Gertrude Saddle: A Rock Climber's Paradise

A Maverick Traveller: The Podcasts of Mary Jane Walker

I had an adventure of quite a different kind when I went tramping and climbing in the Gertrude Valley, in NZ’s Fiordland National Park.

Nestled underneath the Darran Mountain Range, the valley is reached from a carpark that turns off the Milford Road just before the eastern entrance to the Homer Tunnel.

The Gertrude Saddle, at the head of the valley, has great scenic views down toward Milford Sound/Piopiotahi. It is, however, potentially quite hazardous and needs to be approached with care, and only in good weather. The track up the Gertrude Valley and the final route to the saddle are one-way and return, as the western side of the Gertrude Saddle is basically a cliff.

Original blog post: a-maverick.com/blog/gertrude-saddle-rock-climbers-paradise