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NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0) · OpenStreetMap · Official page · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).
7-day forecast
Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)Best time to hike
Best months: Nov–Mar · highs 10–15 °C (50–59 °F)
- J15°6°116
- F14°6°106
- M12°4°118
- A9°1°119
- M5°-1°128
- J2°-4°148
- J0°-5°137
- A2°-4°137
- S5°-3°131
- O7°-1°170
- N10°2°139
- D12°4°140
Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.
How we pick months
Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.
About this trail
This mainly unmarked loop route travels the Leatham Conservation Area and into the magnificent Molesworth Recreation Reserve, traversing mountain tops and tussocky valleys.
NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0).
Trail facts
- Length
- 16 km · 10 mi (DOC route geometry)
- Source
- NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0)
- Difficulty
- Very hard (9/10) (Expert · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0))
- Typical time (DOC)
- 4 - 5 days
- Official page
- doc.govt.nz/link/e3b0dcc642ab4a99a30e545756f
- Mountain range
- Acheron Waihopai Mountains (Main Divide of The Southern Alps › Southern Alps; GMBA)
- Nearest town
- 50 km SW of Wairau Valley (Marlborough District, Marlborough) · GeoNames
- Park or forest
- Leatham Conservation Area
- Best months
- Nov–Mar
- Country
- New Zealand
- Region
- Marlborough
- Continent
- Oceania
- Route centre
- -41.9422, 173.2008
How it’s scored
Very hard (9/10). Official rating: Expert · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0).
A score is omitted when we do not have an official rating or enough measured length and elevation gain to compute one. Nothing is guessed. Read the NPS method: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/how-to-determine-hiking-difficulty.htm
Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.
Nearest trails
distance from the trail centreTrig Lookout Track / Mount Chisolm Track
10 mi · 17 km · Molesworth Recreation Reserve
Te Araroa - 07 Tasman
18 mi · 30 km · Marlborough
St Arnaud Range Track
19 mi · 31 km · Nelson Lakes National Park
Lake Rotoiti Circuit
19 mi · 31 km · Nelson Lakes National Park
Loop Track
20 mi · 32 km · Nelson Lakes National Park
Lake Rotoiti (Kerr Bay) walks
20 mi · 32 km · Nelson Lakes National Park
All trails in Marlborough → · All 1,167 trails in New Zealand →