COBB VALLEY - LAKE SYLVESTER HUT
The glacial valley of the Cobb River lies nestled within the Kahurangi National Park. The creation of the Cobb Reservoir in the 1940s required the construction of a road into this unique and fascinating place. The road leads us past New Zealand's highest power station, and climbs to 1000m. The scenery is dramatic. Once we emerge out of the forest and onto the ridge, the true magic of this area begins to unfold: mountain ranges as far as the eye can see, ancient beech forests and sub-alpine meadows with a variety of distinctive flora. A wealth of tracks leads to numerous mountain lakes and tarns, streams, summits and huts. The surrounding geology reveals stories from the past: 500 million year old rocks which contain trilobite fossils, clear remnants of the valley's glaciated history such as its distinctive U shaped valleys and the obvious mounds of glacial moraine.
On this walk, we'll cross the dam and follow the steep zig-zagging track up to Lake Sylvester Hut. We can either have lunch at the hut or carry on to Lake Sylvester to see the remains of the old dam and pipe which were put in place in the 30's to help increase the amount of water in the reservoir below. There's a possible extension to carry on up to Iron Lake and along the ridge depending on timing and weather.
On this walk, we'll cross the dam and follow the steep zig-zagging track up to Lake Sylvester Hut. We can either have lunch at the hut or carry on to Lake Sylvester to see the remains of the old dam and pipe which were put in place in the 30's to help increase the amount of water in the reservoir below. There's a possible extension to carry on up to Iron Lake and along the ridge depending on timing and weather.
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Overview
4 hours walking Total trip time
8am to 6.00pm Kilometres 10 km+
Price
NZ$250 (2pp min) Grade Easy
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Itinerary
Pick up from Takaka 8am Arrive Cobb Reservoir 9.30am and begin the walk Lunch at Sylvester Hut or Lake Sylvester Return to Takaka arriving 6.00pm (approx) |
