Patriarch Road and Goulter Valley

From the car park, head along the Patriarch road. This is undulating, in good condition, and very runnable. From time to time there are glimpses of Lake Chalice below which you will later return along the side of.

After about 6 km the road switches to the south side of the ridge, and then climbs to the high point of the loop, followed soon by the Mid Goulter Route turnoff at about 8km. Head off the road and along the route. At first you traverse about 800m across broken unstable rock to near point 1246 which has spectacular views, at least until the wilding conifers complete their conquest and it's all just pine forest.

Now head down, again on broken unstable rock that only a mountain goat would enjoy. Take care. After about halfway down you're in beech forest and a more normal surface. At the bottom, detour left to a stream with drinkable water, and Mid Goulter hut is only 100m further on if you want to visit it. After having a drink, head upstream along the track which follows the Goulter river all the way to the lake.

The first section of this, to the confluence with the Old Man Hut track at about the 15km mark, is moderately rough. (There is access to the river at the track junction). After the confluence it gets very rough in places with possible frequent tree falls, usually in the steepest and most awkward spots (by now the track is quite high above the river on a steep slope). Care is needed to manoeuvre around, under or over fallen obstacles! At about the 18 km mark the track comes back to river level and the going is easier. Soon you're at the foot of the enormous landslide that dammed the valley and created Lake Chalice. Climb this and you're on the excellent track running along the South side of the lake to Lake Chalice Hut. Then it's just 2 1/2 km (uphill, sadly), back to the carpark.