Whitcombe Pass
This route follows the famous journey by John Henry Whitcombe and the Swiss guide Jakob Lauper across the Main Divide in 1863. Whitcombe and Lauper were not the first across the pass: it was already well used by Maori. Following this crossing, Whitcombe drowned in the Taramakau River on the way up the West Coast.
• • • • •
| Grade | Medium/hard |
|---|---|
| Bookings | Not available |
| Length |
63.0km
One way
|
| Time | 5 – 7 days |
| Altitude |
100m
– 1,239m
Altitude change 1,139m
|
| From | Road end, Double Hill Run Road. Turn onto Blackford Road at Mount Hutt. Call Glenfalloch Station of stop in at the homestead to request access. |
| To | Side road marked "access to Whitcombe Valley", off Whitcombe Valley Road, Hokitika Gorge. The side road is prone to flooding and has a locked gate part way along. |
| Maps |