TEN TRAMP MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATION YEAR: 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026
The cost of all tramps is $25 unless otherwise noted.
14 January 8.30am Rakaia Gorge Walkway
2nd Pick-up Yaldhurst Hotel
Easy walk with some moderate climbs and descents. Lovely views of the river.
Standard Route: Evans Family Reserve to Boat Harbour via the Loop Track and return.
Alternate Route: Evans Family Reserve to Boat Harbour and return.
Statistics: Distance – 10.5km/8km. Elevation gain – 414/300m. Time – 3hr 30mins
21 January 8.30am Hoon Hay Reserve/Gibraltar Rock/Bellbird
2nd Pick-up Princess Margaret Hospital car park
Easy ridge walk with some descents and climbs. Lunch at Coopers Knob/Gibraltar rock
Standard Route: Hoon Hay Reserve, Sign of the Bellbird, Crater Rim Walkway, Ellas Track, Ohinetahi Bush, Orongamai Reserve, Coopers Knob drop down onto Summit Rd then make your way up to Gibraltar Rock and return to Bellbird carpark
Alternate Route: As above to Coopers Knob then return to Bellbird carpark.
Statistics: Distance – 12.6km/9.6km, elevation gain 650m/433m, time 4hr/3hr
28 January 8.30am Hogs Back Track
2nd Pick up – Yaldhurst Hotel
Easy to moderate walk from Castle Hill Village across undulating scrub and forest
Standard Route: From the access road to Thomas Bush just west of Castle Hill Village the track climbs through beech forest onto the Long Spur ridgeline. After following the ridgeline the track then descends across the open flats below Long Spur to the beech forest at Long Creek. A walk through the beech forest is followed by a short climb up the true right of Waterfall Creek. After crossing Waterfall Creek, the track then traverses across to the western side of the Hogs Back ridge and up onto ridge for lunch. Return same track.
Alternate Route: As above stopping for lunch anywhere along the track, before returning.
Statistics: Distance 15.4/14km, elevation gain, 415m/400m, time 5 hr
4 February 8.30am Sign of the Bellbird – Evans Pass
2nd Pick -up – N/A
Open grassy ridge climb to start, some tussock type country with easy walking passages, bush clad boulder rock hopping sections, steeper climbing and descent sections.
Standard Route: Crater Rim Walkway from the Sign of the Bellbird to Evans Pass
Alternate Route: Crater Rim Walkway from the Sign of the Kiwi to Evans Pass
Statistics: 17km/14km, elevation gain 670-800m/410m. Time: 5hr 30min/5hr
11 February 8.30am Mt Thomas
2nd P/U: Ohoka Rd Silverstream between Island Rd & Silverstream Blvd
Moderate steepish steady climb all the way to lunch time, then downhill home in the foothills between Oxford and Loburn.
Standard Route: Up Ridge track, along the ridge to summit of Mt Thomas returning via Wooded Gully or as agreed.
Alternate Route: Up Ridge track, follow ridge with options to go down Wooded Gully track or continue to Mt Thomas and return down Summit Track (steeper).
Statistics: Distance – 146m/12km. Elevation gain 840m/470m. Time 5hr 45min/4hr 30min
18 February 8.30am Pony Point – Barnett Park
2nd Pick up – Barnett Park
A mixture of gradual and steeper climbs and descents between Lyttelton and Moncks Bay. Skirts Lyttelton’s northern boundary to connect with Major Hornbrook and Chalmers Tracks, then up to the Crater Rim Walkway and the gun emplacements. Down to Summit Road and Eastenders Track.
Standard Route: From the Pony Point Reserve layby, follow the coastal track and continue past torpedo Boat Museum and Fort Erskine gun emplacement earthworks. Take the footpath towards Lyttelton. The Leaders Guide identifies the road to take to reach the bottom of Major Hornbrook Track. Take Major Hornbrook Track to Chalmers Track, turning right into the quarry for lunch (or a bit further to a rise above Lyttelton – viewpoint).
