Gertrude Saddle Route

Start: Park at Gerturde Valley carpark or below the road if there's room or along the road if the car park is full. Then reach the end of the car park to reach the trailhead.

Waymarkers : Orange waypoints and arrows.

(S/E) From the car park, head North then North-East towards the orange wayposts, which lead you across an old torrent bed. Then, follow a small path through low vegetation. Use the footbridge to cross the torrent and carry on along the well-marked but sometimes flooded path.

(1) Cross the torrent once and carry on over the pebbles to cross the torrent again, then a third time before putting your shoes back on. The path climbs slightly under trees, for a hundred meters or so, before returning to low vegetation. Carry on along this path until you reach a dry torrent bed and follow the waymarkers upstream.

(2) Leave the dry torrent, where the path quickly rises. Keep following the waymarkers.

(3) Reach a warning sign mentioning to do not to continue beyond this point if the ground is wet or icy. The rest of the ascent is on a slab, following the waymarkers and at the end use steel cable to reach Black Lake.

(4) At the lake, carry on to the right (North) on the left side of the slab using steel cable before finding a well-marked path and then finish with another slab to reach the saddle.

(5) At the saddle, enjoy the view and don't hesitate to go left to see another lake and right to get a little more height and enjoy the view. Take the opposite route back down to the car park. (S/E)

Start: Park at Gerturde Valley carpark or below the road if there's room or along the road if the car park is full. Then reach the end of the car park to reach the trailhead.

Waymarkers : Orange waypoints and arrows.

Terrain & Gears : Rocky alpine terrain. At the start, you have to cross the torrent three times in a row, so it's not necessarily necessary to put your shoes back on each time. A small towel may be useful to dry your feet before putting your shoes back on.
Parts of the track are very steep and not suitable for those with limited tramping experience, or a dislike for heights.

⚠️ Please check the weather forecast as some parts can't be accessed when there is too much rain/ice.
Please check any warnings on the DOC website here.

It may be possible to reach Barrier Knob from the pass - we've seen people there - but you need the right equipment.