Elevation Gain: 988m
Distance: 7.5km
Total Time: 4 hours 8 minutes
Date: November 30th, 2025
5040 is probably a summit that needs no introduction if you live on the island. It’s home to a well built alpine hut and is probably one of the most popular peaks around. I would equate it to Brunswick Peak, albeit with a steady stream of skiers and snowshoers well into the winter too. Trevor and I had decided to check it out on our second day in the area. Although we were hoping for something a bit more ambitious, we also had the ferry to contend with and 5040 just seemed like a guaranteed option. Conveniently, it was right a short ways from where we had been camping so it was a win-win.
We left early on the Sunday morning and caught the sunrise over Triple Peak as we drove in. There were a few cars parked at the trailhead but we had the trail to ourselves all the way up to the hut. Just below the lake the trail was adorned with slabs of treacherous ice and some care was required to get through. Thankfully it was snow shortly after that.
At the hut there were numerous groups and we stopped for a lunch break. From there we followed foot prints around to the south ridge where they eventually stopped at a section of rock hard snow. We came equipped with crampons and pressed onwards up the ridge and all the way to the summit. The hike had been much shorter than expected, but the views more than made up for that. Mackenzie Peak and Triple Peak really caught my eye. So much to explore!
After hanging out for a bit we headed down and made the ferry with plenty of time to spare. A great weekend out in a seldom visited spot for me.