We had a bit of a rest and some food and water (and reapplied sunscreen now that we were out of the tree cover), before continuing on up the more exposed track, still steadily climbing up spaced steps.
View from the Hillary seat, still smiling The story goes that she then continued on to attempt the summit of Taranaki via the southern route, but sadly turned back because she thought it was improper to continue with only male companions. The peak, called Panitahi in Te Reo, gets its English name from Francis (Fanny) Fantham, who was the first European woman to reach the top in 1887 at only 19 years of age, and in a dress no less. Check out these photos here and here for reference.įanthams Peak is the parasitic cone attached to Taranaki’s southern flank, one of the only deviations from its near perfect symmetrical shape, caused by lava bubbling out through a weak point in the side of the volcano. In Winter, crampons and ice axes (as well as experience using this equipment) will be needed to access the hut, which may or may not be a frozen block of ice at that time of the year anyway Syme Hut is nicknamed the Fridge for a reason. – Note: I did this walk in January / Summer and there was still a little bit of snow hiding out in the shade at the top. It operates on a first-come, first-served basis, and costs one $5 standard hut ticket (blue ticket). Syme Hut on top of the peak is a 10-bunk, standard hut with rainwater tank, but no heating. The nearby Konini Lodge offers accomodation and food/drinks. Time taken: 9 hours return with lots of rests - DOC says 5-6 hours return …įacilities: The track leaves from Dawson’s Falls Visitor Centre, which has toilets and an intentions book available outside of opening hours. Length: Around 8.5 km return, with over 1,000m elevation gain / descent A challenging hike up to the top of Fanthams Peak and Syme Hut-the North Island’s highest DOC hut-with amazing views across to towering Taranaki and out over the Taranaki plains towards Whanganui.