New Zealand Black Lake above Gertrude Saddle, Fiordland National Park

On a good weather day Gertrude Saddle offers epic views into the valley till Milford Sound. The hike by itself is a beautiful walk through a green valley. Once you reach the point where it goes up there is coming a lake half way where you can take a cold bath.

If you hiking further up the ridge towards the nearby peak for around 150 meters of altitude you will get nice views into the opposite valley, including the black lake.

I haven´t any specific tips. Just might place a person for some scale.

This 8,4 km out-and-back trail with around 663 meter of elevation is a challenging hike and requires a certain level of fitness. Here it is super important that the weather is not just stable during the day but also the previous day and the day after as well. Once the hike is leading up to the Saddle you hike on sometimes dry out river steams / waterfalls. So please double check the weather in this region.

If you want to reach this specific spot, you need to go to your right for around 150 meters of extra elevation.

Left and right from the Saddle are around 4 good camping spots, where you can set up your gear.