Mid Caples Hut

Overview: an easy walk up the Caples Valley to the excellent Mid Caples Hut for the night, 4th-5th May 2026

Sometimes you plan things so far in advance that you lose track of what you have and have not researched and prepared for. So despite having a pretty clear idea of what I could expect on the track and at the hut, an ominous sign at the tiny settlement of Kinloch, on the far north-western shores of Lake Wakatipu, suprised me with threats of three potentially impassable and/or vehicle damaging fords on the road to the Greenstone-Caples car park.
I fully expected a narrow and windy gravel road - that's pretty much a given - but I'd not seen the fords mentioned in my apparently inadequate research. And it was easy to see why they could be troublesome, unlike some of the more tame concreted fords I've encountered, these were pretty much just shallow streams that the road dips in and out of. My rental car made it through absolutely fine however, with only the briefest of undercarriage scrapes exiting the second ford on the inbound drive. I no doubt violated the rental terms and conditions but it's been long enough now that I feel pretty safe to say I got away with it.
Long story short, you'll probably be fine, barring any heavy rain and/or storm events. The DOC visitor centre in Queenstown would also have up-to-date info on the road condition.

Roading digression aside, back to the tramp itself. From the car park, the well formed track leads into the forest, following the Greenstone river upstream. Very shortly, another track diverges, crossing a suspension bridge over the river. This is the Rere Lake loop track. The Greenstone-Caples stays on the river's true left, and begins to climb through beech forest interspersed with interesting rock formations. The valley is narrow here, and the track reaches roughly 80m above the river as it sidles along the steep hillside. 

 Eventually, 2 km from the start, another bridge is reached a short distance upstream of the confluence of the Greenstone and Caples rivers. The bridge crosses the Caples river, where the Greenstone track then makes it's way up the Greenstone valley. I continue straight ahead, following the Caples track.

Curiously, the track here sits very close to the edge of the public conservation land (the Caples Conservation Area), which covers the forested hills on the river's true left, but not the valley floor itself (as can be seen on Te Herenga a Nuku's walking access maps). The origins of the this arrangement trace back to the 1860s when colonial pioneer types lay claim to various pockets of land for farming. It also goes some way to explaining the somewhat incongruous farm-type fencing that was visible at times, which in hindsight probably demarcated the boundary of the public conservation estate and private land.

The track alternates between the fringe of the forest and out in the open. Tussock is conspicuous in its absence from valley floor - a consequence of the valley's use for running livestock. At times, the track crosses lose rocky slopes, prone to slips during and after stormy weather. Several streams are also crossed (unbridged) along the way, but they are small and shallow.

About 7.2 km from the start, the track passes by the vicinity of the Old Birchdale Homestead - a relic of the Birchdale Station that once occupied the valley. Nowadays, the homestead is a jumble of partially standing walls. It can't be seem from the track, but the general area is identifiable from the poplar trees adorning the terraces across the river. A pile of timber and iron can be seen from the track - the "Derelict Hut" marked on Topo50 maps.

Not far from here I took a quick snack break at another stream crossing. And quick it was, because it was not long until I was being mobbed by voracious sandflies. I gave up partway through my cheese and crackers and continued on toward the hut. 

Close to the hut, the track enters forest and climbs briefly, arriving in a another open grassy area with brilliant views up to the mountains at the head of the valley. On the other side of these mountains is the Earland Falls section of the Routeburn Track. The track makes a sharp left turn, re-enters the forest where a wooden footbridge crosses a narrow and spectacular gorge of the Caples River. The bottom end of the gorge can be walked to by following a clear but unmarked track the diverges from the main track in the forested area before ascending to the bridge. There's a memorial bench seat, and the river exits the narrow gorge into a deep and startlingly blue pool.

 

The hut is visible almost immediately after the bridge, where it occupies a brilliant spot on a high terrace. There are great views of the surrounding mountains. The hut itself is modern and spacious, with a generous communal area and two large bunkrooms. Separate DOC warden quarters are attached by a covered deck. The fire was already going when I arrived and the hut was warm and cosy. There's bunks for 24 people, though only seven other people were there.

Dusk

Dawn

The next day I departed relatively early and retraced my steps to the carpark in time to drive to Queenstown airport for my flight back to Wellington. 

