Looking up the Siberia Valley on a perfect day in January. Photo Credit: Kate Ross
The Gillespie Pass circuit is located in Mount Aspiring National Park, near the town of Makarora on New Zealand’s South Island. It traverses the Young Valley, the Siberia Valley, and the Wilkin Valley, showcasing rugged peaks and braided blue rivers the whole way through.
I completed this tramp in January 2025 over four days and three nights, with a side trip to Crucible Lake, and it was definitely the highlight of my most recent trip down to New Zealand.
Here is some beta for you to use while planning your hike of the Gillespie Pass circuit.
Trail Stats
Distance: 56km
Elevation: 2,280m (from Alltrails)
Route type: Loop
Difficulty: Hard
Hiking Season: December through April
Planning Resources
The Department of Conservation website has lots of useful information and topographic maps to help you plan your trip.
Preparing for the Trip
Itinerary
This trail is typically completed over 3-4 days. As I wanted to do a side trip to Crucible Lake, I opted to complete the circuit over 4 days. This was a very worthwhile side trip and I would recommend leaving time for it, if you can.
The walk out from Siberia Hut down the Wilkin River and back to Makarora is known to be a bit of a slog. There is the option to book a jet boat through Wilkin River Jets to transport you back to Makarora if you would like to save yourself a day of flat walking through farmland.
Transportation to Trailhead
I parked my vehicle at the hiker’s carpark in Makarora, and walked 2.5km up the highway to the Young Valley access. On the return trip, the jet boat dropped me off very close to the hiker’s carpark.
You can also fly directly into Siberia Hut through The Siberia Experience, if hiking in isn’t your thing.
Sleeping Options
There are two huts on this circuit – Young Hut, and Siberia Hut. Both huts are serviced and at the time of writing had to be booked in advance. Check the DoC website for more details. You cannot camp outside of Young Hut. You can camp outside of Siberia Hut without booking in advance but you will need to buy camping tickets at the Mount Aspiring Visitor’s Centre in Wanaka ahead of time.
There is one campsite on this route at Young Forks campsite. This is first come first served and is free. I originally intended to camp here but the sandflies were absolutely unbearable so I decided to continue onwards to Young Hut.
You are allowed to free camp along this trail. There are some good spots 1-2 hours past Young Hut (before crossing Gillespie Pass) and in the Siberia Valley near the start of the Crucible Lake trail.
On the Trail
Day 1: Makarora to Young Hut
I drove up from Wanaka to Makarora early on the first day, and parked at the hiker’s carpark. It was a quick walk north on the highway to the Young Valley access track and down to the Makarora River – the first river crossing of the trip.
It had not rained for several weeks before I completed this trip, so I was able to cross the Makarora River at its confluence with the Young River with no major issue – the water was only up to my knees.
I put my hiking boots back on and continued up the Young Valley through a lush forest at a mellow grade.
The start of the Gillespie Pass circuit. Photo Credit: Kate Ross
The track periodically opened up to provide peeks of the river and mountains overhead.
The Young River valley. Photo Credit: Kate Ross
After about 3 hours I arrived at the Young Forks campsite. There is a covered seating area and a toilet but no other facilities at this campsite. I stopped to eat lunch, and was originally intending to camp here … but the sandflies were relentless, and I had to leave after 15 minutes to avoid them. Given it was only mid-day, I decided to chance it and continue onwards to Young Hut.
From the campsite, the trail climbs steeply for about an hour. I was dripping in sweat and stopped frequently for water breaks on this section. The grade flattens slightly for the next couple of hours and I arrived at Young Hut about 6 hours after I crossed the river.
Young Hut was a welcome sight for sore feet. Photo Credit: Kate Ross
There only ended up being three other people at the hut this night, so there was extra space for me even without a booking (thankfully). I stretched and rehydrated with a perfect view of the mountain range in front of me.
Day 2: Young Hut to Siberia Hut
It was an early start on Day 2 to try and beat the heat on the steep climb up Gillespie Pass. I was up, fed, caffeinated, and out the door of the hut by 8am. The trail climbs consistently through a forest and breaks through the treeline fairly soon after leaving Young Hut. A stunning alpine valley opens up ahead of you.
