The Copland Track

Abstract

The Copland Track has always held an attraction for people. A main divide crossing of the Southern Alps from the alpine landscape of the Mount Cook region to the rainforests of the West Coast makes the Copland one of New Zealand's unique walking tracks. People have had many different thoughts about the Copland, some had ideas of roads and tunnels, others wanting only a simple walking track. Many people have had mixed conceptions about the Copland and often these have led to accidents. This dissertation starts with the history of the Copland Track, ideas, thoughts and problems, which have occurred in the past. It continues on to look at the present day user of the track by: a.) looking at demographic characteristics of people who cross the Copland Pass. b.) Motivation and sources of information of track users. c.) Experience of users and problems encountered. d.) Hut spacing. The final section presents some of my ideas for future management of the Copland Pass in the interests of mountain safety.