Hiking Roy’s Peak
Last summer I went on a two week trip to New Zealand. It was one of my favorite trips. In two weeks I got a taste of both the North and South Island with some pretty incredible experiences along the way.
New Zealand is known for it’s spectacular landscapes. I knew when I made the trip there, I’d be going for as many hikes as I could fit into my packed schedule. I had time for a handful of short hikes but my favorite was Roy’s Peak. When I started out on my road trip, I actually didn’t think I’d have time for this hike. A surprise earthquake ended up leading to a rock slide that blocked the road I was planning to take, so I got stuck in Wanaka (a smaller town North of Queenstown) for an extra day. That day, Roy’s Peak made it’s way back to my itinerary.
The entrance to the hike is a 10 minute drive from the town of Wanaka. It’s a gravel parking lot in the midst of empty fields and farmland. There’s a donation box for using the trail, but if you travel in the winter like me it’s not really required to pay anything.
The beginning of the trail is a wide, dry, compact earth trail, zig-zagging up the hill side. There really aren’t any flat sections along the way, but the slopes aren’t overly steep. I stopped every few switchbacks to catch my breath as I slowly made my way farther and farther up the hill. A bunch of wild rabbits mixed with domestic cows littered the side of the trail and were a welcomed distraction during the ascent.
Eventually you come to a small set of stairs that cross over a cow pasture fence and there starts one of the few flat sections of the trail. It’s a welcomed break, but doesn’t last long. The second fence crossing ends it abruptly and it’s back to switchbacks for the rest of the trail. Here also starts the mud. There is so much mud on the trail in the winter. For the top two-thirds of the ascent, the trail becomes a bit of a muddy mess. You have to weave your way back and forth across the wide path to avoid the extra muddy spots, but while your boots will end up filthy, it’s not too bad.
I was one of the few hikers with trekking poles, but honestly I think they were useful. This trail can be rough on the knees, especially when it comes to making your way down. The other piece of gear I was happy to have along with me were my snow spikes. I made the hike in August, towards the end of New Zealand winter, so the top of the trail still had some snow. There was one section of the trail that was in the shade and had iced over a bit; having the spikes made me a bit less nervous backtracking down the hill.
About 2.5 hours into the hike I finally made it to the viewpoint. While the viewpoint certainly the highlight of the trail, it’s actually not the top. Since it was winter, there wasn’t a line up of Instagram models looking for a photo-op. I actually had the viewpoint completely to myself for a few minutes. Another hiker was nice enough to take some photos for me. They were stunning. It’s no surprise people line up for a photo like this.
I didn’t end up continuing on to the top. I was exhausted and stopped near the viewpoint for some snacks. Snacks are a must on this hike, and plenty of water. On the way down I stopped a bunch of times along the way. On the way up, you’re largely just seeing the hill in front of you, but on the way down the extraordinary views are right in front of your face. As I made my way towards the bottom of the hill the sun also started to set, casting an orange glow over the hillside.
Just around 5 hours later I was finally back in my rental car. My legs were shaking. I took a few minutes for another snack and gave them a few minutes to steady out. It was a short 10 minute drive back to my hotel and I stopped for tacos along the way (Burrito Craft - it was great).
It had been a perfect day, and after hiking 9 miles with an elevation gain of over 4,000 ft, I slept really well that night.