The Kepler Track is a well-known multi-day “Great Walk”, but what if you don’t have the time for a great walk, the weather is bad or like us …you just forgot to (or don’t want to) book?
Coming from hiking in Japan where huts are often empty, we didn’t really think about how far in advance you need to book in New Zealand. Turns out, very far. So instead of a cruisy overnight hike, when we saw the weather was going to be good we committed to a 30km day hike with 1,300m of elevation gain in a day… ouchie.
Overview
This out-and-back 30km day hike to Mt Luxmore (1472m) via Luxmore Hut (1085m) involves a healthy 1340m of elevation gain. It does not go particularly high compared to alpine hikes, but the distance and steady climb make it a challenging one. Start very early if you are tackling it in a day. Alternatively, if you plan ahead and book the hut, you can break it up and take things at a much easier pace.
Access
Trailhead: Kepler Track Parking and Information
Suggested Meeting Point: You can meet in town or head straight to the trailhead carpark
Travel time: Located around 5 minutes drive from Te Anau
Mt Luxmore Day Hike Trail Information
Hike time: ~8-10 hours
Season: Summer (February)
Difficulty: Fitness (Grade 3: Hard) Technical (Grade 1: Easy)
Safety Notes: The upper sections are treeless and exposed, so keep an eye on weather conditions, especially wind, storms, or lightning forecasts or in colder months where snow and cold weather will occur.