Routeburn in a Day
So here's what I'm thinking. I'd like to do the Routeburn in a day. Why? Because it's cheaper and I won't have to book ahead. The challenge, besides 30km+ of hiking, is the transportation logistics (I'm not paying for a shuttle). So I'm wondering if it would be possible to arrange two groups of people hiking from both ends and swapping their keys wherever they meet along the trail. Then meeting again to swap back the vehicles in a pre-arranged halfway point between Te Anau and Queenstown.
I don't have a vehicle myself, but my girlfriend and I would be willing to share gas and start from either end.
This would definitely be a challenging day, but mostly due only to the endurance factor. 10 hours minimum, 12 hours likely, plus the driving afterwards.
Anyone interested? If we only had people interested that don't have their own vehicles, we could consider getting a rental.
We're experienced, but the Routeburn of course isn't a hard track, so the challenge is maintaining a decent pace all day. I'll be stopping to take photos, but otherwise will have a slightly above average pace.
The date would have to be flexible for the weather, naturally.
People run the Routeburn in well under 3 hours (downhill) - seem to remember winning times around the 2hr30 mark. Walking it in a day should not be a problem.
Dont do that.
I passed about 300 persons when I did it.
It's easy! But no fun at all.
Track is nice but just during offseason!
Dont do that.
I passed about 300 persons when I did it.
It's easy! But no fun at all.
Track is nice but just during offseason!
I would recommend the 1 day challenge. I did it on Easter Monday two years ago (age 58). Camped in back of my station wagon at the Routeburn shelter and set off 4.30am next day. On Harris Saddle to see the sunrise. Dumped pack at the shelter and went up Conical Hill to view Martins Bay and Lake Mckerrow. All downhill after that. Lunch
at L. McKenzie. drink and snack and yarn with other trampers at L. Howden and Mckerrow Hut at 6pm for pre-dinner drinks. Continued down Greenstone next day and hitched back to my car. A great tramp at a steady pace but still took time to smell the roses. Don't be put off by negative comments and attitudes re hoardes of other trampers - you pass similar numbers anywhere.
1 deleted post from
pmcke
A mate of mine managed to do both the Milford and the Routeburn in the same day back in the early 1980s. They left the shore of Lake Te Anau at midnight, caught the sheduled boat from Sandfly to Milford in the afternoon. They then had someone with a car to transport them to the Divide and they completed the Routeburn, finishing with about 15 mins to spare before midnight.
Hi,
you could cut the trip in half by descending down the Dead Man's Track, which is branching off the Routeburn about a kilometre west of the Harris Saddle, for a couple of kilometres or so, and then camp in one of the rare but existing flat-ish spots in the forest to either side of that track.
Pro's:
You have an extra day on the trail and can enjoy the views to your heart's content. No booking needed, away from 99.99% of all other trampers.
Con's:
Very steep track, in wet conditions also very slippery. Only suitable for advanced trampers with nerves and no fear of steep terrain. It is not mountaineering, but very steep grassy and muddy slopes, especially at the upper end near the Routeburn.
Getting down into the forest should take you no longer than an hour; back up may be an hour or more, depending on how dry it is.
Hang your food and kitchen stuff into the trees - pigs are roaming that forest at night. They usually only sniff around camp a bit and then bugger off though.
Have a good trip and let us know how it went!
Matt
I ended up passing on Routeburn in a Day. The weather and logistics just weren't lining up well. We're up on the North Island now. I had considered the Deadman's Track, also camping in the North Routeburn for a night. Certainly it can be done, especially with mid-summer amounts of daylight. The transportation is the biggest challenge, besides the fitness of course. I still think a car swap with people starting on both sides would work nicely.
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| Forum | Tramping partners |
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| Started by | glacier_fed |
| On | 30 January 2011 |
| Replies | 7 |
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