Short walks

What to expect on a short walk:
  • Easy walking for up to an hour
  • Track is well formed, with an even surface. There may be steps or slopes
  • Suitable for people of most abilities and fitness
  • Stream and rivers crossings are bridged
  • Walking shoes required
grades

Walking track

What to expect on a walking track:
  • Easy to moderate walking from a few minutes to a day
  • Track is mostly well formed, some sections may be steep, rough or muddy
  • Suitable for people with low to moderate fitness and abilities
  • Clearly signposted. Stream and river crossings are bridged
  • Walking shoes or light tramping/hiking boots required

Great walk/Easier tramping track

Moderate day or multi-day tramping/hiking
What to expect on a Great Walk/Easier tramping track:
  • Track is generally well formed, may be steep, rough or muddy
  • Suitable for people with moderate fitness. Limited backcountry (remote areas) experience required
  • Track has signs, poles or markers. Major stream and rivers crossings are bridged
  • Light tramping/hiking boots required

Tramping track

What to expect on a tramping track:
  • Challenging day or multi-day tramping/hiking
  • Track is mostly unformed with steep, rough or muddy sections
  • Suitable for people with good fitness. Moderate to high level backcountry (remote areas) skills and experience, including navigation and survival skills required
  • Track has markers, poles or rock cairns. Expect unbridged stream and river crossings
  • Tramping/hiking boots required

Route

What to expect on a route:
  • Challenging day or multi-day tramping/hiking
  • Track unformed and natural, rough, muddy or very steep
  • Suitable for people with above average fitness. High level backcountry (remote areas) skills and experience, including navigation and survival skills required
  • Complete self sufficiency required
  • Track has markers, poles or rock cairns. Expect unbridged stream and river crossings
  • Sturdy tramping/hiking boots required
  • Iceaxe and crampons maybe required at any time of the year

Hard Route

What to expect on a hard route:
  • Very challenging multi-day tramping/hiking
  • No tracks, very steep, could be prone to rockfalls
  • Suitable for people with very high levels of fitness.
  • High level backcountry, above the bushline  (remote areas) skills and experience
  • Excellent backcountry above the bushline navigation and survival skills required
  • Complete self sufficiency required
  • No markers or poles, may have some rock cairns. Unbridged stream and river crossings
  • Sturdy tramping/hiking boots required
  • Iceaxe and crampons maybe required at any time of the year
  • Alpine climbing gear required from late Autumn thru to possibly late Spring (eg: ropes, snow anchors, harnesses etc)