Before anything else, I want to highlight that the conditions on Kunanyi (Mount Wellington) can become so severe that you may need to be rescued. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you don’t want to be caught in it. Common sense is your best friend. If the weather looks bad, snowfall is heavy, you don’t have warm clothing and also have no idea how to navigate the mountain, perhaps it’s best to stay indoors.
This may seem like common sense, but there are always people who don’t follow the above and end up needing rescuing (this recently happened in Sept 2024). Don’t let that be you. Instead, use some of the below information and tips to guide you in your preparation.
Weather & Terrain
Give yourself at least three hours of good weather forecast before attempting to walk to the Tarn. As a local, and experienced walker, I’d be comfortable walking this in any conditions. If you’re also an experienced walker and know how to navigate in snow storms or heavy rain, you’ll likely be okay to visit the Tarn at any time. If this is not you, try to reserve this for a day with very light rain or clear skies.
The walk along the Milles track (also known as Wellington Falls track) takes you through different types of terrain, such as muddy tracks reminding you of a narrow fire trail, boulder fields (known as the Potato Fields), and a few steep slippery climbs up trails covered in tree roots. Under certain conditions, usually after snowfall or cold nights, the boulders that replace the trail for vast portions of the trail become slippery and occasionally covered in ice. Keep this in mind.
There is good news though, so if you’ve been turned away at this point, keep reading, particularly the story just below. There’s hope yet.
Equipment (shoes, food, clothing)
Before I dive into equipment, I’d like to share a story from my first visit of the Tarn in 2020 when it went viral across social media.
I arrived at The Springs unable to find a legal park. People were illegally parked everywhere – on yellow lines, across the road, and double parking.. this was not a good start but gives an indication of how many people were around.
As I started walking, I realised this would be a long walk. It felt like I was back in school walking in single file. One step, wait a second, take another step, wait again, step again, etc… Along this long and excruciating walk, I encountered walkers of every kind. Some in shorts, some in sandals and some carrying children in a backpack harness. The rocks were icy at this time and still, people of all ages pressed on. No one gave up and everyone I spoke to said they made it.
With that context, you’ll need shoes that are comfortable to walk in, able to get wet and still provide a good amount of grip. I’d go with hiking boots/shoes, but as I observed on my walk, people managed to do it in sandals. Why? No idea. I’d stick with shoes to avoid losing toes to the cold.
Food-wise, bring enough to last you a few hours. If the weather isn’t looking ideal, I’d first consider if you need to do the walk and if you insist, perhaps bring more food to last the night if you were to get stuck.
For clothing, you’ll need a few layers. It gets cold when you’re not moving (often the case once you reach the Tarn and stick around for a while). I’d bring a thermal, windbreaker, beanie and another layer for between the thermal and wind-breaker (chosen depending on the temperature). Pants are great rather than shorts but both work. Again, dress to the conditions.
Distance & Elevation
Walking from the Springs to the Disappearing Tarn along the Wellington Falls (Milles) Track is approximately 9km return with 270m of elevation gain. The terrain is more technical than other walks given the roots, rocks and mud along the trail. For some, this is an instant turn-off. For others like me, this sounds like fun.