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.

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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

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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

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Route Map

Mt Sinclair Route Map (CalTopo)

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Click to enlarge…