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Routeburn Track
Fiordland & Mount Aspiring National Parks, New Zealand
32 km Distance
1,127 m gain Elevation
2-3 days Duration
Moderate Difficulty
12/22/23 - 12/24/23
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Why This One
We chose the Routeburn Track since its alpine views offered a stark contrast to the coastal Abel Tasman Track we had done a few weeks prior.
Highlights
1) Being introduced to the world's only alpine parrot, the Kea
2) Watching the Lord of the Rings with one of the park rangers
3) Bathing in icy mountain lakes and streams
4) Sleeping shoulder to shoulder in 10-mattress hut bunks
2) Watching the Lord of the Rings with one of the park rangers
3) Bathing in icy mountain lakes and streams
4) Sleeping shoulder to shoulder in 10-mattress hut bunks
What The Trail Felt Like
Busy near the huts and at a few narrow portions of the trail, otherwise very quiet. Incredibly well maintained. We didn't experience any sudden shifts in weather but possible as it's a high rainfall area.
Logistics
We shuttled from Queenstown to the trailhead in the afternoon, we were the only group on the shuttle. At the terminus we took another shuttle to Milford Sound and did a tour there. Hut reservations were around $100 NZD per night per person.