Crown Peak and Mount Sale from Arrowtown

This hike starts from Arrowtown. There is a big parking available where you will also find toilets. This area is pretty popular on the weekends with lots of people biking, hiking or just walking or having a swim at the Arrow River.
In a partial loop the track goes up Crown Peak (1735 m) and Mount Sale (1708 m). I say partial loop because the loop is limited to the first section of the track by surrounding Mount Beetham from one side or the other one.

I decided to make it clockwise by taking New Chum Gully Track to go up and taking Glencoe Road and Tobins Track to come back.
New Chum Gully Track is slightly shorter but has a bit more elevation gain.

After a couple of kilometers from the start we take the detour on the left-hand side to New Chum Gully Track. You'll go up and down a couple of times until you close the loop 6.5 km later. At this junction you will find a toilet.
From this point we start a long and steep ascent that won't stop until we get all the way to the top of Mount Sale. Almost 900 meters of elevation gain in only 5.5 kms.
Crown Peak at 1735 meters is the highest point of the track. Once you jump on top of the black rocks you will be at the real summit where you can enjoy excellent views 360 degrees.
Enjoy the views of Brown Peak and Coronet Peak on the West side. Also Arrowtown and the spot where we left the car.

On the South West side you can see Queenstown, Wakatipu Lake and The Remarkables.

On the North Side there is a fantastic view of the 3 km long ridge to Mount Sale, our next stop, and also nice views of Mount Cardrona, and even Wanaka Lake somewhere far in the far distance.

On the East side is Pisa Range with the popular Rock Peak.

Next to the summit of Crown Peak there is another kind of unnamed summit where you can find a Trig point. It is marked in the track with a waypoint named "Trig point".

To get to Mount Sale we follow the ridge, first by going down like halfway and then up to the summit of Mount Sale. At this summit you will find another Trig point and also a container with some solar panels and some antennas.

To get back we follow again the ridge to Crown Peak and then down the same track to the junction where we found the toilet.
At this spot we make a left to take Brackens Saddle Track. After about 1.5 kilometres on this track we came to a point that is a bit confusing. I marked this point with a waypoint called "Decision point". You could go right or left and join the track at the base of Mount Beetham a bit sooner or a bit later. You find those two tracks on the terrain and also on the NZ topographic map. I decided to go left but after 400 meters I got to a point where there was a gate, a dam with some water but no more track. I decided to go back a bit and cross a paddock to join the track at the base of Mount Beetham. I was following another GPS track and this is what the previous guy did. It could be this was the old way and later they changed it. The crossing is only 200 meters but you have to jump a fence and a gate.
If I had to do it again I would probably take a right at the "Decision point" waypoint and see if that one works better.

Once at the base of Mount Beetham soon we get to a gate that leads to Glencoe Road. After 850 meters on this road you make a left to get back to Tobins Track that, after 3.3 kms, will take you back to the car.

In summary, really long track with excellent views from the top and a beautiful ridge from summit to summit.



Full description and more pictures at Back from Summit: Crown Peak