Thread: Elcho Pass

Hi all,

Looking to head through Elcho pass just after New Years for a trip. Was just wondering if anyone on here has been through it in the summer and had any tips? Is there likely to be any snow left that means we would require crampons? Can’t find much online.

Cheers

Have you seen this one?

https://www.zoneblue.nz/cms/page.php...20Landsborough

Otherwise try and find a copy of the Moirs guide. Not sure exactly which one has Elcho pass

Thanks, there’s some useful info there

I recall it was a long way up on snow.
If westerly wind has blown snow over and deposited it on the elcho side there could be some avalanche danger.
To get to it early in the morning therres a campsite near the elcho forks.
You can also camp right on the elcho pass - just a bit rocky.
Its not so much hunting country up that high.

Moirs guide north volume says to sidle from elcho pass north on the 1940m contour then descend on the dour between kea and mckerrow stms. I think you cant get down straight from the saddle into kea stm. See if you can find a copy of a recent edition.

First, I must apologise as these are from a cheap home slide scanner on 35 yo 35mm slides.

In this country, it's all about "conditions". When you get there it might be totally different. This was February 1987, a week after the last snow.

Here's the campsite at Elcho Forks.
I guess we were only there in the evening/early morning.


Here's the campsite at Elcho Pass.
There was a rock wall as high as the tent, built up by people who had stayed there. The water supply is handy but needs melting.


This is the Western (Landsborough/Kea Ck) side of Elcho Pass.


Topo50 screenshot of the map.


For some reason, I didn't get many photos looking down onto Kea & McKerrow creeks but here is one looking across the Landsborough to Dechen and Strachan peaks.


Just a scenic shot showing a fine weather evening, with Mt Jackson on left on the skyline, Mt Hickson is the rounded peak and Baker Peak is the triangular peak in the centre. The bar of mist flowing across the divide is going over Elcho Pass.


Here is a similar view with more detail showing Mt Jackson and Mt Hickson. The low point is not Elcho Pass. You have to make sure you're climbing up the correct gully/face to get to the pass.


This is typical travel on the main divide here; frost shattered rock.