Trip Date: December 21-23, 2015
2015 NEW ZEALAND ADVENTURE VACATION
Routeburn Falls & Conical Hill Hiking Trip
Routeburn Flats
Routeburn Falls Hut
Routeburn Falls
Lake Harris
Harris Saddle & Shelter
Conical Hill (4970 ft / 1515 m)
Trip Report Summary
Region: New Zealand
Sub-Region: South Island
Sub-Sub-Region: Otago / Otakou
Areas: Mt. Aspiring National Park & Fiordland National Park
Starting & Ending Point: Routeburn Shelter & Trailhead on Lake Wakatipu Road (Elev. 1570 feet / 480 meters)
Way Points: Route Burn (River) & Forge Flats & Routeburn Flats Track junction & Routeburn Falls Hut (trail hike via Routeburn Track)
Accommodations: Routeburn Falls Hut (Elev. 3250 feet / 990 meters)
Sidetrip: Routeburn Falls & Routeburn Basin & Lake Harris & Harris Saddle & Harris Shelter & Conical Hill summit (trail hike)
Summit: Conical Hill (trail hike via South Slope)
Approximate Stats (excluding sidetrip): 11.4 miles / 18.4 kilometers traveled; 2100 feet / 640 meters gained & lost.
Approximate Stats (including sidetrip): 17.2 miles / 990 kilometers traveled; 4400 feet / 1340 meters gained & lost.
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Full Trip Report
During our time in the Lake Wanaka and Lake Wakatipu area of New Zealand, Eileen, Brooke, Callum, and I did a three-day hiking trip up the Routeburn (Route River). Our out-and-back trek followed a portion of Routeburn Track, which is one of the country’s ten famous Great Walks. This track lies at the southern tip of Mt. Aspiring National Park and the northeastern portion of Fiordland National Park.
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Day 1: Trailhead to Routeburn Falls Hut
Starting at Routeburn Shelter on a warm and sunny morning, our quartet headed up the well-graded Routeburn Track along with many other hikers. We passed a group of canyoneers in Sugar Loaf Stream and later crossed the river on a narrow suspension bridge.
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Soon after passing the Routeburn Flats turnoff, our trail began climbing out of the river valley at a steeper gradient. Clouds had been building all morning, and we eventually felt a few raindrops falling. It then became a race to reach Routeburn Falls Hut before rain came in earnest. Luckily, we stepped into the covered entry corridor of the hut just as a downpour cut loose in early afternoon (3.7 hours from TH).
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We settled into our four-person bunkroom within the large bunkhouse, then spent the rest of our day relaxing and eating in the dining room. Routeburn Falls Hut accommodates approximately 60 people, and it appeared to be at full capacity. The hut rangers provided some evening entertainment by engaging our diverse group in a fun language-identification game.
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Like many backcountry huts in New Zealand, this one is well-constructed, very clean, and nicely appointed. The kitchen has a long countertop and numerous cooking stations equipped with propane stoves and cookware. The dining area is spacious and well-lit by large windows. The sleeping bunks have thick foam pads, but trekkers must bring their own blankets, sleeping bags, and other personal gear.
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Heavy rains and strong winds battered our hut all evening and throughout the night. We were so glad to not be huddled inside a flapping tent during a storm like this!
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Day 2: Harris Saddle & Conical Hills Sidetrip
The storm abated during the early morning hours, such that we awoke to mostly sunny skies. Eileen and I took advantage of the favorable weather by doing a sidetrip up Conical Hill, a popular destination west of the hut. The first scenic stop on our sidetrip was Routeburn Falls, which consist of several creek braids that cascade into a lateral gorge.
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Beyond Routeburn Falls, we entered a huge, grassy meadow that sweeps gracefully up to Harris Lake. The trail traverses a steep above this lake and crosses through Harris Saddle, then immediately comes to a junction adjacent to Harris Shelter—a rudimentary sleeping hut on the Routeburn Track. We had now officially stepped over the border from Mt. Aspiring National Park to Fiordlands National Park.
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Turning right (north) at the junction, we departed from the main trail and followed a spur trail that switchbacks steeply up Conical Hill. We gained the broad summit in early afternoon (3.8 hours from Routeburn Falls Hut) and took in the views of surrounding mountains as well as nearby lakes and tarns. All the while, a sneaky kea bird prowled around our rucksacks in hopes of stealing some food!
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With our food bags intact (sorry kea), Eileen and I headed down the spur trail and encountered Brooke and Callum relaxing at Harris Saddle. We all continued back to Routeburn Falls Hut together, arriving in late afternoon (2.2 hours from summit).
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Day 3: Routeburn Falls Hut to Trailhead
Following a calm night in the hut, we awoke to another sunny morning. A pleasant hike down the busy Routeburn Track delivered us back to the trailhead at noon (2.4 hours from hut), eager for our next New Zealand hike.
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Route Map & Profile
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Photo Gallery
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