If you haven’t already noticed, Regs and I absolutely love being out in the great outdoors. There’s something about breathing in fresh air and being surrounded by nature that really cleanses the mind, body and soul.
Here in New Zealand we are so incredibly lucky to have the most beautiful backyard, we like spending any extra time we have, even if it’s just a half day getting out there exploring to new hidden spots and appreciating how lucky we are to call this paradise our home.
For 2020 we have decided to document 20 summits that we complete. Now we aren’t strangers to hiking in the hills, so we likely will repeat some tracks that we have previously done just so you guys too can follow along.
Some of these will be harder than others and as with all back country and alpine areas you need to go prepared as the weather can change really quickly . This includes having the right gear with you and lots of water and snacks especially for the tracks that are a few hours long.
Below you will find each summit track, how to get there and some photos of how good the view is waiting for you at the top. Stay safe everyone, get active and make 2020 the best year yet!
1 - Saddle Hill Summit Banks Peninsula
A beautiful track with panoramic views located about 1hour from central Christchurch.To get there travel to Little River, take a right onto Kinloch road and follow the gravel road to the top and turn left onto Bossu Road. Follow this along until you see the DOC sign for Saddle Hill. Park on the right hand side and make your way onto the track on the left hand side of the road.
A moderate level of fitness is required for this track as although it’s only roughly 1.5hr to 2hrs return depending on your pace, there are some quite steep parts on your way to the summit.
The way down is a lot nicer and gives you a chance to definitely catch your breath lol. Dogs are allowed on this track which is awesome but keep an eye on them as there are some steep cliff drop offs so make sure they don’t wander away too far from you.
Take lots of water for you and your doggos as there are also no waterways etc available anywhere on this track.
2. Torlesse Tusocklands Park Trig M - 1251M climb from Porters Pass with stunning views 3hours return roughly again alot of Incline so more for Intermediate fitness levels - Dogs allowed on lead for this track. In the Winter months I would suggest only experienced hikers as it is in an alpine area.Panoramic views over Lake Lyndon which is just beautiful to sit and take in on a nice warm still day. We really enjoyed this hike!
3.Roys Peak Wanaka - A Climb for more advanced fitness levels, this was by far my most favourite of all our Summits so far. The way up is steep and inclined pretty much the entire way. We went around 2pm after I had finished working on a clients wedding, and I felt like it was a good time as although it was still really hot, there wasn’t as many people at the top compared to how many we passed heading back down on our way up.
This is a very popular track so best to time it right if you don’t like crowds! Normal time for this is around 6hrs return, we did this in about 4hours return, make sure your footwear is also good, trail shoes or hiking boots are best as a lot of the track is loose gravel. Take lots of water also!!
4 . Coopers Knob Port Hills