The summit appears to be only a few minutes away from the saddle, but the hike from the saddle to the summit will take approximately 1-hour. The start of the track lies just 5 minutes outside of Queenstown’s centre, so you don’t have to go out of your way to do this hike like with some of New Zealand’s Great Walks for example. A very important detail about Ben Lomond Scenic Reserve, is that is is also home to a world-class mountain biking park. What looks to be a sunny day with perfect clear skies can change into dark clouds and showers in no-time. When you reach the summit of Ben Lomond, you’ll be rewarded with majestic 360-degree views of Queenstown, the Remarkables, Mt Aspiring National Park. On Lomond Crescent you’ll find the start of the Skyline Access Road. The views are pretty great and the path is well-kept. Camera: Don’t forget it, because you’ll really regret it. I missed a marker and ended up on a grade 6 double black mountain biking trail. Take the opportunity here to use the bench seat as a resting point and give yourself time to fuel up with snacks. Ben Lomond Summit (6-8 hour return hike) One of the highest peaks in the Wakatipu basin providing the most stunning views of the region. The Trail to Ben Lomond: Our hike started just past where the gondola drops you off and heads off through pine forest. Take some time to take it all in. But despite its easy access and location to central Queenstown, the climb up has many challenges. It’s practically in the city, but still sufficiently challenging and offers a great scenic view of the area from Lake Wakatipu, Arthur’s Point and Queenstown. Hiking Ben Lomond: the gondola route (2-3 hours return) There are two main ways to tackle this peak. Ben Lomond mountain is a very popular hike in Queenstown, due to its accessibility and beautiful views. One of the great things about the Ben Lomond Track is that it is so easily accessible. A communication device in case you need assistance. Even though the official New Zealand DOC website lists it as easy, everyone that has done the hike strongly disagrees. Plenty of reasons to go back here another day after you’ve conquered Ben Lomond. The Ben Lomond track is well signed from the Skyline Gondola. After an hour or so we reached a saddle where the trail forks. Sunscreen: The sun in New Zealand is always harsh, even in winter or on overcast days you can easily get sunburnt, so always wear sunscreen. From thrill-seeking, to relaxation and mind games - there's an activity to suit everyone - at any time of the year. The Ben Lomond Walkway hiking experience The track starts climbing through a plantation of firs, before you leave the forest behind and enter tussock country, where you’ll be able to see Ben Lomond above you. Push on a little bit further until you get to a resting area with a couple of benches. While it looks like the peak is right there in front of you, it will take you another hour to reach it. There’s only one way up to the summit from the Saddle, you’ll follow a narrow and exposed trail that will probably require some help from your hands for balance. Follow the signs to the Ben Lomond Saddle, and eventually you’ll meet another trail which comes from the Skyline Gondola. © 2017 - 2021 Skyline Enterprises Limited. Don’t think you can do this hike on your comfy sneakers, because you’ll come home with your feet covered in nasty blisters. The Tiki Trail and Skyline Access Road do meet about halfway up, so you can combine parts of both too. I don’t recommend hiking outside up Ben Lomond outside of summer and autumn unless you have experience hiking with alpine gear over snow and ice. There is risk of avalanches and the icy rocks on the track become very slippery. This is what you should bring with you for the Ben Lomond Track, both for comfort and for safety. Remember that after reaching the peak, you still have to go the same length back. I did it! You’re not in the trees for long however, and most of the hike is exposed and above the treeline like most of the hiking seems to be in New Zealand. Located at 1,748m over Queenstown and the Lake Wakatipu, the Ben Lomond summit is a bucket-list day hike for both hikers and adventure-seekers alike. The Ben Lomond Track is a demanding climb and a full day's hike with an 1,438 m elevation gain. Take the Gondola to Skyline, follow the signs to the saddle and the steep ascent on your left to the summit (1747m). Super accessible from the centre of town, this challenging climb has a 1,438m elevation gain that will keep you on your toes. How long does the Ben Lomond Track take to hike? Access. Extra layer of clothing and an extra shirt: You’ll be sweating buckets on the way up, but the top gets quite windy, so a dry shirt and an extra layer of clothing will save you from catching a cold. This way you’ll also avoid the hottest part of the day during the tough climb up. Ben Lomond Track: After ascending the hill from Queenstown (either by foot or gondola) the track follows the ridge just below the top. If you are tired you can use the gondola to go down. It’s the best day hike in Queenstown (and one of the best in New Zealand) and I highly recommend doing at least some of it. Tiki trail - find the location of the tiki trail here, 3. After approximately 1-hour of hiking above Bob’s Peak you’ll reach the Ben Lomond saddle, where you’ll find a bench seat at an intersection with the Moonlight Track. This is the Ben Lomond Saddle where wide vistas on either side reward you for coming this far. You’ll wanna sit there and just stare at the view for hours, but you still need to get back and the way down takes almost as long as the way up. Hiking and Trail Guide. The Ben Lomond Track in Queenstown is arguably one of the most rewarding day hikes in New Zealand. 