A hiker stands on a rocky knob overlooking a broad grassy valley and Mt Sinclair
Mount Sinclair seen from Montgomery View Knob

Mt Sinclair + Mt Montgomery via Summit Walkway (Banks Peninsula – Akaroa Hills, New Zealand)

Trip Date: December 31, 2015

2015 NEW ZEALAND ADVENTURE VACATION

Mt. Sinclair Day Hike

Montgomery View Knob
Mount Sinclair (2759 ft / 841 m)

Mount Montgomery (2297 ft / 700 m)

Trip Report Summary

Region: New Zealand

Sub-Region: South Island

Sub-Sub-Region: Canterbury / Waitaha

Sub-Sub-Sub Region: Banks Peninsula – Akaroa Hills

Starting & Ending Point: Summit Walkway Trailhead on Summit Road (Elev. 1500 feet / 460 meters)

Way Points: Montgomery View Knob & Mt. Herbert Walkway junction & Montgomery–Sinclair Saddle & Mt. Sinclair flank (trail hike via Summit Walkway—Mt. Herbert Walkway)

Summit: Mt. Sinclair (off-trail hike via North Slope; descent via Southeast Slope)

Summit: Mt. Montgomery (off-trail hike & rock scramble via Southwest Ridge)

Approximate Stats: 6.5 miles / 10.5 kilometers traveled; 2800 feet / 850 meters gained & lost; 5.2 hours elapsed.

Full Trip Report

For the last hike of our New Zealand vacation, Eileen and I drove up Summit Road to the Hilltop area and then hiked up the Summit Walkway. This trail took us over a knobby shoulder of Mt. Montgomery, down to a broad saddle, and then around to the north side of Mt. Sinclair. From there, it was an easy off-trail ascent to the summit, which has a distinctive trigonometric (“trig”) survey station.

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Eileen On Mount Sinclair Summit

We then returned to the knobby shoulder of Mt. Montgomery, and I made a quick scramble up to the summit. Both of these open summits offer a nice view of the entire Banks Peninsula and Akaroa Hills. The rolling terrain here contrasts greatly with the rugged mountains of the Southern Alps.

Akaroa Harbor From Mt Montgomery

Route Map

Mt Sinclair Route Map (CalTopo)

Click to enlarge…