Walk Details
NZ Walking Routes > Canterbury > Arthurs Pass > Bealey Valley
Bealey Valley
- Location
- The track starts from a car-park three km north of Arthur’s Pass Village on SH 73. Jack’s Hut, an historic road worker’s hut, is just across the road.
- Description
This is an attractive well-graded walk through mountain beech forest to the base of Mount Rolleston.
The track is bridged across the Bealey River at ‘The Chasm’. It then goes through a tussock clearing and into the forest again before reaching the river. From here you can scramble up the river-bed to go further up the valley. Avalanched snow often collects at the head of the valley in winter and remains throughout the year. This forms a false glacier which is undercut by the Bealey River flowing below it.
Warning: Avalanche debris collected at the head of the valley may be unstable. Large rocks and chunks of ice can fall at any time. Do not walk on the avalanche debris.
In winter when there is avalanche hazard do not go past the avalanche warning sign in the Upper Bealey Valley.
The first part of the track is suitable for children with a bridge over the Bealey River and boardwalks to a tarn and wetland area. From here the track becomes quite rough.
- Duration
- 4.0 hours
- Level
- Medium
- Amenities
-
- Birds
- Camping
- Carpark
- Food and Drink
- Historical
- Huts
- Plant Life
- Toilets
- Tramping
- Source
- www.doc.govt.nz
- Discussion
- Start a discussion on this walk