Sealy Tarns

Sealy Tarns is a small flat area with two small tarns halfway up the northern slopes of the , New Zealand. It is accessible from the Hooker Valley and Mount Cook Village via a tramping track maintained by the Department of Conservation (DOC).^[1] The track climbs steeply from about 850 m (2,789 ft) to 1,300 m (4,265 ft) via many switchbacks and over 2,200 steps^[2] built of large timber anchored into the ground. The track was established during the 1980s, and upgraded in 2012.^[2] The distance for a return trek from Hooker Valley Road to Sealy Tarns is 5.8 km (3.6 miles).^[3]

The Sealy Tarns area marks the end of the well-maintained track, with a popular tramping route that continues to climb to Mueller Hut.^[1] The area features two small tarns (hence its name), an area suitable for tobogganing on the side of the ridge, and an excellent view of , Aoraki / Mount Cook, both Hooker and Mueller Glaciers and their respective proglacial lakes, and Mount Cook Village.

Panoramic overview[]

Panorama taken at the lower track entrance to Sealy Tarns

This stitched panorama was taken in the Winter of 2007 in the afternoon. From left-to-right the notable features are:

• The route further up the ridge to Mueller Hut
• A snow-covered area with toboggan tracks
• Two DOC signs indicating the tarns area with the tarns themselves snow-covered in the background
• In center of frame, top-to-bottom:
  • Aoraki / Mount Cook
  • Terminal face and glacial lake of Hooker Glacier
  • Terminal face and glacial lake of the Mueller Glacier (compare to a photo from 2016 to see the retreat of the glacier)
• The wide flat-bottomed Hooker Valley (the village itself is hidden behind the ridge on the right)

References[]

Coordinates: 43°42′48″S 170°04′26��E / 43.7132°S 170.0740°E / -43.7132; 170.0740 (Sealy Tarns)

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