Background
On Saturday, February 4th, 2023, I hiked to the summit of Avalance Peak in New Zealand's Arthur's Pass National Park. The trail can be done as a loop.
I started from the Avalance Peak Creek Campsite. Here I paid $10 to park my campervan. From here, I started the hike at 3PM. The trailhead was across the street. The first section of the climb is the steepest and hardest part of it. Along the way there was a large waterfall.
By 5:30PM I was at the summit of Avalance Peak. From here I spent some time watching the clouds roll in and burn out in the sun. I saw only a group of 2 hikers descending and 1 person ascending from the other side of the loop shortly after me. When I started the hike, it was misty and somewhat rainy. At the summit, the sun was shining briefly and I had clear views.
On the loop back, the trail was wet and somewhat like a stream. It was very slippery at times. I arrived back at the campsite around 8PM. My moving time was 3 hours 55 minutes, gaining 3,537 feet in elevation over 5.29 miles.
Overall, this was an excellent hike to see the area while it was clear. I started the day in Christchurch and saw the sunrise, therefore it's possible to be at the beach in the same day as on the summit of this mountain. During the night and into the morning, there was heavy rain and I left the campsite while it was raining around sunrise.
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