All you need to know hiking Mt Somers in Mid Canterbury

If you’ve been to the Mid Canterbury region, no doubt you would have set your eyes on the tall and looming Mt Somers. It’s a volcanic mountain leaving remnants of red rock and boasts stunning 360-degree views from the summit. There is good variety in the track and is a great challenge for any tramper.

Mt Somers was created in 1987 by the Mt Somers walkways society. An organization that works with DOC to keep the tracks and huts maintained. There are many routes you can take around the mountain that can ultimately get you to the summit.

The first time I went up Mt Somers was with the Rangiora Tramping club and a group of 16 people in the middle of May. Prior to that, I had talked myself out of hiking Mt Somers many times even though I was regularly getting out on the trails. I was convinced I wasn’t ready to make it up there. It was just too big and the track was just too steep but luckily, I finally went for it and I was so stoked that I did.

My second trip up was on my own practically 3 years later on the dot. I had previously hiked up to Staveley hill (about a third of the way up) on a few occasions but never committed to going any further. It had been on my tramping list to get up there again and with the most perfect weather, I went for it.

My route

There are a few ways you can get up to Mt Somers. I took the most direct and shortest route which was from Sharplin Falls car park in Staveley. This is the most popular way of getting up there and although I say it’s the ‘shortest’ route it definitely doesn’t take away from its difficulty.

Because there are other tracks on the walkway the car park tends to be pretty full, especially in the summertime. Many end up parking along the road that leads to the car park. Unfortunately, there have been break-ins in the area before so just make sure not to leave any valuables in the car.

Track details

1687 meters | 1100 meter gain | 9.4 km return | 5-8 hour return- very dependant on fitness

Sharplin Falls car park to Staveley Hill

From the car park there are two different tracks to follow. Both are clearly labeled and I went up the Mt Somers track (south face). The track does start climbing right from the start but it doesn’t last too long, about 15 minutes or so before you come to an easy undulating ridge in the trees. This is one of the flattest parts of the track so I will say enjoy it while it lasts.

It leads to an opening called Hookey Knob at 731 meters before climbing more steadily through subalpine vegetation. The path is covered with boulders half embedded into it making for some big steps to get up and over. Although straightforward, it certainly gets the heart pumping and prepares you for what’s to come.

Heading onwards towards Staveley Hill where you’ll find the track junction, is a mix of steep uphill, a bit of flat then up again. Not exactly undulating but there are opportunities to catch your breath. The vegetation becomes more lowland shrub and tussock on the hill giving way to already beautiful views of the Canterbury Plains. There are several spots along the way to sit down for a break if you’re not in any hurry. It took me 1.5 hours to get to the junction without any long stops.

Sharplin Falls to Staveley Hill (track junction) 1.5 to 2 hours

Staveley Hill to the summit

Once at the track junction it’s very clearly marked where to go. If you want to hit the summit, head upwards! The first 10 minutes on this track was interesting as you’re somewhat back into the forest. You moved through a mix of tall beech and shrubs up a rocky path. The nice thing is it’s actually relatively flat which is quite welcomed after getting up to the track junction. The not as nice thing is that it does not last very long.

The path comes out of that alpine scrub to more lowland stuff and follows a rocky path up to a spur. It’s relatively steep but more so being that the sun had not seen that face yet, the rocks were a tad slippery from frost. As it climbs and climbs to the spur, some parts of the path become completely covered with bigger rocks to navigate over which actually sounds harder than it is. Some parts are just a typical tussocked borderd dirt path with some rocks in the way.

Once at the spur around 1200 meters or so the entire face is covered in volcanic rock. Markers poles lead the way to the top and there are various tracks that people have taken. It’s pretty steep going and besides a few spots with some loose shingle, it’s not too hard to navigate. You do have to watch out as many of the rocks aren’t as stable as they look so just be careful when you’re choosing what to walk up on. I ended up following other paths at some points but always kept an eye on the marker poles to make sure I was staying within the same vicinity.

