-8hr | 11.8km | 1,810m elevation
Campsite on Mahanga Ridge to south of point 1831, bush bash to D’Urville Valley, George Lyon Hut: 9 – 10hr | 17.3km | 849m elevation
George Lyon Hut to Upper D’Urville Hut, Morgan Hut: 8hr | 26.1km | 888m elevation
Morgan Hut to Speargrass Hut: 9 -10hr | 30.5km | 1,228m elevation
Speargrass Hut to St Arnaud: 4.5hr | 12.61km | 322m elevation