How to train for the New Zealand Great Walks
Milford, Routeburn, Kepler and the Tongariro Northern Circuit look gentle in the photos. Here is what they really ask of your legs, and a ten-week plan that fits a real life.
By Nathan Gee, Peaksted coach · Updated 11 October 2026 · 10 min readHere is the thing nobody tells you on the postcards: these walks are not hard because they are steep. They are hard because they are long, because it rains, and because your legs have to do the same job three mornings in a row.
The pattern I see is always the same. Someone trains hard for a few weeks, does one heroic Sunday hike and feels brilliant. Then day three of a hut walk arrives and the knees have opinions.
So this guide is not about getting “fit”. It is about getting durable: climbing steadily, coming down without wrecking your legs, and getting up to do it again. Ten weeks is plenty if you start sensibly.
Give yourself 8 to 12 weeks. Train easy aerobic walking, steady climbing, controlled descents, two short strength sessions and, most of all, a long walk followed by a shorter one the next day. Practise once in the rain, and carry the pack you will really carry.
Four hikes, one training plan
Different walks, the same few qualities. Here is what each one really tests.
Milford Track
What gets you: Mackinnon Pass, a long steep descent and a long wet final day.
Train for it: Downhill control, wet days, days in a row.
See the walk →
Routeburn Track
What gets you: A sustained climb to Harris Saddle, then big open descents.
Train for it: Steady climbing and a pack you stop noticing.
See the walk →
Kepler Track
What gets you: The big first-day climb, then an exposed ridge day.
Train for it: Climbing early, wind-proofing, a long second day.
See the walk →
Tongariro Northern Circuit
What gets you: Exposed volcanic ground, a long climb to Red Crater and loose descents.
Train for it: Stair work, controlled descents, wind-proofing.
See the walk →Distances and times vary slightly between sources. Check the Department of Conservation for current details and bookings. Not sure which walk to pick? See the Great Walks ranked from easiest to hardest.
Five things worth training
No dashboards or spreadsheets. These five carry you through all four walks.
An easy aerobic base
Most training should feel almost too easy. Three walks a week at chatting pace makes a six-hour day feel normal.
Climbing you can repeat
Find a long, steady hill, stairs or incline. Walk it at a pace you could hold for an hour.
Coming down well
Slow step-downs and gentle downhill walking. Build over weeks, because descents are what make you sore.
Days in a row
A longer walk Saturday, a shorter one Sunday. Tired legs on day two are the best rehearsal you get.
Your own pack
Weigh the pack you will really carry. Add weight or distance, never both in the same week.
More: aerobic pacing · strength for hiking · back-to-back days · pack training
Your 10-week plan
Four blocks, each building on the last. Start at the block that feels like a small step up from where you are.
Get consistent
Add hills and the way down
Practise day two and three
Arrive fresh
What a training week looks like
Treat the times as a starting point, not a pass mark, and shorten them if your week is full.
Rest or easy
Let the weekend soak in. A short easy stroll is plenty.
TIME · 0–20 min
See the whole week at once
- Monday: Rest or easy · 0–20 min. Let the weekend soak in. A short easy stroll is plenty.
- Tuesday: Strength A · 30–40 min. Step-ups, split squats, calf raises, a hinge and a carry, with a few reps in reserve.
- Wednesday: Easy aerobic · 30–60 min. Walk, incline treadmill or bike at a pace where you can chat.
- Thursday: Strength B · 30–40 min. The same patterns, plus slow step-downs to train descending.
- Friday: Rest or easy · 0–20 min. Pack your kit and check tomorrow's weather.
- Saturday: Long hilly walk · Build gradually. Your longest walk, with the pack you are building toward. Practise food and layers.
- Sunday: Easier second day · 20–60 min. A shorter, easy walk on tired legs. This is the one that counts.
Train for the weather, not just the walk
Fiordland in particular is famously wet. Four small habits make a rain day feel normal.
Wear your waterproofs
Do a training walk in them. Find where they leak, run hot or rub.
Eat with cold hands
A good test of whether your snack plan really works.
Test boots on wet ground
Slippery rock and mud change your stride and tire your calves.
Practise your layers
Add and remove them without a ten-minute stop.
On the day, conditions are decided by DOC, MetService and your own judgement. Fitness gives you options. It never replaces turning back.
Six mistakes that catch people out
One heroic weekend
A single big hike is not proof you are ready for several days.
Brand-new boots
Break them in properly before you fly. Feet decide trips.
Skipping the downhill
Climbing gets the attention. Descending is what makes you sore.
Only training in good weather
You do not choose the weather on the day.
Meeting your pack at the airport
Weigh it and walk with it, weeks before you travel.
Cramming the last fortnight
Fitness is built over weeks. Arriving tired is easy to avoid.
Training for the Great Walks: FAQ
How long should I train for the Milford, Routeburn or Kepler Track?
Eight to twelve weeks is a sensible window if you already walk regularly. Starting fitness, hiking history and any niggles matter more than the calendar. If long walks are new, give yourself longer.
Which is the hardest: Milford, Routeburn, Kepler or the Tongariro Northern Circuit?
It depends on what you are weakest at. The Tongariro Northern Circuit is the most exposed, on volcanic ground. Kepler has the biggest first-day climb and an exposed ridge. Milford's wet days and pass descent stack up over four days. Routeburn is usually the gentlest.
Do I need to be really fit?
You need to be comfortable walking four to seven hours on varied ground, able to climb steadily, descend well and do it again the next morning. That is durable more than athletic, and it is very trainable.
Can I train without hills nearby?
Yes. Stairs, incline treadmill, step-ups and long walks cover most of it. Add uneven ground and sustained descents when you can.
How heavy should my training pack be?
Build toward the pack you will actually carry on hut nights: food, layers and a sleeping bag. Weigh it, and add load gradually once you can walk comfortably.
Should I really train in the rain?
At least once. Wet gear, cold hands and slippery ground change your pace and your decisions. Practise eating, drinking and adjusting layers in your actual waterproofs.
What if I only have four to six weeks?
Use the base you have. Keep one long hilly walk a week, two modest strength sessions, some descent practice and an easier day after your long one. If you are unsure where you stand, the free readiness check helps.
Does fitness decide whether I will finish?
It helps a lot, but weather, rivers and track conditions are decided on the day, using DOC, MetService and your own judgement. Fitness gives you options. It never replaces turning back.
The free readiness check takes about three minutes and tells you which of the seven things to work on first.
Want this built around your walk and date? Trek Ready is our 8-week self-guided programme, a personalised plan is made for you, and 1:1 coaching adds feedback as you go. Go deeper: aerobic pacing, strength training at home and pack training load. Not sure which walk yet? Start with the Great Walks ranking.
Sources and scope. The training phases are Peaksted’s adaptable coaching framework, not a medical protocol or a guarantee of completing a walk. Distances and times vary by source. Check the Department of Conservation for current details. General aerobic and strength guidance is consistent with the WHO physical activity guidelines. Written by Nathan Gee, BSc Sports Science; reviewed 11 October 2026.
Keep going: the five parts
Pick your walk, check you are ready, build the training, then go deep on Fiordland.
Want it built around your walk and date? Trek Ready (8 weeks, self-guided), a personalised plan or 1:1 coaching.
