Gertrude Saddle

The hike up to Gertrude Saddle is said to be the hardest day hike in NZ. It's about 12km there and back, with some very steep rock slabs that are treacherous in the rain and an elevation of 650m. We however had perfect weather conditions and thought it probably one of the best hikes we have done since we arrived in New Zealand.
The start of the track winds through the Gertrude Valley and had not one but two river crossings. The water was icy cold! After that it got a bit steeper and more rocky. At the end of the valley the path started to wind up the steep side of the mountain picking our own paths between the trail markers. We hiked and scrambled over rocks and then had to go up granite rock slabs. The hike took us up past the snow line and we even got to make some snowballs. Just before the summit we stopped at the Black Lake. The view at the top was amazing and well worth the hike. You can even see the Milford Sound in the distance.Read more