2014-02 (North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
New bridge across the Routeburn below the flats
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Momus (2148m) above the North Routeburn (from Routeburn Flats Hut)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Recent extension (circa 2014) to Routeburn Falls Hut
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North Routeburn Valley, with Somnus (2293m)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Trampers in the North Routeburn
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North Routeburn, with North Col and Somnus visible (the marked track is up in the trees on the true right - the river provides a nice alternative on a hot day)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North Routeburn (there is a track in this section on the true right - in the trees)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Flats in the North Routeburn, just below the boulder field (the easiest way through the boulder field is to cross the river and find a rough track near the valley wall on the true left).
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Upstream side of the North Routeburn boulder field
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
In normal to low water flow, it is easiest to just creek-bash up the North Routeburn
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Climbing up the North Routeburn - in low to normal conditions the river is the easiest (cross as required)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
View towards the Serpentine Range from the campsite next to the upper bivvy rock - this is the slope we climbed to the rocks above - steep, but plenty to hold on to (would be quite different in wet conditions)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
OTMC camping in the North Routeburn - most of this group continued to North Col and Lake Nerine
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
The final section to North Col (the Serpentine trip did not traverse this section). Snow often lies in this gully well into February (though not in 2014!)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Morning view down the North Routeburn
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
The tussock slope opposite our campsite - there may be a route to the left in between the rock, but we climbed right up to the rock near the top right of this photo
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Getting steeper - although OK in dry conditions
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Climbing the tussock slope - our campsite was on the knob below
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Climbing the tussock slope...
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
We climbed up to the right (going up) of the ridge you can see her - the crux was a short scramble where the second tramper can be seen coming up.
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
On the ridge - we traversed down into the gully on the right, and under the small bluff just left from the center of the photo (there is a tarn behind the bluff). North Routeburn below.
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Looking into the North Routeburn - easy traversing here
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
First small tarn we came too - a larger one is to the right (shown on the map just south of pt1550)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
The tarn shown on the TopoMap just south of pt1550
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Somnus (2293m) above the North Routeburn
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
The head of the North Routeburn (between Nereus Peak and Somnus)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Travelling along the Serpentine Range - we tended to keep to the North Routebrun side between pt1550 and pt 1604
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Camp on the Serpentine Range, on the North Routeburn side of saddle 1410
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Tarn near saddle 1410, looking towards Nereus Peak
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Between saddle 1410 and pt1807 we more or less stuck to the ridgeline (mainly easy travel or scrambling)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Heading along the Serpentine Range
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Head of the North Routeburn and Nereus Peak
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Looking west from the Serpentine Range towards the Darren Mountains (Hollyford Valley below)
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
One of the steeper sections - though not too hard...
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
North side of pt 1807 on the Serpentine Range - Mt Erebus on right
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Lower North Routeburn from the Serpentine Range
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Heading towards pt 1807 on the Serpentine Range
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Darren Mountains, Morraine Creek and the Hollyford Valley from the Serpentine Range
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Morraine Creek and small section of Lake Adelaide from the Serpentine Range
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Just below point 1807 (on the north side) on the Serpentine Range
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
There is a great route on the north-east side of pt1807 that leads around to a gully that drops into Lake Wilson (or to the north ridge of Erebus) - the tussock strip in the centre of this photo is almost like a track!
North Routeburn - Serpentine Range - Lake Wilson Traverse
Approaching the saddle between pt1795 and Erebus (head of North Routeburn in background)