After lunch complete Chalmers Track to the saddle where it meets the Crater Rim Walk-way. Climb left to the gun emplacements, descend to the Summit Road and take the Eastenders Track and the Barnett Park Track to the Pick Up at the carpark
Alternate Route: As per Standards but starting from Corsair Bay.
Statistics: Distance – 13.6km. Elevation 562m/408m. Time 4hr 20min
25 February 8.30am Prebble Hill
2nd P/U Yaldhurst Hotel
Moderate walk on farmland above Porters Pass. Magnificent limestone outcrops. Difficult crossings of the porter river. RIVER LEVEL DEPENDENT – MUST FORD RIVER
Standard Route: Proceed along formed farm track to the Porter River to cross. Follow roughly formed farm track along river terrace towards the large escarpment. Pick up deer fence and follow the stock track, keeping the deer fence on the right until you reach the formed road again. Follow this ‘road’ to the back of Prebble Hill. Cross fence and follow across ground to a bald-looking ridge (at the bottom of this is an orange marker on a matagouri bush). Climb the ridge to a stock track, which takes you to a saddle below Prebble Hill. From here there is an easy climb following the ridge to the top of Prebble Hill. Lunch. After lunch return via same crossing of Porter River as used on the way in.
Alternate Route: Start and return as per Standards re crossing Porter River (Castle Hill Station main access track). Once over river walk as far as comfortable and reverse to return.
Statistics: Distance 14km/10km, elevation gain 394m/215m, Time 4hr/3hr
4 March 8.30am Boundary Hill – Red Lakes
2nd pick up Yaldhurst Hotel
High country farm walk.
Standard Route: Grassy river terraces to start, then level and easy graded alpine pasture with some short steep pitches both up and down. Outstanding 3600 views from the top of hill with a marked steep descent to follow. Finishes with a gentle descent along a grassed four-wheel drive track, a level pitch across high country pasture to the Red Lakes, a further level section of farm track and a short stroll along the grassy verges of the Lyndon Road
Alternate Route: As per standards but returning to drop off point when agreed by group.
Statistics: Distance 11.5km/7.6km, elevation gain 519m/400m, time 4hr/ 4hr 45min
11 March 8.00am Mt Richardson
AS THE BUS CAN NOT ACCESS THE CAR PARK, CARS WILL BE USED FOR THIS TRAMP
2nd pick-up – N/A
Standard Route Mt Richardson Track to the trig station at the top of the mountain, lunch, east along the Blowhard Track and down the Bypass Track and Glentui Nature Walk to the picnic area.
Alternate Route: Mt Richardson track to the top clearing at the bushline or the top of the mountain as suits, for lunch. Then return by the same route in reverse to the picnic area.
Option to walk up the Bypass track as far as practicable and return via same route
Statistics: Distance 18km/15km, elevation gain 919m/610mm, Time 5hr 30min.
18 March 8.30am Leith Hill Slump – Kura Tawhiti
2nd Pick up Yaldhurst Hotel
From Castle Hill Village, crossing forest and farm land, with great views over the area.
Standard Route A steady uphill walk along Hogsback track and upper logging access track through bush initially, then into the open and continue along this section until a junction. Take the left (straight ahead junction). Follow down to Thomas River and cross, left along river and up the trail that joins the Leith Hill Slump Track to the sink hole for lunch. Continue past sinkhole out of the forest, cross fence on the right, onto Castle Hill Station. Follow down fence line to bulldozer track. Continue to Kura Tawhiti/Limestone Tors
Alternate Route: Alternate may choose to omit the inital logging access track section
Statistics: Distance 10.2km/9km, elevation gain 873m, time 4hr/3hr 35min
25 March 8.00am Mt Alford
2nd pick up: Yaldhurst Hotel
Moderate climb through bush and farmland to a viewpoint south of Mt Hutt
Standard Route Steady climb (600m vertical) along a poled route through beech forest then tussock and sub alpine scrub to top of Mt Alford (1171m) returning on same track.
Alternate Route: As per standards climbing as high as able
Statistics: Distance 9km/7km, elevation gain 730m/430m, time 4hr 45min/4hr