Elevation: 775m
Elevation Gain: 500m total
Distance: 7km return
Difficulty: This is a non-technical hiking trail with some sections of rougher terrain and some exposure.
Access: Diamond Lake Carpark, Wanaka
Description:
After a trip to Aoraki National park we made our way back to Wanaka for the night. We booked in at a surprisingly new and well furnished hostel in the middle of town. To my surprise, this was my mom’s first time staying in a Hostel. We grabbed an early dinner at a pub on the main street and called it an early night.
This photo is from when my mom was still enjoying herself. Diamond Lake below.
The following morning we made our way to the Diamond Lake Carpark in Wanaka. We were looking for a relatively short hike, hopefully with views of Mt. Aspiring. The weather had other plans for us though. There was a low cloud that sat over the valley that morning and it seemed to have no plans of moving on. We left from the carpark early and were treated to being the only ones on the track.
The trail makes its way up to Diamond Lake. This, in itself, is a beautiful spot. It’s also a very popular spot for local rock climbers. We followed a well maintained track with sections on a boardwalk for probably the first quarter of the track. Not long after reaching the top of a staircase the track divides into two. I decided to lead us down the left track as I had a hunch it was the fastest route to the summit. I honestly can’t say if it was or wasn’t. This route, however, seems to be a little rougher than taking the right from memory. We wondered up a slippery, rocky track for a half hour before meeting another fork in the road.
The grassy Otago landscape.
2 for 2. I chose left again using the same logic. Whether it was faster or not, this final, mildly exposed track led us to the peak. Even though we could not see the surrounding mountain range, we did get a good look at the lake from a great vantage point. The remainder of the track was in better condition than the route we took. We slowly wondered down the side of the mountain until we met back up with the boardwalk above diamond lake.
Enjoying the views over Glendhu Bay.
