Climbing Mount Richmond via Mount Fell Hut and Richmond Saddle Hut
Mount Richmond stands tall over the Wairau Valley at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. It gives its name to the vast expanse of native forest and mountains between Blenheim and Nelson, Mount Richmond Forest Park. Climbing Mount Richmond and its surrounding forest park peaks are not high on most people’s ‘must-do’ lists when visiting New Zealand. Their loss; with alpine peaks, mountain vistas in every direction, and views across the Cook Strait to the North Island, this is a hidden gem. And an area we would’ve totally overlooked were it not for Laura Waters’ book ‘Bewildered’ about her trials and tribulations on the Te Araroa trail. The Te Araroa trail actually crosses the park west of Mount Richmond. However, this nearby tramp worked best for our timeframe and logistics.
A number of slips tore through the path making a simple stretch of path take 10 times as long to traverse
There are three main tracks up the mountain. We chose to link two of these to create a three-day circuit, overnighting at Mount Fell and Richmond Saddle huts. Starting at the end of Te Rou Road, the track follows Timms Creek before ascending steeply to the treeline and traversing along the mountainside to Mount Fell Hut. The route then follows the ridgeline over Mount Richmond to Richmond Saddle Hut. It finishes with a lovely descent through native forest and plantations to Top Valley Road.
Getting To Mount Richmond
The track begins at Timms Creek Car Park, at the end of Te Rou road, which is roughly a 50-minute drive from central Blenheim. Worryingly the Department of Conservation (DOC) had listed Te Rou road as 4×4 only when we visited. Thankfully, we made it in our (very non-4×4) rental car with minimal difficulty. Still, if you’re wary, Marlborough Shuttles are excellent and can take you to the start point from Blenheim.
Te Rou Road sign when climbing Mount Richmond
Day One: Hiking from Te Rou Road end to Mt Fell Hut
Known as the Timms Creek route, DOC recommends 6-7 hours to hike from the road end to Mt Fell Hut. The track winds briefly through a forestry plantation before entering native beech forest to follow Timms Creek. Alternating between gently undulating forest track and insanely steep diversions around massive slips, this part of the hike was full of surprises. Diversions are signed with the usual orange triangles, but keep your eyes peeled as it’s easy to lose your way. We missed a diversion and ended up crossing a slip before bush-whacking our way (luckily) back to the track on the other side.
This part of the hike took us around two hours and passed some stunning swimming holes of crystal-clear aquamarine water. Cold but wonderfully refreshing on a hot day with a heavy pack, these are spots to savour before the steep climb to the treeline. The bulk of the ascent starts just after you cross a decent-sized tributary of Timms Creek. Again, this is a great swimming spot. But more importantly, it’s the last place to fill up your water bottles before the long dry slog to the hut. It’s three hours up a ridge from here, so make sure you top up. We didn’t, and it wasn’t fun.
Partway up this relentlessly steep slope, we came to a flatter area of smaller trees surrounded by a carpet of moss. From here, it took us roughly 30 minutes until the track flattened off into a traverse. Some small streams flowed across the path in this section, so we could finally quench our thirst after the long hot climb. It took around one hour from the start of the traverse to reach Mt Fell Hut.
The seemingly never ending steep ascent through a beautiful forest.
Mt Fell Hut
Dating from 1964 and at 1,280 metres above sea level, Mt Fell Hut is positioned in a clearing close to the tree line. Quaint and lightly used, it’s a cosy six-person hut with a wood-burner, outdoor picnic table and water tanks. There’s a long-drop toilet at the bottom of the clearing.
Besides the lovely little hut, the view is the star attraction here, looking out over Mt Fishtail and Blenheim to the North Island. So, if the weather is good, set your alarm early and head up to the top of the clearing for a spectacular sunrise over endless folds of tree-blanketed hills and jagged mountains. There’s a good chance you’ll have it all to yourself, too; we did.
