After running all 8 of the runnable Great Walks we needed to do some maths and compare them.
So in total we ran 410km nearly 10 marathons and climbed 18,609 vertical metres more than 2 times Everest!
So here is our list ordered hardest to easiest.
Starting with distance, elevation and time, I divided distance by 10, then I used the International Trail Running measure for Gradient – accumulated altitude gain (expressed in function of the distance), then divided the time in minutes divided by 100, then we rated the Terrain, Logistics and Weather out of 5 and averaged the scores. This isn’t perfect but hopefully it helps to guide you of which runs to do first.
My favorites were
The Tongariro Northern Circuit, we had a magic day, incredible landscapes, climbing Ngauruhoe with snow and ice and running and sliding down the scree and snow slopes was fun!!!!!
Milford is an epic piece of country and a wonderful adventure
The Routeburn is special because of the time above the tree line
They are all wonderful runs and tramps, looking forward to going back with the kids soon!