Morning light at the base of Gillespie Pass. Photo Credit: Kate Ross
Soon after, the trail starts to climb. It is extremely steep, but not particularly exposed. At a steady pace, with regular stops for water and snacks, I reached the summit of the saddle 2 hours after I started the climb. Spectacular views of Mount Awful, and Mount Dreadful, and the Young Valley are anything but awful and / or dreadful!
Mount Awful from Gillespie Pass saddle. Photo Credit: Kate Ross
The descent into Siberia Valley was more gradual than the climb up to the saddle. Once the trail reached Gillespie Stream and flattened out, I stopped for lunch. Putting my sore feet in the glacial water while eating was the perfect break to keep me going for the rest of the day.
From this point there was still a significant climb downhill. Eventually the trail exits the forest and enters the vast (and flat) Siberia Valley plains. The trailhead for Crucible Lake branches off 5 minutes after arriving on the valley floor. From this point it is a 45 minute walk to Siberia Hut. I continued onto the hut with plans to back track the next day. This valley is beautiful … so backtracking was not an inconvenience in any way!
After 45 minutes I arrived at Siberia Hut, where I set up my tent. Behind the hut there is a lovely cold waterfall and small swimming hole. Don’t forget to pack your togs!
A perfect place to cool off after a long hike to Siberia Hut. Photo credit: Kate Ross
There is a patio at Siberia Hut overlooking the valley where I ate my dinner and watched the sunset. Note that the sandflies here can be pretty bad, so cover up and wear your insect repellant!
I slept soundly in my tent outside the hut, prepared for another early start for the trip to Crucible Lake.
Day 3: Day trip to Crucible Lake
In the morning I packed up my small day pack and hit the trail to Crucible Lake. This is a full-day return trip from Siberia Hut. The first 45 minutes involves a back track up the Siberia Valley, but watching the sun rise over this beautiful valley was completely worth the extra (flat) walking.
From the junction to Crucible Lake, the trail continues along the valley floor and crosses two streams. Depending on the level of the water, you may be able to rock-hop across, or you may need to put on your water shoes. I tried to rock-hop but unfortunately fell off and ended up with very wet feet … oops.
After about 15 more minutes of flat walking, the trail enters the forest and begins to climb steeply to Crucible Lake. After another hour, you will cross Crucible Stream and continue to climb more gradually out of the treeline and into an alpine basin.
Looking upstream at the Crucible Stream crossing. Photo Credit: Kate Ross
The trail continues to climb through alpine tussocks before a final steep push to the lip of Crucible Lake. All in all it took me just over 3 hours from Siberia Hut. Maybe it was the climb, but the colour of the lake and the mountains towering above it truly took my breath away.
I did not have a wide enough lens to capture the scale of the whole lake. But it took my breath away (that could be due to the steep climb). Photo credit: Kate Ross
I had this stunning place to myself for over an hour, so I took a cheeky skinny dip in the glacial water and then ate my lunch while taking in the view. Eventually, I did get cold, so I headed back towards Siberia Hut for a hot chocolate on the same trail I ascended earlier that morning.
Day 4: Siberia Hut to Makarora
Since I was taking the jet boat out today, I had a much shorter walking day than usual, so I slept in a bit and enjoyed a slow coffee on the porch of the hut while the sun rose above the Siberia Valley. I was on the trail by 9 am. From Siberia Hut the trail continues to walk past an airstrip and along the valley floor before it enters the forest again for the descent down to the Wilkin River Valley.
It is very clearly signposted where the jet boat pick-up spot is. It only took me 2 hours to reach this spot, so I swam in the river and happily ate my lunch until the boat picked me up.
Views of the Wilkin River valley. You can see Kerin Forks hut in the distance. Photo credit: Kate Ross
I didn’t know exactly what to expect in the jet boat, but it was actually quite fun! If you can I would recommend taking this mode of transport just to try something different.
I arrived back in Makarora mid-afternoon where I enjoyed a cold drink at the cafe before heading back to Wanaka.
Summary
The Gillespie Pass circuit is an absolute gem in Mount Aspiring National Park, and I would definitely recommend it for experienced trampers looking for a challenge. I was happy that I took an extra day to check out Crucible Hut, and
