Mt Snowflake

Seaward Kaikōura Range ● 16 – 18 September 2022

There are many stories of failed attempts to summit Mt Snowflake in WTMC lore - see this report for an example. Situated near the middle of the Seaward Kaikōura Range, its altitude of 1870m pales in comparison to many surrounding peaks, but pesky waterfalls and a dense uphill bush bash still make it a decent challenge. Unfortunately this trip only adds to the list of failed ascents, although we did get very close, and enjoyed some spectacular views.

Route

• GPX file can be found here

• Friday
• Carpark → Snowflake stream (1 hour 50 mins)
• Up snowflake stream → campsite (5 hours 30 mins)
• Saturday
• Campsite → clearing at 800m contour (2 hours)
• Up to the false summit (3 hour 35 mins)
• Down to top of bush bash (2 hours 15 mins)
• Back to campsite (1 hour 20 mins)
• Sunday
• Campsite → Kowhai stream (3 hours 45 mins)
• To carpark (1 hour 30 mins)

Report

You can read the WTMC report here. Or read on my my ramblings!

Friday

We arrived at the road end at 8, and started up Kowhai stream shorty afterwards. The first few kilometers follow a very well formed 4WD road, so we made it to Snowflake stream in under 2 hours.

Heading up Kowhai stream

We began heading up Snowflake stream by pushing through scrub, but quickly realised that river travel was easier. The next couple of hours involved a lot of crossing the stream back and forwards. Around 900m upstream we reached a somewhat difficult part, but managed to follow a much smaller side stream up the true right instead. The weather had packed in a bit, but it cleared up nicely as we came around the first big corner. Then began raining again. From this point on, the river became a bit gorgey, but we were making steady progress until we reached the first waterfall. This one is about 20m tall. There is a very obvious slip to head up just before it. We climbed about 40m before pushing through the bush to come out on the other side of the waterfall. The terrain on the other side was steep but doable, although a party of 7 always becomes slow in these areas.

The first waterfall on Snowflake stream

Barely a hundred meters upstream we reached a smaller waterfall. Initial attempts to pass it on the TL failed (it may have been doable in better weather, and previous trips with a lower stream have been able to cross directly over the waterfall), but we back tracked a little bit and found a pretty good route bush bashing above the bluffs on the TR. We dropped back down to cross the river and pass a third waterfall on the TL. At this point there was a track which felt almost worthy of track markers… The last hundred meters up river was a bit rough, but we made it to the confluence with a side stream and found a sheltered campsite in the bush at the base of the spur up to My Snowflake.

Trying to figure out a way around the second "waterfall" (hint: it was behind us)

Saturday

We began the day with a 5am alarm, but didn’t start heading up the spur directly behind the campsite until quarter to seven. Progress uphill through the bush was very slow. We initially headed slightly towards the right, but it bluffed out to a fairly active looking slip. There is a fairly nice looking grassy patch which climbs about 100m, but in practice it is too steep and slippery to go up, so we remained in the bush. After a couple of hours (and less than 300m from the campsite horizontally) we came out at a clearing. This wasn’t quite the end of the steep climb, but for the remainder we could follow a well worn goat track.

Following the goat highway along the ridge

Once on the spur itself it was easy going - practically a goat highway in parts. As we got higher up we had to push through more scrub. At about the 1080m contour we decided to split the group, in the hope that some of us might reach the summit. We conitnued on, through some areas of dense scrub, which then opened up to steep tussock, then steep rock, and eventually some decent snow which provided easy travel.

Lots of roller balls below!

Quick travel on the snow

We managed to reach the false summit about 30m below Mt Snowflake just in time for out turn around time (1pm). The route to the actual summit looked pretty infeasible with the current snow levels (and the summit itself looks less impressive that what we had reached), so there was minimal disappointment in not getting there.

The last climb up to the (false) summit

Summit feat. teeny snowperson

Finding a route back down is not always as easy as going up

Sunday

Sunday was another fairly early start so we wouldn’t miss the ferry, but we ended up making good time (seeing as we knew where to go). Was pleasant heading down the valleys in the sun.

Heading down Snowflake stream

Heading down Kowhai stream

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