Ben Lomond

Ben Lomond is the mountain behind Queenstown, 1,748 m at the summit, and the walk up it is the biggest day most visitors will do here without a guide. From the town centre it is 1,438 m of climbing. That number is the one to think about.

Its Māori name, recorded in the district plan, is Te Taumata-o-Hakitekura, covering Ben Lomond and Fernhill together. Hakitekura was a Kāti Māmoe woman remembered as the first person to swim across the lake, and the mountains are named for her and for that. The English name came from a shepherd, Duncan McAusland, after Ben Lomond in Scotland.

The two destinations, which are not the same walk

People get caught out by this, so it is worth being plain about it.

• The saddle, 1,326 m — 11 km return, about 5 hours from town, on a defined track. From the top of the Skyline gondola it is 7 km return, 3 to 4 hours.
• The summit, 1,748 m — 13 to 15 km return, 6 to 8 hours from town. The Department of Conservation grades the whole thing an advanced tramping track.

The difference is not just an hour or two. Above the saddle the track gets steeper and rougher, there are steep drop-offs, and in snow or ice it becomes a serious proposition. Plenty of people walk to the saddle, look at the last climb, and turn around. That is a good decision, not a failed day.

Getting to the start

The Tiki Trail begins at the Skyline gondola base on Brecon Street, a few minutes' walk from the middle of town: 2 km and about an hour of zigzags up through the pines to the gondola complex at the top of Bob's Peak, 480 m above the lake. One Mile Creek is the alternative approach from the Fernhill end, 1.9 km return.

Taking the gondola up removes the Tiki Trail climb and roughly two hours off the round trip. If you are aiming for the summit and starting from Bob's Peak, be moving by mid-morning at the latest.

What to take, and what to expect

There is no water past the gondola complex. Carry everything you need for the day.

The lower track is in forest; above about 800 m you are in tussock and shrubs and then fully exposed. The weather changes quickly and hypothermia is a real risk even in summer, so take a windproof layer whatever the forecast in town said. Between April and November expect snow and ice above the bushline, and in winter you need alpine equipment and the skills to use it.

The section from the saddle to the summit crosses private land — Ben Lomond Station — so stay on the formed track. Mountain bike tracks cross the walking route in places; walkers should stay on the walking tracks. There is a year-round fire ban in the high fire risk zone, and the council closes the reserve altogether when fire risk hits extreme.

Nearby

Queenstown Hill is the shorter version of the same idea, and free things to do has the flatter walks.