Our Experience Hiking Roy’s Peak

From the parking lot we hopped on the trail and it almost immediately started climbing.  There is a toilet here, your last opportunity until you get about 4 miles up!

In the morning, the sun was streaming through the clouds and the temperatures were comfortable for beginning the hike.  We appreciated the cloud cover for this short time!

Within about the one mile mark, we reached a set of stairs that you must climb over to continue the trail.  Over the course of the hike we came across two more exactly like this:  the first one, pictured here, is at about the 1 mile mark.  The second one is at about the 1.5 mile mark and the third is at about 3.55 miles in.

Stairs are part of the trail | Roy’s Peak

Hang gliders were drifting down from the mountain and they were so peaceful to watch.  I can imagine their views were insane.

The clouds were still low lying in the morning and the trail continued an intense slog up, up, up.  

It didn’t take long to get even higher views of Wanaka below.

Taking a much needed rest break!  And taking in the beautiful views.  After the first two miles, we took little breaks ever so often.  The ascent is no joke!

As the low-lying clouds burned off, we had fantastic views of the peak.  Over the course of the hike, the skies became continually more sunny with less and less clouds present.  Don’t forget to reapply sunblock (I got a bit of a sunburn even with wearing sunblock)!

Sheep were scavenging for food in a bush next to the trail.  This little guy crossed our path.  How cute!

The snaking trail is something else!  Looking down, we were amazed at how quickly this trail ascends.

Getting closer to the peak…at least it felt like we were!  This was at about the halfway mark.

The higher you climb, the better the views!

We made it to the ridge line, about 4 miles in!  This is a great place to take in the incredible views.  Also…there is a toilet!  The pit toilet is said to be the toilet with the world’s best view.  It’s also one of the worst toilets ever, but what can you expect miles up a mountain?! 

The toilet at the ridge line

Toilet aside, this is a great place to stop for a bit as the views are magnificent.  They don’t change much from here up to the top of Roy’s Peak, although we did make it up to the top.  We figured we worked hard to make it here so we might as well finish!

Mike is walking out on the ridge line…it really is quite incredible here.

As the sun moved higher in the sky, the color of Lake Wanaka really popped.

Continuing on the trail, we went up the last bit to reach the peak and enjoy our well-earned picnic lunch.  Looking down at the ridge line, we were amazed at how far we climbed!

The last stretch up to the top will undoubtedly be the toughest.  At this point your body will be exhausted, your legs pleading to be done!  But keep going, because you made it this far…and the views are some of the most amazing we have ever seen!

Head above the clouds | Roy’s Peak

The best picnic view we have ever had

We finally stopped at a flat spot just below the tip top and enjoyed our picnic lunch.  Lunchmeat, cheeses, salty chips, and fresh fruit made up our meal.  We dined with the best views we have ever had, that’s for sure.  After our picnic and much-needed rest, we packed up all of our trash and headed back down, taking about 2 hours to arrive back at the car park.  At the end, our knees were in a lot of pain and our feet were so sore from bracing downhill for five miles.  But what a hike!

We were getting close to the end at this point!  Wanaka was really sparkling now with the clouds having lifted and the sun shining bright.

When we made it back to the car, our achy selves were so thrilled to have completed this hike!

So is it worth it?

It is absolutely, without a doubt, the best views on a hike we have ever done!  Weather conditions of course play a part in this.  When we started on the trail just before 8 am, clouds were low lying and were blocking the summit.  As the day wore on, the clouds burned off and while we were in the exposed sun during the remainder of the hike, we got unobstructed views of the mountains surrounding us and Wanaka below.  

How to Prepare for the Hike

Mike and I keep up with fitness as a regular part of our daily lives.  We both lift weights regularly at home and know that all those squats and deadlifts helped our legs carry us up all those miles on the trail.  Incline walks, outdoor walks, interval runs, and periodic stair stepper are our cardio routines as well.  In my opinion, you need a reasonable level of fitness to accomplish this hike, although there were people of all ages and abilities on the trail.  

After the first two miles up, we started stopping periodically to catch our breath as the climb started to get tough.  We spent about 15 minutes at the ridgeline with a toilet break and taking photos here.  We then spent another 30 minutes at the top with our picnic.  On the way down, we stopped a few times to give our legs a little rest.  Overall, the hike took us just under 6 hours, including all the stops mentioned.