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About Lake Angelus and our hike in a winter
The Difficulty Rating: ★★★☆☆
Rotomaninitua / Lake Angelus, located within Nelson Lakes National Park, is one of the highest and probably the largest alpine lake on Travers Range. It is situated at the elevation 1650 m as a legacy of the past glaciation and also the popular tramping (hiking) destination of the area. There are four official trails that lead to the lake, and one off-trail route which is going up beyond Hopeless Track, followed by traversing Sunset Saddle.
The 3-day hike to Lake Angelus in July 2016 was my first winter hike in New Zealand. My partner and I finished a loop starting from Mt. Robert Car Park, following Pinchgut Track and then Robert Ridge Route until descending to Angelus Hut by the lake. This is the most common and straightforward route to Lake Angelus but is also exposed to the elements as the trail is mainly on the ridge.
On the second day we hiked up to Sunset Saddle but did not go any further to Angelus Peak as the weather was getting worse. We returned to the hut with satisfaction and strolled on the frozen lake briefly for the very first time of my life. The ice looked solid and supported our weight well but we merely dared to walked a few steps off the shore.
One the third day, we walked down the Speargrass Creek Route and took Speargrass Track to finish the last section of this loop. It is the shortest loop for a hike to Lake Angelus and maybe a safer route during the winter condition.
The trip was a light challenge of snow hiking. We used crampons and ice axes where the snow was hard to kick steps or the trail became pretty steep. There were a few rocky sections to scramble after halfway of Robert Ridge Route but nothing was too tricky as long as we followed the poles. The snow had masked some sections of the trail but the poles and most of the track were still visible.
The snowy scene around the lake gave me a calm but strong impression. During our stay there were just five or six hikers using the luxurious hut. That was the off peak season I preferred, no crowdedness at all. Probably due to the high demand for Angelus Hut, it was no longer “first-come, first-served” not long after our hike. Now booking is required year-round.
