Surveyor Spur Route

Surveyor Spur is the spur between Mt Stace and the main range. Follow the Hapuku River north branch, now choked with shingle after the 2016 earthquake, until the river swings northeast below Stace Saddle. Further upstream, the old Barratts Hut and bivvy are buried under a large landslip, which has also destroyed an alternative route onto the spur. The summit is an 1850m height gain, so it’s best to camp higher if possible. Stace Saddle (1045m) is easily reached, then follow the spur. The first few hundred metres above the saddle has many tension cracks about 0.5m deep. Fine in daylight but easy to miss by head torch, and not good in wet conditions. There is a good campsite near some large boulders at about 1940m, and in winter and spring there will usually be snow hereabouts. Elsewhere the spur is waterless. Angle up easy slopes to an obvious dip in the main range. In summer it may be necessary to camp in the Stace Creek basin below this dip. Continue along the ridge crest, which steepens beyond a shallow saddle, and bypassing some gendarmes on the north side. Inexperienced parties may prefer a rope here. The traverse to Uwerau is generally straightforward and especially satisfying.