Queenstown · Hard · There and back

Tiki Trail to Ben Lomond Saddle

From the top of Brecon Street up the Tiki Trail and the Ben Lomond Track to Ben Lomond Saddle, high above Queenstown and Lake Whakatipu.

Distance
11.9 km (7.4 mi)
Ascent
1,050 m
Time
About 7 h
High point
1,306 m
Grade
Hard

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

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Tiki Trail to Ben Lomond Saddle
Pseudopanax at English Wikipedia · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

From the car park at the top of Brecon Street, by the gondola base, take the Tiki Trail, which zigzags steeply up through Douglas fir and pine. Near the top our line skirts the Skyline complex by its access road and a path north through the pines to the Ben Lomond Track. This climbs out of the trees into tussock and follows marker poles up the long spur to Ben Lomond Saddle at 1,326 m, with Lake Whakatipu and the Remarkables behind. Return the same way.

It is 11.9 km there and back with 1,050 m of ascent; allow about 7 hours. The grade is Hard: a long, steep climb on a rough mountain track.

From April to November there can be snow and ice above the bushline; in full winter DOC says an ice axe, crampons and avalanche gear are needed, so turn back if it is icy. The summit beyond the saddle is steeper, unmaintained, on private land and holds snow into spring. Bike trails cross the track, so keep to the signed route. There is no water above the Skyline complex.

Council parking in town is free from 6 pm to 8 am, and Skyline runs a car park on Brecon Street. Or ride the gondola up: DOC gives 3 to 4 hours to the saddle and back from the top.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • Te Taumata-o-Hakitekura, the Māori name for Ben Lomond and Fernhill, recalls Hakitekura, the first to swim across the lake
  • The Tiki Trail climbs steeply through Douglas fir and pine from the gondola base to the Skyline complex
  • Above about 800 m the forest gives way to tussock; the saddle is at 1,326 m and the summit, 1,748 m, is a steep climb beyond
  • From the upper track the view takes in Lake Whakatipu, Walter and Cecil Peaks and the Remarkables

Getting there

Start: Brecon Street car park. -45.02879, 168.65715

Directions to the start

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Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Queenstown: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →

Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.

Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.