That’s the word to describe our hike a couple days ago to Key Summit – about 40 km out of Te Anau.  Ann heard it was a great hike so despite a great deal of complaining from me, (we had just done a six hour hike the day before and a three hour hike the day before that) we set off in the morning after checking out of our barnyard hostel.

We had to get a shot of this sign on the way to the hike to show about where we are.

This hike is billed as a “three hour round trip”, but once you get to the top, there’s an additional one hour circle around the summit.  The most notable thing about this hike aside from the beauty and it being steep was it’s 360 degree views of the mountainside.  Also, they call this Key Summit because the mountain is the source of three watersheds leading to three oceans – the Tasman, the Pacific and the Southern Ocean.

Anyway, despite dragging myself out of the car, it only took a few minutes up the trail to realize this was going to be a truly special hike.  The beech trees lining the first half of the hike were draped in moss and their trunks and branches reached endlessly to the sky. The last third of the hike emerged to stunning views of snow capped mountains- the Southern Alps! I think when you look at the scenery you’ll agree.

We had a lovely lunch at the summit and soaked in the sunshine and a spectacular alpine vista.

Once you get here to the summit, the whole horizon is an “amphitheater” of alpine peaks for 360 degrees.

It just doesn't get much more beautiful than this.