Mt Fell Hut when climbing Mount Richmond
Day Two: Hiking from Mt Fell Hut to Richmond Saddle Hut
If day one felt like a long hard slog, this is the day that makes it worthwhile. A short 20-minute walk takes you above the treeline (where you’ll remain for most of the day) and onto the ridge between Mount Fell and Johnston Peak. Most of this section has little by way of a path, but the route is marked with orange-capped poles. Unfortunately, these are widely spaced, so navigation could be tricky in poor visibility, especially with a sheer drop on one side.
The track follows the ridgeline before sidling below a peak and descending into the ‘Devil’s Armchair’. From here, it’s a steep and rocky final climb to the summit of Mount Richmond. We had a clear, windless day. The views from the summit across the Richmond Ranges, to the national parks of Kahurangi and Nelson Lakes, the Kaikoura Ranges, and across Cook Strait to the North Island made all the exertion totally worth it.
Just above the tree line, when the views started to get real.
With panoramic views from the 1,760m summit, we lingered for over 30 minutes savouring the moment and drying our t-shirts on the hot rocks. The descent to Richmond Saddle Hut takes about 1 hour, down a perilously steep scree slope of large boulders and loose stones. The hut, nestled in the saddle below Mount Richmond, is visible for most of the descent. DOC recommends 3-4 hours from Mt Fell Hut to Richmond Saddle Hut. We took the entire 4 hours, with many prolonged stops to take in the breathtaking scenery. Again there’s no access to water along the ridge, so make sure to bring plenty, especially if it’s hot.
View from the ridgeline walk when climbing Mount Richmond
Richmond Saddle Hut
Slightly larger than Mt Fell Hut, with 8 bunks, Richmond Saddle Hut is another ‘historic’ backcountry hut and dates from 1968. It sits at 1,200m, and while the views are not as expansive as they are at Mount Fell, this is still a lovely spot. We had the hut all to ourselves again and spent the afternoon napping, reading and relaxing in the sun.
Richmond Saddle Hut when climbing Mount Richmond
Day Three: Hiking from Richmond Saddle Hut to Top Valley Road
After a thirty-minute traverse from the hut, the track reaches a ridge. The descent continues along this ridge to the native forest edge, with excellent views across the Wairau valley from some rock outcrops along the way. Once you come to the forestry plantation, it’s another 45-minutes or so along forestry tracks to Jackson’s Creek. You will need to cross this river (no bridge) to reach Top Valley Road. DOC recommends six hours for this section, but it took us just over three hours to hike down. Six hours is probably more accurate if you’re hiking up.
Descent after Richmond Saddle Hut to the Top Valley Road
Practicalities of Climbing Mount Richmond
This tramp is much more challenging than New Zealand’s Great Walks, the track is unformed, and orange markers are used to mark the way. There is no discernable path in places, and in poor visibility, navigation would be challenging on the ridge (day two). The ascent on this tramp is very steep, and a high fitness level is required.
The huts are not bookable online and run on a first-come, first-served basis. You will need to buy one Standard Hut Ticket per person, per night from a DOC visitor centre or another outfit before you depart. We purchased ours from Living Simply in Auckland, which is also a great place to pick up maps and gear for your tramp.
Mount Richmond Hike: Getting There and Away
The start and end of the tramp are 17 km apart by road. We parked at the end of Te Rou Road and got a shuttle back from Top Valley Road with Marlborough Shuttles. They were great, arrived early, and took us to our car despite it being listed as a 4×4 road. Awesome service.
Hike Maps
This tramp is right on the corners of four of the NZ Topo 50 maps:
- BQ26 Nelson
- BQ27 Rai Valley
- BR26 Mount Patriarch
- BR27 Waihopai
For climbing Mount Richmond we bought all but Rai Valley, which meant we didn’t realise the ascent on the first day was as bad as it was, but we managed fine. We purchased these from Hunting and Fishing in Richmond.