The Cass-Lagoon Saddle Track is a popular front-country tramp in Craigieburn Forest Park. This classic 34km Canterbury hike offers an incredible variety of terrain, from gentle valleys and lush beech forests to high alpine saddles with panoramic views with options for side trips such as summiting Mt Bruce for more experienced parties. In winter, the track is much quieter but requires a number of considerations for navigating the track safely.

There are a number of fantastic day walks to do in the area afterwards: Craigieburn Forest Park: Mt Izard, Mt Cloudsley; Hamilton Peak-Nervous Knob;

Arthur’s Pass: Avalanche Peak-Lyell-Bealey Loop;

Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park: Foggy Peak-Castle Hill Peak-The Gap & Benmore-Annavale Loop & Sugarloaf Summit.

“Hold on to your pantaloons”

Planning Information for Cass-Lagoon Saddle Track

• Location: Craigieburn Forest Park
• Start/End points: Cass & Cora Lyn Road. Does not start & end in the same place. Both track entrances are alongside State Highway 73 (SH73) between Christchurch and Arthur’s Pass. East West Coaches service from Christchurch to the West Coast may drop you off by arrangement.
• Direction: Either direction is absolutely fine, but most trampers prefer to begin the track from the Cass end, as this avoids the steepest ascents.
• Track details: 2-3 days | 1,340m elevation | 32km
• Difficulty: Moderate. Confident with river crossings & some short, unmarked sections of trail.
• Huts: Hamilton Hut is a serviced bookable hut & annual hut passes are only valid May – September. All the other huts are free to stay at.
• Topo Map: BV20 Otira, BV21 Cass & BW20 Lake Coleridge
• Gear: The weather can change very quickly so wind and waterproof layers with warm clothes are essential. In winter/spring, a bothy bag for shelter is recommended in addition to ice-axes, crampons and helmets.
• Seasonal restrictions: Best walked in late spring to early autumn, because of frequent winter snowfalls and complex avalanche terrain on Cass Saddle. There are unbridged river crossings that could be impassable after heavy rain.
• Car Park Security: Carparks at either end have been targeted by thieves in the past so do not leave valuables in your car. It may be better to park at Cass settlement and walk 1 km along the gravel road to the start of the track on SH73.

Day 1: Cora Lynn Road to Lagoon Saddle Hut (aka “The Garden Shed”)

From the Cora Lynn Road car park, the track eased us into the journey with a gentle gradient through stunning native beech forest. As we climbed toward the bush edge, the canopy shifted to pine before opening up into expansive tussock slopes. The views looking back down into the Waimakariri River valley were spectacular.

Our destination for the night was Lagoon Saddle Hut, just behind A Frame Hut. Or, as I quickly nicknamed it, the “Garden Shed.” It sits in a spot that receives absolutely no winter sun and everything around it was completely frozen. Inside, the lack of windows and single small skylight made it very dim and not particularly inviting but we made the best of it for the night.

We had high hopes of getting an outdoor fire going to toast sausages, garlic bread, and marshmallows. However, one look at the completely frozen firewood convinced us it wasn’t worth the effort. We huddled inside and focused on defrosting ourselves for the night.

Day 2: Frozen Scree, Changing Plans & Camping at Lagoon Tarn

The next morning, we ventured back up the hill. We left the marked track near the treeline to begin our route around the western flanks of Mt Bruce.

Our original plan was to aim directly for the saddle between Mt Bruce and Point 1672. However, the scree inside the deep gully was completely frozen solid—creating a slick, incredibly dangerous face. We were forced to climb much higher up Mt Bruce to bypass it.

We ended up just shy of the summit. I teased Tony that we should just push to the summit of Mt Bruce, but he stubbornly refused—claiming he wanted to taunt “Brucey.” 

⚠️ Safety Note: Frozen scree in New Zealand backcountry can be incredibly treacherous. It behaves like marbles on ice. A slip can be fatal and has been responsible for deaths on Mt Taranaki. 

On the southern side, we found some hard snow that offered excellent cramponing. But there was more frozen scree. Realising the Black Range traverse would feature a lot more of these treacherous conditions, we made the call to abandon the traverse and simply follow the track instead. Safety first. 

We decided to have a relaxed afternoon and set up camp near the “Lagoon” tarn in a little island of beech trees. We spent the evening toasting dinner by the roaring fire, accompanied by the beautiful yet eerie sound of frogs calling from the partially frozen tarns.

Day 3: Walking on water, tree fall and a life of luxury at Hamilton Hut

After a much warmer night camping than sleeping in “The Garden Shed,” we headed back to the track. Tony tried out ice skating on one of the frozen tarns. He wasn’t as successful walking on water later in the day when he took a tumble in the creek. There had been a fair amount of tree fall in the beech forest over winter so we spent the morning clambering over it all. Over summer, this track would be cleared routinely as it forms part of the Te Araroa trail. 

On a steeper descent down some frozen scree to the Harper River, Tony and I noticed a very fitting comment written on the orange track marker that made us both laugh: “Hold on to your pantaloons.”

West Harper Hut was catching the sun much to our delight, so it seemed the perfect spot for lunch where we got a visit from several bellbirds (korimako) and some curious kea

Just before Hamilton Hut, we took a short 20 minute side trip climbing up to the partially frozen Mirror Tarn and during the climb offered a stunning viewpoint out to the Craigieburn Range. We could look up and identify Hamilton Peak and Nervous Knob that I had climbed earlier in the year, and Tony had skied off many times. 

We decided to call it a day at Hamilton Hut so we could leave the climb up to Cass Saddle for the next morning. Tony and I took turns splitting firewood, building up a massive supply. By nightfall, we had a roaring fire going and a mountain of wood left behind for the next trampers to keep them cozy. We even pulled the mattresses into the main room to sleep right in front of the fire. Our fire was still glowing the next morning!

Day 4: Cass Saddle & Walking Poles Hidden Up Chimneys

From Hamilton Hut, the steady climb toward Cass Saddle began.

🚨 Avalanche Alert: The approach to Cass Saddle passes directly through known avalanche pathways. Always check the NZ Avalanche Advisory & Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) Rating before heading out.

Luckily for us, there was no snow above the saddle, making it perfectly safe to cross. The 360-degree views from the top of the saddle were breathtaking.

We stopped for lunch at Cass Saddle Hut which is a cute hut nestled amongst the beech forest just under Cass Saddle and often gets visits from cheeky kea. It would be a great place to spend a night. While Tony wasn’t looking, I sneakily hid his walking pole up the chimney and spent a hilarious few minutes watching him try to remember where he’d left it. [Tony: Going on Sarah-trips is a test of mental resilience]!

From there, it was an easy, but long, downhill walk out and along the Cass river. The final few kilometres out to State Highway 73 felt never-ending. Our tramping luck held out as when we finally hit the asphalt, Tony stuck his thumb out, and the very first car that drove past stopped! They kindly gave him a ride back to our car at Cora Lynn Road and we stayed the night at Bealey Hut, wrapping up a fun winter Canterbury tramp.