The first Otago Tramping Club trip to the Lake Ohau area appears to be the 1935/36 Xmas trip, of which we have both a trip report and photos in our archive. It is thought the road had not been built to the head of the lake, so the tramping was based around the lower valleys (Parsons, Sawyers & Freehold Creek), and some of the party climbing Mt Sutton, to the north of Dumb-bell Lake.

Since then, there have been over 50 trips to the area. The area has proven ideal for trampers just starting out, as a result many Bushcraft Courses from 1983 to 2007 visited the various valleys for the 3rd or optional weekend of Bushcraft. The 1989 Bushcraft weekend was memorable due to the incessant rain, which held up parties in various huts, and caused the trip to be a day getting home – a lot of work for the SAR contact in pre-Internet days, with over 60 worried families to contact by telephone.

There are multiple options available for trip (depending on leader availability). With recent work on the access road towards Monument by the Backcountry Trust, trips into the Huxley are a bit more accessible. There are also good trips to be had in the Temple, Maitland (permission required to access the lower section) and Freehold Creek.