Winter in Fiordland is stunning. Crisp and clear days with fresh snow on the towering mountains create an unbelievable picturesque hiking experience. In winter, everything is bigger and more vibrant, plus what’s better than nestling in front of a roaring fire at the end of a day exploring?
Hiking on all three of the Fiordland Great Walks during winter can be an incredibly rewarding experience, but because they all cross alpine sections and avalanche paths, we strongly recommend you don’t walk the entire track between early May to late October (outside of the Great Walks season). To attempt the full tracks in winter conditions, you need to be very experienced in backcountry winter hiking with appropriate alpine skills and equipment.
DOC facilities are also greatly reduced during winter, but luckily there are some accessible DOC Huts in both Fiordland National Park and Mt Aspiring National Park you can safely experience for a taste of winter hiking, without venturing into hazardous territory.
OVERNIGHT WINTER HIKING EXPERIENCE
Our Winter Overnight Package is a one-night hiking escape with all the essentials you need to get a taste of winter hiking in New Zealand’s wilderness.
You hike into a DOC Hut for one night with the opportunity to take a bit of extra time, explore side trails and venture a little further along the track (only if it’s safe!). At the end of your day, settle in and enjoy the classic kiwi experience of staying in a DOC hut with your fellow winter walkers before hiking out the same route the next day.
Our Winter Overnight Package is available for the Milford Track, Routeburn Track or Kepler Track, or any of the equally stunning trails in the area. Access to the Milford Track, regardless of the time of the year is via water taxi (additional cost), so there are a few more logistics – but that’s where we come in to take care of all of it for you!
Contact us if you’re not sure which overnight experience is right for you.
HOW IT WORKS
You book your Winter Overnight Package with us here.
We send you a food preferences form to complete so we can design your meals.
We put your package together and deliver your gear and food to your local accommodation (Te Anau, Queenstown or Glenorchy) the day before your hike.
You visit DOC to purchase/collect your hut tickets, check the track conditions and the most recent weather report.
You start your winter overnight hike.
Once you’ve finished, you drop the gear back into our base in Te Anau or Glenorchy.
Winter Overnight Package Inclusions
Hiking Food: 1 x Lunch, 1 x Dinner, 1 x Dessert, 1 x Breakfast, loads of Snacks
We are a local kiwi family business, Fiordland is our home and our passion. Ask us about hidden gems and our top tips on where to take this overnight package.
Outside the Great Walks Season, the huts on the Great Walks become ‘Backcountry Serviced Huts’. Pre-booking in advance is not available (space is based on first-in, first-served) and a per person, per night fee, is applicable, which must be purchased in advance directly from DOC (not included in the package). Cost is $15 per adult (18+ years) per night. Children (17 years and under) are free.
Facilities in the huts are also greatly reduced. You need to bring your gas and cooking stove (included in the package). Long drop toilets replace flushing ones, running water is obtained from the outside water tank or by collecting melting snow and there are no DOC rangers or emergency radio facilities onsite.
This will vary depending on which track and which hut you choose, we can tailor this to suit your fitness level and skills. On the Kepler Track, we recommend Luxmore Hut (13.8km each way), the Routeburn Track – Routeburn Falls Hut (9.8km each way) and on the Milford Track – Clinton Hut (5km each way).
During the winter, DOC doesn’t manage hazards such as avalanches or flooding and many of the bridges across some rivers are removed. With heavy rain, rivers can rise very quickly making river crossings impossible. All of the tracks are also prone to frequent and unpredictable avalanches.
Heavy snow can also hide track markers, making it difficult to stick to the track, plus daylight hours are much shorter and light is lower, due to the (stunning, snow-capped) mountains.
More than ever, hiking in winter means paying extra special attention to the weather. The Fiordland winter environment can be very cold, wet with snow and ice common in high areas. Snow is typical and whilst it provides a beautiful winter wonderland, it can also create a range of surprise hazards.
It also rains a lot in Fiordland – at any time of the year and while some people thrive on the sense of adventure and dramatic scenery the rain brings, it can make or break your experience. It is vital to be well informed about the weather, and track conditions before you go.
●Hiking Boots – well-worn in tailored to your feet.
●Warm clothing to keep you warm – even if you get wet. Check out Bobbie’s Great Walk Clothing List (note this list was designed for summer hiking) and add some merino clothing layers. Hot tip: Natural merino or polyester layers are a great start, to stay/become warm even if you get wet. Cotton is NOT a good choice as it absorbs water and stays heavy/wet/cold longer than wool or polyester.
●Your personal effects – medication, toiletries etc
●Hut entertainment – perhaps a nightcap or travel game/cards/puzzle
We get it, it’s winter and the weather can easily disrupt your plans. It’s still best to give us a heads up as soon as you’re thinking about booking our Winter Overnight Package to help give us time to get things prepared for you.
If you book, then change your mind due to the weather and tell us up until the morning before your walk start date, we will give you a 100% refund. If you have booked other services, they may have a different cancellation policy which will apply.
If you decide not to walk once we have delivered your food and gear, and you return it in an unused condition, we will give you a 50% refund.
Diane E, AucklandEasyhike were an amazing company to deal with. From the first phone call they were helpful and informative. They kept in touch leading up to our Kepler Track start date and all thier instructions were clear and easy to follow. It was fantastic to have our car waiting for us at the end of our four day tramp.