 

Map:

Elevation Profile:

Time and Distance:

Carpark to Caples Track bridge: 2.01 km, 34 min; Bridge to track adjacent to Derelict Hut: 5.29 km, 1 hr 52 min; Derelict Hut to Mid Caples Hut: 1.9 km, 33 min.

Total: 9.2 km, 2 hours 59 min. 

Cobb & Co. Part 2: Sylvester Hut

Overview: a quick and easy tramp to the brilliantly located Sylvester Hut makes for a satisfying follow-up to the preceding tramp to Fenella Hut.

After completing the overnight tramp to Fenella Hut, I spent the night at the road-end Trilobite Hut, planning on a sleep-in before driving to the other end of the Cobb Reservoir for the Sylvester track. 
As it transpired, I'd had Trilobite to myself for the evening until I was so rudely intruded upon by a pair I assumed to be mother and son arriving after dark. To cut a long story short, I ended up waking early, topping up the firewood, and leaving by around 8:30 am.

The road to the Sylvester Track parking area crosses the Cobb Dam, then continues as a rough gravel track to the parking area. I stopped at the dam have a snack in the morning sun overlooking the reservoir to kill a little time before beginning today's walk - I was expecting only a 2-3 hour walk so starting early seemed a tad unnecessary. Close to 10 am I eventually began.

The track is an old Forest Service-era four wheel drive track, so it's wide, even and well graded.  The first 1.3km are mostly flat and grassy, passing through a mix of low shrub and beech forest with views over the Cobb Reservoir. This stretch passes quickly, after which the climb begins.

 

As the ascent starts, the track enters towering beech forest. The bright sun sits at low angle and the dappled light shining through the trees is aggressively contrasting. The track climbs through a series of switchbacks, so although the climb is constant it isn't very steep. The climb begins at around 840 m, and once reaching an altitude of around 1220 m the forest is swapped for the stunted trees and tussocks of exposed alpine ridges. Views abound here - Lockett Range to the northwest, Mt Peel and Mt Arthur to the south, the upper stretches of the Wharepapa/Arthur Range to the southeast, and Golden Bay and the Abel Tasman National Park to the distant northeast. 

The ascent lets up from here, though it hasn't ceased entirely. Along the ridge I spot Sylvester Hut perched on the tussocky tops. It's tantalising, but still about a kilometre away, and despite the appearance of the map contours, there's a small dip before the last little ascent. 

Shortly before the hut, the trees drop away and the surrounding peaks and ridges create a stunning alpine tableau. 

 The hut has a great location and large double-glazed windows make the most of it. The abundant sunlight streaming in warms the hut nicely. After a coffee and a short rest, I head out on a short side trip up to the Sylvester Lakes.

The track continues west along the ridge and remains a high standard. The rugged rocky ridge of Iron Hill dominates the horizon. It's an easy 1 km amble to Lake Sylvester.

The track, as marked on Topo50 maps, continues around the lake edge, first swinging to the south and then back to the west. There are no physical markers, and the track is overgrown with tussock in places. Getting lost would still be difficult though. 
I walk slowly, stopping often to take photos and just soak it all in. After another kilometre, Little Sylvester Lake is reached. The marked track ends near a small cairn where a tiny creek drains from Little Sylvester to Sylvester. An unofficial track continues on, apparently completing a loop past Iron Lake and back around to Sylvester Hut. I was feeling lazy so did no further exploring, though it certainly seemed like it'd be spectacular. Perhaps, I ponder, a good reason to return someday.

Little Sylvester Lake

Back at the hut, I chop some firewood and get the fire ready to light for when the warmth inevitably departs.
The clear skies made for a great sunset and a starry night. With the fire ticking away, it's a cosy evening.

 I woke in time to watch the sunrise, which managed to outshine (pun intended) the sunset. After breakfast and brew, it was time to clean up and head out.

The return journey is a quick and easy walk. The local birdlife was out in force, an abundance of bellbirds filled the forest with their song for the entirety of the track. It's incredible to experience. I try and take some photos but between the glary sun and the way the birds hid and flitted constantly among the high treetops made that near-impossible.

All too soon I was back at the car. Once again ahead of the schedule I'd built in my head several months prior from scant information, but satisfied nonetheless. 

Map:

Elevation Profile:

Times and Distances:

Car park to Sylvester Hut: 5.33 km, 1 hr 49 min inbound, 1 hr 38 min out.

Sylvester Hut to end of Sylvester Lakes Track: 1.96 km, approx 40 min.