The route markings get covered by snow and it's easy to get lost! Several tarns adorn the path around the Key Summit and offer reflections on a calm day. The Routeburn Track was an important route for both indigenous Māori and European settlers. Access to the Routeburn Track is not as tightly controlled as the Milford Track. Some people get around this by doing a key swap with another walker going in the opposite direction. One of Air New Zealand's A320 safety videos starred Bear Grylls and the video was filmed on the Routeburn track. This grand, mountainous trail is home to some of the finest scenery in the country. We started at the Routeburn Shelter and ended at The Divide, which is the right-to-left direction of this map: The Routeburn Track elevation profile (click to enlarge) The Routeburn Shelter trailhead, near Glenorchy, is a little over an hour from Queenstown. Deaths have occurred on this trail because hikers to book and are much cheaper. The Routeburn is the easiest of the three tracks, and still completely spectacular. campsites are easier I come from Routeburn Track Guided Walk - Ultimate Hikes. From Lake Mackenzie, the track crosses a small flat before climbing to the tree line. A small rest point in sand next to the Routeburn River. Take time to enjoy the dramatic landscape around the Falls, before descending to the alpine pastures of the Routeburn Flats. If the weather is good (as it wasn't the case for me) consider turning left and adding the extension to the Key Summit. No filming was done for The Lord of the Rings trilogy on the track itself, but the Dart River Valley just north of Glenorchy and before the track starts, was the scene for Isengard. From here the trail rapidly loses elevation through a series of switchbacks and not before long you’ll be at the shoreline, preparing for your second night. Poor weather conditions can make this walk challenging, even in the Great Walks season. Destination Fiordland and Destination Queenstown have information about transport operators. They have only made it to the viewpoint of Harris lake before they decided to turn around After another hour you’ll be at the Routeburn Falls Hut. Somnus (2293m) and Mt Momus (2148m). From the Falls Hut it starts with a short uphill section over smooth rock. From Lake MacKenzie the route hugs the tree line and passes several impressive waterfalls, the most prominent of which is Earland Falls at 174m. Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Falls Hut 9.8km, 3-4hr The track sets out on a gradual undulating climb through lush beech forest, following the window-clear Routeburn River until it reaches the dramatic flats, flanked on both side by the Humboldt Mountains. The map of the Routeburn Track Day 1: Routeburn Shelter to Routeburn Falls The Routeburn North Branch beneath the Humboldt Mountains On this first section, the gravel path is well maintained and crosses the Routeburn River (which can be anything from … The track continues and then ends to become an unmarked route along the Livingstone Mountains eventually leading down a spur to McKellar Hut on the Greenstone Track. During hiking season, huts are well serviced with gas for cooking, wood for the fire, toilet paper and informative hut wardens. The Routeburn Track in New Zealand is most commonly hiked over a couple of days, but it is possible to see a great portion of the track on a day hike! At 33km, the Routeburn is typically hiked over three days and two nights. The Routeburn Track is a 32km traverse through New Zealand's Southern Alps that links Mount Aspiring and Fiordland National Park. The campsite is a further ten minute walk from the hut along the shoreline of the lake. Routeburn Track can be accessed from both ends: Routeburn Shelter, 25 km from Glenorchy along a partially unsealed road, and The Divide Shelter, 85 km from Te Anau. Entry to the track is at approximately 200m altitude, and the highest point is approximately 1255m at the Harris Saddle. NZ residents pay 65$ per person per night with no charges for under 18s (though booking is still required) and 20NZD/person for a campsite. The Routeburn Track is a 32km Great Walk from the Routeburn Shelter to The Divide. The Routeburn Track was an important route for both indigenous Māori and European settlers. Because it is a Great Walk, the tracks are very well maintained. This day can be split up into two sections by staying a night at the Lake Howden Hut but for those of you who are on a stricter time frame, you can easily do this in a day. We hiked from East to West from the Routeburn Shelter to The Divide. There is a choice of which direction to go, and which huts to stay in. Hill is possible and certainly worth it. [3], In July 2016, a Czech male hiker fell and died while hiking the track; his female partner sheltered at the Lake Mackenzie Huts for a month before she was rescued. The Routeburn Track was named one of the top eleven trails in the world by the National Geographic Adventure Magazine in May 2005. Outside of hiking season these luxuries are not necessarily Your accommodation is now ‘reserved’ but is not confirmed until you complete the payment process. Further around the trail you have the opportunity to walk right at the base of the falls. It's considered one of the best hiking routes in the world. Past the Routeburn Falls hut, the track becomes narrower and more technical as it climbs past Lake Harris. The Routeburn Trail is 32km relocation hike, After the Routeburn Flats Hut the trail steepens. 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