The Southern Lakes area has been sculpted over time by colossal glaciers, to form some
of the most remarkable terrain in Aotearoa.
The remaining landscape holds some of the most beautiful and challenging
tramping (hiking) routes in New Zealand.
One track, in particular, is often regarded as the ultimate alpine adventure…
The Routeburn track is a 33 km tramp (hike) over the main divide, which takes approximately
3 days to complete.
The alpine section of the track will take the entirety of your second day
and runs for approximately 10 km.
In this video we will look at the track as if we were starting from the Glenorchy side,
but the tramp can be attempted in any direction.
The Great Walks season is the best time of year to attempt this tramp, as all facilities
are actively managed.
It isn’t recommended to attempt the Routeburn outside of this period, as facilities are
greatly reduced, and snow covers the track making tramping nearly impossible.
The average daily Summer temperature sits around 5-10 degrees C (41 – 50 Fahrenheit),
and you can expect approximately 200 days of rain per year.
It’s important to remember that you will be in an alpine region which means there is a good
chance you will experience heavy rain, strong winds, snow and freezing
temperatures even during the great walks season.
So, warm and waterproof clothing will be essential, as well as a good pair of tramping boots.
Make sure you carry enough water for the whole day as places to fill up are limited.
As with all walks and tramps in New Zealand make sure you 'Leave Your Intentions' with a
trusted contact and inform them when you have finished your tramp.
You can find out more about 'Leaving Your Intentions' at the Mountain Safety Council website.
The track starts off relatively easy from the Routeburn Shelter, from here you will
gently tramp 7.5 km up the Routeburn River through beech forest to Routeburn Flats Hut.
You can either stop here for the night or continue on another 1.5 hours up
to Routeburn Falls Hut and spend your first night there.
It’s a decent climb up to Routeburn Falls Hut so take your time, look around and enjoy
the views down Routeburn Valley as you ascend higher up the mountain.
The following morning as you leave Routeburn Falls Hut, you will need to travel over approximately
500m of rock slabs.
These slabs are just to the left of the Routeburn falls and are often wet so take care when
climbing this section as it may be slippery.
Just follow the orange markers to stay on track and be sure footed as its common to
sprain or twist your ankles on this loose slippery rock.
The track will then take you up into an open basin as you make your way towards Lake Harris.
From here the track weaves above the lake, and it can get quite narrow in some places.
This leaves you exposed as you have a cliff on one side and a steep drop off on the other.
This usually isn’t too much of an issue, just be careful as a slip could
have very severe consequences.
During winter this section of track can be buried in snow
making this part very dangerous to attempt.
Several avalanche paths also cross this section so don’t continue pass here without the
correct skills and equipment to do so safely.
However, during the great walk season DOC actively monitor and manage the avalanche
conditions and will help you get across this section if snow is present.
As you move past Lake Harris, you’ll reach the highest point of the Routeburn,
Harris Saddle.
The saddle is where you will feel the first full exposure of any westerly weather.
This means that winds may be strong and temperatures will be much colder.
Head into Harris Shelter on bad weather days and take a break, this is a basic shelter
with a toilet, but it should not be used for sleeping in unless it is an emergency.
This is the only shelter available on the track until McKenzie Hut.
A popular side trip is to head up Conical Hill.
This detour is signposted from the shelter so follow the signs
and stay on track at all times.
This is a two hour side trip so if you attempt conical hill make sure you leave yourself
plenty of time by departing Routeburn Falls Hut early, and take on extra food for energy
to ensure you’ll be able to carry on to Mackenzie hut afterwards.
There is no need to attempt the Conical Hill detour if conditions are cloudy or foggy,
as there will be no view to see and it’s a lot of extra time and energy to waste.
From here you will begin to cross the Hollyford Face, watch for weather coming from the West
as you’ll be most exposed along this section.
The track is marked but in bad weather or snow it can be easy to accidentally lose this
and descend too low so be sure to identify the track markers or poles and don’t be
tempted to head down the side of the hill.
The track is narrow in some sections so take your time and watch your footing.
After about 3.5 km the track takes a sharp turn around the final ridge.
It’s essential that you follow the track markers as there is no alternative ways down
to Lake Mackenzie from here.
Another 1 hour of tramping down the hill will bring you to the final destination for the
day, Lake Mackenzie Hut.
Your last day will be spent tramping out to The Divide Shelter through dense beach trees,
however, still take care as the weather can still change fast, you’ll just be a little
more sheltered for the rest of the tramp.
You will need to take care when crossing the Earland falls during periods of heavy rain
as this can be prone to flooding
The Routeburn Track is undeniably one of the best tramps New Zealand has to offer, but
it can be hazardous, so aim to tramp it during the great walks season to minimise any risk.
Talk to DOC staff at the Fiordland National Park or Queenstown Visitor Centre’s to stay
up to date on the latest track conditions.
Make sure you check out the official Fiordland National Park and Mt Aspiring National park
weather forecasts at MetService.com before you go.
Finally, remember to 'Leave Your Intentions' with a trusted contact
before you start your tramp.
Most importantly don’t forget to enjoy New Zealand’s ultimate alpine adventure.
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