One of the best known day walks in Queenstown, reaching the 1,748m summit of Ben Lomond requires a fair bit of effort, with up to a 1,500m climb depending on where you start. I’ve walked it a couple of times, the first time reaching the snow covered summit via the Moonlight Track. The second time in January 2022 described here was walked from the One Mile Car Park by Lake Wakatipu.
Just beyond the car park is the first hydroelectric power station in Queenstown.
One Mile Walking Track was good fun to walk, requiring some concentration and following an old waterpipe for much of the way, with a few views, and an unexpected tightrope between the trees.
It ends by the mountain bike tracks near the Skyline Gondola, where a dull switch back dual use track climbs higher to Midway Point. From here there is a separated rough track for walkers which takes you out of the bush.
From here the endless climb continues, but with increasingly good views, but no shelter if the weather turns.
I stopped for lunch with a view.
At the saddle you can either continue round the hillside on the Moonlight Track to Arthur’s Point, or turn off toward the summit.
The track becomes increasingly steep and rocky, but is relatively straightforward, and the views help distract from the effort involved in the final 500m climb.
The summit offered suitably panoramic views, and an unexpected traffic cone.
The weather turned to light rain but before it arrived I took a few photos on the long way back.
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