ASPIRING HUT BIKE RIDE | WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Biking to Aspiring Hut is fun!

As someone who isn’t a great cyclist, and is happy to stick to roads and well maintained trails like Queenstown’s Frankton Track, I was a little unsure how I’d go on this trail having hiked and jogged into Aspiring Hut a few times in advance.

There’s any number of reasons you might want to bike into Aspring Hut, the gateway to some of the best adventures in Mount Aspring National Park.

Here’s a Q & A about all things bike riding to Aspiring Hut.

Where is the best place to store bikes at Aspiring Hut?

The best place to store your bikes is in the bush just next to Aspiring Hut…if you’re approaching the hut, it’s on the left hand side.

Do the kea actually attack the bikes?

Yes. My friend and I had the seats and handle bars of our bikes attacked…you can see the damage to my seat and handle bar here:

But there’s definitely ways you can mitigate the chances they’ll harm your bike.

We made the crucial mistake of not leaving our bikes upside down. The nets provided at the hut (on the balcony) aren’t foolproof, but are definitely helpful.

Here’s what I would do next time:

• Place your bike in the trees UPSIDE DOWN, if you really want, you can lock it around the tree.
• Spread some of the loose leaves and bark over your handle bars.
• Place an old towel/rag around the seat.
• Place a net over the entire bike, making sure there are no obvious gaps.
• Hope you’ve done enough.

Does it cost to keep your bikes at the hut?

No, there’s no official fee.

But I popped $5 cash into the donation box as a thank you for using the toilets and nets.

How far is the bike ride to Aspiring Hut?

My Strava to the hut was 9.23km, and on the way out was 9.22km. I’m confident it’s just over 9km in length based on that.

How hard is the Aspiring Hut Bike ride?

Given it’s a little under 10km each way, with some elevation but not too much (graphs below)…it’s not the hardest trail…but if you’re not used to technical terrain at all (me), you’ll be pushing your bike for parts of it.

As long as you’re not in a rush, it’s not hard and is definitely faster than walking.

Are there many hills to watch out for?

As you’ll see in the elevation profile below, there’s one hill of significance. We walked up the hill on the way to the hut, and took it slow but comfortable on the way down.

On the return, we walked most of the hill then found the ride down the hill a lot more nerve wracking. Be prepared to get off and walk.

The smaller hills near the carpark are shorter and sharper, but we walked a good chunk of those too as there were some intimidating rocks.

What’s the elevation change for the bike ride?

For reference, Raspberry Creek is about 370 metres above sea level and Aspiring Hut is ~455 metres above sea level.

As per my Strava…

Raspberry Creek to Aspiring Hut: 202 metres elevation gain.

Aspiring Hut to Raspberry Creek: 127 metres elevation gain.

Where do you start riding bikes from to get to Aspiring Hut?

You can park at Raspberry Creek Carpark which is where the trail begins leading to all the famous tracks up the West Matukituki such as Rob Roy Track.

For those who are staying overnight at Aspiring Hut and have incredible bike endurance, you could ride all the way from Wanaka.

Is one direction faster than the other?

We were faster going from Aspiring Hut to the carpark by about 5 minutes. It’s downhill as opposed to uphill…but I would have thought it was going to be 10+ minutes faster.

Is the track suitable for children?

As someone who doesn’t have children. I asked a friend who takes his 6 year old on bike rides often. He said she’d be able to do it, but with her smaller bike there’d be quite a few walking sections. In fairness, there was lots of walking sections for me too.

So provided they enjoy the bikes, and have some ‘trail’ experience, give it a go. Just be prepared in case the s*** hits the fan etc.

Are bikes allowed on the Aspiring Hut Track?

Yes. This isn’t always the case in National Parks. But they’re allowed on the track between Raspberry Creek carpark and Aspiring Hut.

Is it worth staying at Aspiring Hut?

I haven’t stayed in Aspiring Hut, for one reason really. It’s usually going to have families with kids there given the relatively easy access.

I’ve biked to the hut…where should I hike too?

There’s a whole host of places to hike to as a day hike and/or overnight hike.

• Liverpool Hut
• French Ridge Hut
• Cascade Saddle

Or you could leave your bike next to the Rob Roy Glacier Bridge and do that hike too.

That said, you don’t have to hike…it’s a beautifully scenic out and back ride. So don’t feel like you HAVE to hike.

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And there we go, that’s answer to most of the common questions I’ve seen/been asked about the Aspiring Hut bike ride.

If you have any questions, or have done the journey yourself, leave a message below or email jub@churnewzealand.com

Chur.