Dore Pass: Back Door to the Milford Track

www.flickr.com... Photos by Matt Suddaby
We were lucky enough to get bookings for the Milford Track for January (booked 17 December so always check for cancellations) and decided to access the track via Dore Pass which had been on our wish list for many years.
Logistics:
Transport: We booked with Fiordland Outdoors for the boat ride from Sandfly Point and a bus back to our car at the Dore Pass access carpark. We told them what we were planning to do and were prepared to make a last minute boat booking across Lake Te Anau if the weather wasn't favourable for Dore Pass. We stayed the night before at Eglinton Valley Camp so that we could get an early start.
The Track: We left the car park at 7am. The river has taken out half the car park, so you need to walk up the road for a couple of minutes and then push through the bush to access the river. You then have to cross the Eglinton River - it's not possible to avoid wet feet! Once you've crossed the flat, there is a didymo cleaning station to prevent didymo reaching the Clinton River.
The track is in good condition and climbs steadily uphill once it enters the bush. A pair of kaka were making a lot of noise in this section. Once most the the climbing is done, the track starts to sidle along the edge of the gorge. Although still well marked, this section had some skips and tree falls to negotiate. Once you reach the Murcott Burn, the track heads steadily uphill beside the river. There is a decent camping spot 10 minutes after crossing the Murcott - with enough room for a couple of tents. We spent an extra 40 minutes in this section as we had to go back to find some lost gear.
The track then heads up into the alpine. Once you cross by a waterfall, it climbs steeply up a snowgrass ridge before swinging right between some rock bluffs. Fill up with water by the waterfall as there is no water until you are well over the pass. It then climbs steeply again to get to the pass itself. The views over Lake Te Anau and down the Clinton River are spectacular.
The tracks then zigzags down and across a scree slope. There are a couple of sections which need careful work through some bluffs. If it ius cloudy, take this section slowly and ensure you are on the correct track as getting bluffed is a possibility. The tfack then hits the ridge and descends very steeply to a boggy section before entering the bush again. Once in the bush, it continues to zig zag down to the Glade Burn far below. This section felt like it took a long time as the zig zagging track meant our progress on the map seemed slow. Finally, you need to cross the Glade Burn before getting on to the track to Glade House. There is a split in the track here and it's possible to go directly to where the Milford Track crosses the Clinton River or go va Glade House.
Our time over from the Eglinton Valley to Glade House was approximately 9.5 hours, but this included lunch, lots of photos and backtracking to find my lost windshield. As Matt hadn't done the Milford before, he nipped down to the start at Glade Wharf and I waited by the mile marker - hence out 11 hour time in total to Clinton Hut.
For experienced trampers in good conditions, this way into the Milford Track is highly recommended. The track had recently been remarked and was in really good condition.

[@Rightouttheback]

Great video thank you

[@dirrtysouth]

Will defiantly be checking it out next time I'm down those ways. Great vid guys

[@gjcoop5625]

That is more straightforward than some accounts I have read. Some of those snow poles may be new. It's probably harder when visibility is poor or you are doing it in the off-season, with limited light and real time pressure, but it's useful to know to sidle across to that ridge. Great views.

[@mdasik8730]

nice videos ❤❤❤

[@onefootinfrontoftheothernz]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@elefteriatravels]

Awesome ❤❤ just subscribed

[@onefootinfrontoftheothernz]

Yes. It was mid-summer and the track had been newly marked with plastic snow poles . I’m not sure how they will stand up in the winter. On the whole, it’s a decent track through the bush sections.

[@woodbridgehillcottagealan5920]

Love your video and love Milford Sound. We have just subscribed to your channel and look forward to following your journey.
Regards Anne & Alan
Woodbridge Hill Cottage, Tasmania
www.youtube.com/@WoodbridgeHillCottage