6-8 hrs from Queenstown (40km) Be sure to take; water, sunscreen, hat, layers/ wind jacket, and snacks. Frankton Arm WalkwayThe Frankton Arm walkway is also wheelchair-friendly, and the relatively flat … Enjoy hot pools, twilight wine tours, historic cruises on the Earnslaw & the famous Night Luge! To give you an idea of how extreme some of these trails are; at one point during my ill-advised scramble up that mountain biking trail I encountered a 4 meter high vertical wall with a sign at the top saying “Rollable as, bro”, basically telling mountainbikers that the best way to make it down this 4 meter drop is by doing a frontflip. The full hike takes 6-8 hours and has an incline practically the whole way, so one thing is for sure; this certainly counts as leg day! The hike to the summit does not require any specialised mountaineering equipment or experience, but it’s recommended to keep your focus and body weight pointing toward the uphill side of the trail to avoid an uncomfortable fall. Tiki to the top of the Gondolo took about 25 minutes, and they have a … The Ben Lomond Track is of medium - advanced difficulty and requires being reasonaby fit. Description Although Ben Lomond can be done from Queenstown proper, a start from the top of the Skyline Gondola will save an hour of work (not to mention around 400 metres of vertical climb). The map includes the 3 different start locations, and we've separated the Ben Lomond Saddle from the Summit section. The trail begins in the gondola car park and ascends quickly through a forest of Douglas Fir trees which you will hike through for about an hour and a half over a few downhill mountain bike trails before the trail turns into tussock and scrub and incredible views of the summit Ben Lomond begin to show themselves. The views are truly epic, no matter which direction you look. Keep an eye out along the way – the hidden artefacts in the forest will leave you feeling like you were in the company of giants. The first part to the top of the gondola is pretty steep, then to the Ben Lomond saddle the slope is going up gently and the last part to the summit is very steep, if you scared of height don’t do the last part. The Skyline Access Road will lead you halfway up Bob’s Peak, where you’ll find the signposted start to the single track at a large open area knows as the ‘Midway Clearing’. In 2018 they chose to wander, to explore and to show others how to follow their path. We are Tom and Zi, the creatives behind Craving Adventure - a travel blog with a strong focus on adventure, offbeat travel and authentic experiences. Hike to the Ben Lomond SADDLE As you start the Ben Lomond Track from the gondola, the first part is through the woods and still shaded. See things to do in Queenstown at night here. We started at the base of the gondola, and after nearly 3 hours of consistent uphill we had reached the summit. Hiking to the Saddle After making your way up, either through the Douglas fir forest or by gondola, you will start your ascent to the Ben Lomond Saddle. From the top stunning 360 degrees view, amazing hike!! The Ben Lomond track can be accessed via three main routes that start at the One Mile Carpark, the access road on Lomond Crescent or from the Skyline Building on Brecon Street. Take note of the time here and set yourself a goal to keep moving toward the summit. The Ben Lomond Track starts at the top of Bob’s Peak, a forested hill above Queenstown. There are 3 potential starting points to the Ben Lomond Track: From the bottom terminal of Skyline Queenstown, taking a scenic Gondola ride to the top of Bob’s Peak will save you (and your knees) up to one hour of hiking. The start of the Tiki Trail is at 345 meters above sea level, the top of the gondola at 770 meters, the Ben Lomond Saddle sits at at 1326 meters and Ben Lomond’s Summit stands at 1748 meters, so you’ll climb a total elevation of 1403 meters if you start from the bottom! In the summer, Ben Lomond is an easy rated track flooded with tourists. Next time you find yourself in Queenstown, be sure to check out this amazing hike. So if you think you can use a mountainbiking trail as a shortcut; bad idea. From the top of the gondola, it takes 4 to 5 hours and from Queenstown, it takes 6 to 7 hours to complete the trail. Even in the height of summer the elevation and exposure to cold winds can lower the temperature drastically, so be prepared to throw on a warm layer and a windproof jacket. The top of the Skyline is the starting point for most of the mountain biking trails, and a lot of them cross the Tiki Trail and the Skyline Access Road. At the start of the Tiki Trail there is free parking as well, but it is limited to 4 hours maximum and that won’t be enough time to complete the hike. During the hike you will cross private lands, so be mindful to leave no rubbish behind and stick to the formed track to avoid stock disturbance and farm hazards. Roadside markers indicate which path is yours and which is a mountain biking trail, so keep an eye out for those. Once you reach the saddle between Ben Lomond and Bowen Peak the track climbs the northeast ridge until it loops around and gains the summit from western side. 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