Mt Tūhua is in the Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve, which is considered one of the most ecologically significant areas of lowland forest on the central West Coast.

Starting at the DOC car park, the track is marked at the entrance to the bush. For the first 600m it’s a gradual climb up a dry shingle bed – just how dry may depend on the time of year. The surrounding trees are adorned with lichen and moss, giving a feeling of wandering into a scene from Disney’s The Jungle Book. 

From the shingle bed, the track enters a labyrinth of trees, vines, roots and rocks. The flora either hampers your way or enhances the seemingly exotic surroundings.

The track is well marked and gradually ascends for around 1km where it really starts to climb. Burning legs can get a respite by pausing and enjoying the view at a lookout at around 1.3km. After this it just keeps going up and up.

The condition of the track in places will be determined by current rainfall. Although the total distance to the top of Mt Tūhua is not huge, it is the inability to place your feet where you wish that makes the task arduous. Rarely can a few strides of equal length be made. The frustrating versus fun fight in your head can play a major role in the enjoyment of this climb.

Just south of Pt852 the track descends 40m into a small saddle and then begins climbing again. However, over the next 200m, the overhead canopy gradually opens to blue sky. 

Around 1060m the ascent eases and the winding route to the last climb to the summit can be seen.

At the summit, the ascent’s difficulty is soon forgotten as jaw-dropping views open up of Lake Kaniere, Mt Graham,  the Tasman Sea in one direction and stunning snow-covered peaks of the Southern Alps in the other.