Mingha - Edwards

I returned to Arthurs Pass in July and tramped a route that I last walked over six years ago, also in winter. I headed up the Minga Valley to Goat Pass before crossing to the Edwards via the Taruahuna Pass.

  

From the car park just north of Greyneys Shelter, I immediately forded the Bealey and Mingha Rivers, then headed up the true right of the Mingha River. The first part of the route is a bit of a gravel bash in the wide, open valley but it slowly narrows as you head up stream. It is normal to ford the Mingha when the river undercuts small bluffs, but I managed to sneak around them and avoid fording.

Heading towards Dudley Knob, I picked up the well defined tramping track which climbs away from the river. Despite the recent winter storms there was very little windfall on the track and I made good progress all the way to the Mingha Bivouac. DOC have clearly spent a lot of time maintaining this track, no doubt reflecting the tracks huge popularity. Several sections have cut staircases and in places a material track bed has been added to minimise erosion.

Mingha Biv.

 After a brief morning tea stop at the slightly damp Biv, I continued up to Goat Pass. The track above the biv soon leaves the bush and climbs through an area of tussock mixed with alpine scrub. A short distance below the pass there is one last crossing of the now infant Mingha River.

Goat Pass - hut is bottom centre.

From the high point where the path sidles in towards Goat Pass hut, I left the path and climbed the ridge towards Lake Mavis. The initial section of this climb is reasonably steep and there are a number of options involving either scree or scrub to choose from. Further up I picked up some cairns which indicated a route across the shoulder of the ridge to Lake Mavis. There are good views across to the Temple Col from here.

Mount Franklin ridge.

Flat light on a frozen Lake Mavis.

The Temple Col from above Lake Mavis.

The lake itself was snowed in and with very flat light it was hard to make out any distinguishing features of it or take a good photograph. At this point I encountered true winter conditions and the ice axe and crampons were needed until reaching Taruahuna Pass. I gained the north ridge of Mount Oates by sideling under Point 1978 before dropping down good snow slopes in to the basin under this subsidiary top.

Camped below Mount Oates (i).

Camped below Mount Oates (ii).

Camped below Mount Oates (iii - Sunday morning)

I camped here and enjoyed a good dawn over the Tarn Col and Falling Mountain before making my way down to Taruahuna Pass. The key to this route is to cross the terraces north east of the basin and not to get caught up in the steep ground and cliffs near the stream that drains from the basin's small tarn. Nether the less there was still one short awkward descent before reaching easier ground and the pass itself. The pass itself also marked the snowline.

The Falling Mountain from Mt Oates camp.

The Tarn Col and Falling Mountain.

Taruahuna Pass from the Upper Edwards Valley.

Falling Mountain and The Amber Col.

 The upper Edwards is one of my favourite areas of the National Park and I made good progress down to the Edward's Hut, whilst enjoying the scenery of the Polar Range and Amber Col. I stopped for morning tea at the hut - the hut log book had recorded no visit for over one month.  From here, on very familiar ground now, I picked up the normal tramping route down the Edwards River, an easy three hour tramp back to the car, with just small fords of the East Edwards and then the Bealey, Minga and Edwards rivers to cross en route. 

Frozen Tarns and the Edwards Hut.