3 Day Ball Pass Summit Trek

Participants for a Ball Pass Summit Trek need to:

• be very fit (be able to climb up 300 vertical metres within an hour)
• have extensive hiking, tramping or bushwalking experience
• be able to maintain a reasonable pace over steep, rugged and untracked terrain
• be able to hike or climb 6-8 hours in a day without difficulty
• be sure-footed, well-coordinated and have good balance
• have no fear of heights or problems with vertigo

Difficulty Ratings

Endurance: 3 - Challenging

A solid level of fitness with aerobic training prior to the trip is expected. Ability to carry moderate to heavy backpacks (8-10kg) for 6-9 hours if required. Expect ascents of 800-1200 vertical meters. Some discomfort expected due to long days and exposure to elements. Prior multi-day hiking/trekking/tramping trips through rough untracked terrain are recommended.

Agility: 3 - Moderate scrambling agility

Scrambling over rough ground with hand placement needed (eg. pulling yourself up on vegetation, clambering over boulders). Good foot placement required across a variety of terrain, including steep grass, alpine scrub, scree, boulder-fields and snow. Must be competent and efficient at moving over uneven and untracked terrain carrying a moderate backpack. Sections of steep and/or exposed terrain at times. May involve crossing snow slopes and/or glaciers, requiring the use of crampons and ice axe if conditions are firm.

Technical Mountaineering: 1 - Beginner mountaineer

No prior rope skills or experience with crampons/ice axe required. Basic 10-point crampon, ice axe, self-arresting and glacier travel skills introduced by guide if applicable.

Previous Experience

For the Ball Pass Summit Trek you need to have previous hiking, backpacking, tramping or bushwalking experience. This trek is beginner mountaineering and is more demanding than any of the Great Walks, such as the Milford or Routeburn Tracks, because it is alpine, traverses snow fields and a small glacier. There is no track and the terrain is often uneven and you have to place your feet carefully. In places there are loose scree slopes to negotiate.

Recommended Fitness Training

Regular hikes of at least 6 hours' duration involving significant vertical ascent are recommended as preparation for this trip. You do not need prior mountaineering experience. All trips to Caroline Hut require a solid level of fitness to cope with the mountain terrain.

Early-mid season (November-December) you are likely to encounter soft snow even below the hut. If you have never walked in deep snow before, then the best way to prepare for this is to walk through sand dunes or somewhere where there is loose sand, where you lose a good percentage of your momentum with each step.

Mid to late season (January - April), when the snow has melted back, you will encounter firmer snow and loose scree (rock) slopes in places. The best training for this is to hike over smooth rock slabs and rough stony riverbeds or beaches where there is an uneven surface, where you have to watch your foot placement.

Ball Pass Summit Trek - Clothing & Equipment Checklist

Your gear check time will be provided at time of booking. Please bring as many of the items on the equipment list as you can. We can provide (at no extra charge), any of the items in list A that you are missing. Your pack with your own gear should not weigh more than 6kg. Remember that you will be adding crampons, ice-axe, helmet and some fresh food (bread, meat, cheese, veges) to this weight, to end up with about 10-12kg to carry on the first day. Reminder: all food is provided.

All technical mountaineering equipment (crampons, ice axe, helmet, etc.) is provided. Sleeping bags, mattresses, pillows and hut shoes are at the hut. We provide you with a sleeping bag liner and pillow case (if you have your own sleeping bag liner, please bring it).

A. Equipment which Alpine Recreation can provide if you do not have your own:

B. Equipment you must bring yourself/Alpine Recreation do not provide: