My husband and I got a jump on the long holiday weekend, taking off on Friday to head to the mountains for our first tramping trip since last autumn. Knowing we’d be out of shape after winter, we chose the Casey Saddle — Binser Saddle route in Arthur’s Pass National Park, which is a long (41 km) overnighter, but relatively unchallenging. I’d done the Binser Saddle as a day hike years ago, and my husband had done the Casey Saddle as a day hike, but neither of us had done the full circuit.

So off we went Friday morning. Low cloud on the plains gave way to the most stunning day—clear skies and no wind.

The track starts with a relatively gentle climb up Andrews Valley through beech forest. There are some lovely big red beech among the mountain beech. The forest opens up through Hallelujah Flat, where there are mats of my favourite lichen, the coral lichen, Pulchrocladia retipora.

The scrub-covered Casey Saddle gives way to more beech forest, and then a weird and wonderful semi-open patch of stunted trees and shrubs.

Back in the forest, the track drops to Casey Hut, on the Poulter River.

Casey Hut is only six years old, rebuilt after the old hut burnt down in 2015. It’s the first of the new solar powered huts I’ve stayed in. I have to say that, while the hut is very nice, and I totally understand why DOC is installing solar lighting in new huts, I almost missed the candles and head torches of the usual hut experience.

We had a lovely evening hanging out with a party of four at the hut. As always, we had fun, wide-ranging conversations, discovered several common acquaintances, and reminisced about previous tramping trips. It was the best of hut experiences.

Despite a brand new hut with plenty of space, we chose to sleep in the tent, where we always sleep better. It was such a gorgeous night, we didn’t even put the rain fly up. Weka and ruru called during the night, but the trees overhead provided most of the night music—creaking and clacking in the breeze that kicked up in the evening.

Saturday morning, we were back on the trail before 7 am under another stunning blue sky. A three-hour slog down the Poulter River was fast, easy walking, but fairly dull. After crossing Pete Stream, we scrambled up a series of three bluffs out of the Poulter River bed and began the ascent over Binser Saddle.

I remembered Binser Saddle as being a bit of a slog the first time I did it. It was, but it was also more interesting than I remembered. The saddle itself is rather magical, with a relatively open forest and moss-covered ground. It was the perfect, restful lunch spot.

The descent to Mount White Road from Binser Saddle is relatively straightforward and quick, with a few short steep sections. But then there was the 2 km slog along the road back to the car—not a great way to end a hike. In hindsight, we should have parked at the Binser Saddle end and done the road walking at the beginning, just to avoid the road as the last bit of the day.

Overall, it was an enjoyable hike through classic beech forest and open river beds, but not one I need to repeat. It was a good way to ease back into the hiking season.