Date: February 16, 2024
Location: Hāwea Conservation Park, Otago, New Zealand
Total Trip Distance: 10.4 mi / 16.7 km
Total Elevation Gain: 5,673 ft / 1,729 m
Trip Duration: 7 hours 37 min
Team: Natalya Lucas
Field Notes: Take the sawyer burn track until about 900 meters in elevation where a beautiful route up the south ridge leads to a basin directly below the summit of Sentinel Peak. A cairned scree gully gives easy access to the summit ridge. There is no water en route.
Rating: Hiking / tramping, off trail
For the last few weeks I've been fortunate to spend time with a beautiful person I met in Wanaka after climbing in the Barrier Range. Since that moment, I've quit my job and moved into a van to pursue my thirst for adventure and take a significant amount of time away from work.
Natalya and I planned a 3-day trip to test out of the van and I decided we should head up Sentinel Peak, just across the street from our campsite. Sentinel stands like a guardian over Lake Wanaka and Hāwea.
We woke up to a beautiful sunrise, made coffee, did some yoga, and headed up the mountain. I was surprised to see Natalya getting off to a hot start as I told her we had a good 1,700 meter climb ahead of us. On the other hand, she is fit and I was carrying all of the gear so maybe I needed to pick up the slack!
We climbed higher and higher and the views were simply stunning. We left the trail and began to head up the south ridge of Sentinel. At this point Natalya was feeling the grind of the relentless climb but she soldiered on. We moved along the ridge with the views becoming more expansive at every moment.
At last we reached the basin below the summit. It was pretty obvious which gully to climb up and at the top we got our first views to the North. The views were absolutely sensational. The northern ranges of Hāwea are not the tallest, but they are beautiful and spark the desire to explore these lesser visited peaks.
A short walk along the ridge and we stood atop the peak. I was super proud of Natalya as it was the biggest climb she has ever done. Not to mention, it only took us three and a half hours to reach the summit. It was a special moment to share a summit with someone I cared about in the romantic sense. That was a first for me.
We relaxed on the summit for an hour enjoying the views and solitude. Eventually it was time to leave as we did have a two hour drive back to Queenstown. The walk down hammered us both and we were frothing to jump in cold Lake Hāwea.
At the bottom our minds were finally at ease in the cold water. Natalya came up with the brilliant idea of pizza so we headed to Wanaka to fulfill that vision. This trip was one of my favorites of the year - stunning views, excellent company, and a beautiful route.
Happy days...
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