There’s one more spur about 1500 meters or so that’s awesome for a wee break before the last push to the ridge up to the summit. It’s still steep so if you don’t like heights this may make you a bit uncomfortable but my plan of attack was just slow and steady up. I won’t lie it did feel like a relentless climb but once the ridgeline was properly in view it gave me the push I needed to keep going.

The ridgeline to the summit is pretty cool. Very rocky and you can see down both sides but it’s wide enough you’re not going to fall down and it’s easy to navigate. It did feel like it took forever but once getting to the trig station and the summit it quickly becomes all worth it! It took me about 2 hours to reach the summit.

It’s a massive summit on Mt Somers and the views are unreal. On a clear day, it’s likely you’ll see Aoraki/Mt Cook. The views go across the plains, over the Hakatere and Lake Heron. You can see the Two thumbs Range and directly to the north the Winterslow Range. It’s just awesome up there!

Staveley Hill (track junction) to summit 1.5 to 2 hours

The descent

I was a little worried going up about how I was going to get down mostly on any of those parts with loose shingle that were out of the bush line. Funnily enough, it was not at all as bad as I thought and navigating through it was steady but pretty easy.

The more challenging part I felt was the bit before getting to the junction where the path is still in a bit of scrub and tussocks as it was slippery. Even though it was almost 3 pm they just never got a chance to dry off. There were some parts on the path as well where there were big steps up which meant there were some big steps down.

I also felt getting from Staveley Hill back into the bush was challenging. I think it was mostly because again there were big steps down over rocks and I was pretty tired by then. It took me 2.5 hours to get down.

Alternative routes

There aren’t exactly a heap of ways to get to the summit but there are different routes you can take to get to that summit track depending on how big of a mission you are up for. I give big hand to anyone who has a big pack and tackling the summit! You can also go off track a bit which I’ve seen a few people do and I’ll cover that below.

So you can start from the Woolshed Creek car park end which gives you a few options. You can start on the Rhyolite Ridge Track which will come to a junction to join the south face. That south face track meets up with the track junction on Staveley Hill and heads up the summit track. It’s 6 km to the junction and then the 1.7 to the summit. This would likely take about 5-6 hours one way.

If you were up for an overnighter you could stay at Woolshed Creek hut, head up the Rhyolite ridge and onto the south face. Again taking about 5-6 hours one way. You may have enough light in the summertime to get back to the hut but you’d probably want a car at the Sharplin Falls end. I know people have put tents up as well though.

And if you wanted to do a big circuit, you could park at Sharplin Falls, stay at Pinnacles Hut for a night, Woolshed Creek for another night, head up the summit then back down to the Sharplin Falls car park.

The other alternative is going up or coming down the east ridge. There is no track nor are there any markers so you will want to know how to navigate back to the track, which in all honesty you will reach the track. I don’t think there’s too much concern of being bluffed out going that way, however, there are some boggy sections that you’ll want to look out for. I haven’t done this part before so not entirely sure what it’s like. I have read that the middle section is the boggiest so keep closer to the south face.

I highly discourage anyone from trying to ascend and especially descend on the north face close to where Pinnacles Hut is. It would incredibly easy to get bluffed out there and sadly there have been causalities there before.

when to go

It’s possible to hike up to the summit of Mt Somers all year round but depending on your experience and the conditions. The wintertime of course is the hardest as the face sees very little sun. It gets super icey, can be very snowy and alpine skills are needed. It wouldn’t take much to slip down that face close to the summit!

Summertime can of course be quite hot and windy. So make sure you’ve got enough water and sun protection. I wouldn’t suggest heading up when it’s windy. Wait for a calm day as it would get very dangerous on the ridge in gail.

My favourite time is Autumn. The track is a bit muddy in places but it’s also not incredibly hot. You do lose light quicker so you’ll have to be mindful of that.

Mt Somers isn’t the biggest mountain or hardest hike by any means but it is a good challenge. If you’ve been getting out regularly for hikes and have some confidence over rocky terrain, definitely give this one a go! If you’re not feeling quite ready yet hiking up to Staveley Hill is an awesome effort in itself. It’s a good way to give you an idea of what the track is like.