Alma Stream

Walked by a CTC member

Alma Stream is a 24.5 km, 2-day tramp in Canterbury with 1,422 m of climbing and a high point of 2,501 m.

A 2-day trip, shown here as one track: 16–17 February 2011.

User-generated track: recorded on a GPS by a Christchurch Tramping Club member on a past trip. It is not an official or maintained track, and the line, notes and conditions may be out of date or wrong. Check DOC for current track and hazard information, carry a map and plan for your own party.

Track stats

Elevation profile

Trip notes

From the club member's GPS log of the trip (16–17 February 2011), lightly edited, with people's names removed. Conditions may have changed since.

Route up the Alma: the ridge is harder than the map looks. Lots of spikes, all bypassed except the last one. Had to backtrack and find ledges down into the gully north of the ridge. The gully would be a much easier ascent route, and I came down that way. When approaching the saddle at 2100 m, hug tight under the bluff.

Route out via Alma Stream: slowish travel in Alma Stream. Had to climb over a bluff in the Rangitata because of the high river level. Very fast walking in the main valley on a 4WD track. This is the outward track, but travel time is similar in either direction.

Waypoint notes

• Camp site (-43.55592, 170.76188): Where I camped. A reasonable campsite, but better 10 minutes up the valley.
• Rock (-43.55818, 170.75507): Some stones piled up, so probably where some parties stay. Pretty rocky camping though.
• Track finish (-43.54242, 170.79899): Rough track through bush and scrub.
• Track start (-43.54231, 170.80282): Rough track through bush and scrub.

GPX file

Download the Alma Stream GPX file for your GPS or mapping app. The map on this page shows the same route. It is a GPS log of one past trip, not a surveyed track: use it with a map and your own judgement.

Nearby tracks

• Mt Potts circuit (11.0 km away)
• Brabazon Saddle (13.1 km away)
• Clyde River (19.8 km away)
• Lambert Col route (24.1 km away)