“The High Country Crossing”
Ride through alpine passes and camp in the wild heart of St James.

Start from Fowlers Hut and ride across the dramatic Fowlers Pass into the St James. Each day takes you through alpine basins, historic huts, and wild valleys. Highlights include Stanley Vale Hut, Pool Hut, and a camp beside Cowstream natural hot springs. This classic four-day loop is a true high-country journey — rugged, remote, and unforgettable.

Accommodation is part of the adventure — whether it’s sleeping in a tent warmed by a wood stove, or in a century-old hut, you’ll experience the backcountry the way early explorers did.

Freedom Camping with Horses

Most nights are spent camping in true backcountry style. We set up lightweight outfitter tents (M.I.A. tipi tents with woodburner stoves on colder nights) right alongside the horses. Imagine cooking a camp meal while the horses graze nearby, soaking in natural hot pools, or stargazing without any light pollution. It’s rustic, simple, and unforgettable.

Historic Huts

Where possible, we overnight in restored high-country huts such as Stanley Vale Hut (built in the 1860s) or other DOC huts along the route. These are first-come, first-served shared shelters, offering four walls, a roof, and a taste of New Zealand’s pioneering past. When huts are full, we camp nearby.

Off-Grid Simplicity

There are no showers, no electricity, and no phone coverage. Drinking water, cooking gear, and meals are provided by us. Toilets are only available at certain huts — on camping nights, we follow strict Leave No Trace practices.

Begin with a transfer from St James Homestead to the trailhead at Fowlers Hut, where your adventure starts.

• Ride steadily up through alpine tussock country and cross the dramatic Fowlers Pass, with sweeping views of the St James ranges.

• Descend into wide valleys where wild deer and chamois are sometimes spotted.

• Reach Stanley Vale Hut 🛖, a historic shepherd’s hut built in the 1860s. Here, the surrounding meadows open toward Lake Guyon, a serene alpine lake just a short ride away.

• If conditions allow, we often take the horses down to the lake to drink or even bathe them in the clear alpine waters — an unforgettable experience for riders.

• Overnight at Stanley Vale Hut or camp nearby under the stars.

• Saddle up for a ride through the Poplars Range. This section offers varied terrain — creeks to cross, grassy basins, and alpine bush pockets.

• The landscape here feels vast and untouched, with few signs of modern life.

• Arrive at Pool Hut in the afternoon, a rustic DOC hut tucked into a remote corner of the valley. Camp or stay in the hut depending on space.

Continue riding across braided streams and open tussock country.

• The route gradually leads toward Cowstream Valley, home to the natural hot pools.

• Camp beside the hot pools ♨️ — a rare luxury in the wilderness. Enjoy a soak while the horses graze nearby, followed by a hearty camp dinner.

After breakfast, mount up for the final ride out of Cowstream.

• The return route winds back through valleys and rivers, eventually bringing you to St James Homestead, the historic gateway to the area.

• Arrive mid-afternoon, tired but exhilarated — having completed a true high country crossing.