There are maybe half a dozen day trips in New Zealand which are apparently requisites for any self-respecting social media profile. One of those is Roys Peak, a pastoral hill on the outskirts of Wanaka with outstanding views up Lake Wanaka. Unfortunately I'm not one for social media or crowds, so when we were down in Bannockburn I decided to do its poor cousin - Isthmus Peak.
The two mountains are actually not that dissimilar. They both abut the lake, both largely climb switchbacked faces through private land (seasonal restrictions apply) before short summit ridges. Isthmus has a bit less elevation (circa. 1000m vs. 1300m) and is better formed (4WD track for most of the way), it's also less busy - I wouldn't call it quiet (I saw about 15 others across the 2.5h I was out and about for), but it's more quiet than Roys Peak.
Views wise, I'm going to go out on a limb despite never having done Roys Peak and say it's probably a much of a muchness. Isthmus gets beautiful sunrises over Lake Hawea to its east, nearby Sentinel Peak has beautifully fluted lower ramparts and the upper basins of Isthmus have pronounced schist tors. Summit views over the lake are pleasant and there are glimpses of the upper Wilkin peaks (Aeolus etc.), though most of Aspiring National Park is blocked by the ranges adjacent to Albert Burn. Roys Peak is a probably less stimulating for most of the climb, though the summit and ridge viewpoints give long reaching views up to the Rees / Dart catchments plus up the Matukituki to Aspiring NP.
There are a couple of laybys at the base of the climb, which starts around half an hour out of Wanaka on SH6. Apparently these fill up on nice days in summer, so it might be worth getting there at a reasonable time to ensure there is space. I arrived at 6:30am on a sunny February day and had no issues.
Leaving Bannockburn just after 5am was painful, but it was an uneventful drive out in the darkness despite initially overshooting the carpark. Resigning myself to catching the sunrise from partway up the face, I took the chance to admire the carpark scenery for a few minutes before heading out. Then it was time to scoot, picking up the track entrance which then parallels the highway for the first few hundred metres.
Looking out to Lake Hawea from the track start.
Beautiful pre-sunrise hues on Sentinel Peak.
The route passes a toilet after a few minutes, then undertakes a gradual traverse south and upwards to clear the lower deer paddocks. There's a quick view an up impressive gorge early on, and increasingly expansive views back over Lake Hawea.
The low sidle above the deer paddocks.
A very abrupt gorged section in the creek north of the main 4WD track.
Looking back over Lake Hawea.
Approaching the junction with the Glen Dene 4WD track.
Once at the junction, signage warns you of the adjacent private property. Taking a right leads to a short section of forested track, which is a nice respite from an otherwise quite barren route. Note that it gets really hot up on the peak in summer, and with some people taking a bit longer water management can be a significant issue - make sure you have plenty. It was at this point that the sun rose behind Corner Peak, providing a bit more illumination.
Sunrise over Corner Peak.
After a short patch in the forest, you soon break out into the upper basin. There's not a massive amount to say beyond it's a standard pastoral face, concave in nature and there are lots of deer. Glen Dene undertake safari hunting on the property, animals aplenty.
There are dozens of deer in this photo alone.
Also some well acclimatised sheep.
From the bushline, it's basically a zig-zag slog up the face until the ridge crest is reached. While the track feels industrial, the open terrain does make for gorgeous views.
Some of the views on the upper section of the Isthmus Peak Track.
After many switchbacks, the track breaches the ridge crest and then undulates along for a bit. There are some minor rock tors, a toilet and easy travel until a signpost directs you right. A short dip to pt. 1325 is followed by a gradual climb, though with 1000m in the legs there's a good chance it'll still hurt. After anywhere between 1.5 and 4h, the summit is reached.
The final traverse across to the summit.
The summit vista is beautiful. It looks across Lake Wanaka broadside, with the township distant on your left and the upper lake on your right. The Minaret Station peaks are prominent, though you're probably more likely to notice Pollux, Castor and Aeolus due to the glaciated faces.
Across to Minaret Station. The dominant snow peaks in the background are Pollux, Castor and Aeolus, the prominent rock peak on the right is Mt Albert.
The view south towards Wanaka.
From the summit, it's possible to loop back via the Glen Dene Ridge Track but it's a circuit that is realistically too far for a tramper unless you had a helpful friend for the road shuttle. People inevitably turn around and head back down the same way, noting that most of the track is on private land and so no deviations to mix things up are are permitted. I'm not normally a huge fan of out and back tracks, but this one is not bad - you get to face into the Lake Hawea view, and with it being a 4WD track jogging can save a significant amount of time.
Isthmus Peak is a beautiful walk and despite its increasingly popularity, a worthwhile addition to your tramping collection.
A view back to the summit ridge, the Timaru Valley in the distance.
