Date: 5th January 2011

On top of the world

Ever since arriving in Queenstown I’ve gazed up at The Remarkables mountain range and thought about climbing to the top. The mountain is simply unnavoidable, it’s huge presence dominating the Lake Wakatipu landscape.

A bright and warm January day finally saw me reach the summit, aided by my trusty guide Stug who led the way and provided some ropes for added security near the top. I’ll admit we didn’t walk all the way up (that would be insane!) as there is a dirt road leading up to the ski field car park which is most of the way up.

So it may not have been my longest hike ever but it is certainly the highest summit I’ve reached, Single Cone standing 2319 metres above sea level. It was an excellent hike / climb past Lake Alta and up the southern ridge to the top. I say climb as much of the way has no path, instead you have to hop and haul yourself over many large boulders towards the summit.

The views over Queenstown and the surrounding area were breathtaking; Mount Aspiring and Mount Cook were both visible and I could really appreciate just how beautiful this area really is. Thanks Stug for an awesome day out!

Posted in: New Zealand, Travel Blog

Tags: Climbing, Hike, Mountain, New Zealand, Queenstown, Remarkables