New Zealand Alpine huts

New Zealand Alpine Huts

NZAC Alpine Huts
NZAC Hut locations
NZAC Hut Rules
Department of Conservation (DoC) Huts in Mount Cook National Park District

NZAC Alpine Huts

The Club owns a number of huts, most of which are available to Members for a small daily charge. Details of the huts and their locations are given below. For some huts it may be advisable to book in advance. Bookings for Club huts should be made through the appropriate Hut Booking Officers.

Non-members with mountain interests are welcome to use all huts except Homer, Unwin, Arthur's Pass, Ruapehu, Whangaehu huts and the Porter Memorial Lodge where use is restricted to:

Club Members.
Parties accompanied by a Club Member.
Instruction /study groups who have received prior permission from the controlling Section.

Members have priority over non-members in the use of Club huts. This right should be exercised tactfully when a hut is found to be fully occupied by members of other clubs. Members of overseas clubs with reciprocal rights (see 3.4) should be treated as Members.

Listed below are all huts owned by the club, and also huts in the Mt Cook region operated by the Department of Conservation.

Hut locations

Smaller huts generally have minimal facilities. Larger huts (over 10 bunks), usually have water, stoves and radio. Some huts are jointly operated with the Department of Conservation. For further information contact the relevant section or Club Headquarters in Wellington.

North Island

Ruapehu
2040m on Delta Ridge, northwest slopes of Ruapehu. 24 bunks. Booking contact: Auckland section.

Whangaehu
2080m on east side of Ruapehu. Grid ref 083-653 Ruapehu map N122/1. 8 bunks. Booking contact: Central North Island section.

South Island

Arthur's Pass
On terrace above Chief Ranger's house at Arthur's Pass. 30 bunks. Booking contact: Canterbury-Westland section.

HEL Porter Memorial Lodge
Fox Glacer Village. Booking contact: Nelson-Malborough section.

Unwin
Pukaki-Hermitage Road, 5km before Hermitage at Mt Cook National Park. 45 bunks. Booking contact: South Canterbury Section.

Centennial
Franz Joseph Glacier at bottom of Tusk rocks. 15 Bunks. Booking contact: Canterbury-Westland section.

Elcho
On the west side of the Hopkins Valley below the junction with Elcho Stream. 12 bunks. Booking contact: North Otago section.

Cascade
In the West Matukituki Valley close to Aspiring Hut. 4 bunks. Booking contact: Otago Section.

Esquilant
2150m on Wrights Col between Earnslaw and Leary, Rees Valley. 2 bench bunks (sleeps 8). Booking contact: Southland section.

Homer
900m at Homer Forks, Upper Hollyford Valley. 35 bunks. Booking contact: Southland section.

De la Beche
1600m on a shelf at the corner of the Tasman and Rudolph glaciers below De la Beche/Minarets. 10 bunks. Booking contact: Nelson-Malborough section.

Murchison
2100m northeast spur of Mt Cooper, overlooking the Murchison Glacier. Hut may be relocated. 10 bunks. Booking contact: North Otago section.

Godley
Terrace on east bank (true left) of Godley River near terminal moraine of the Godley Glacier, 15 minutes above Fitzgerald Stream. 8 bunks. Booking contact: South Canterbury section.

Aspiring
In the West Matukituki Valley on the banks of the Cascade Stream. 30 bunks. Booking contact: Otago section.

Lucas-Trotter (French Ridge)
1465m on the Mt French Ridge, West Matukituki Valley. 15 bunks. Booking contact: Otago Section.

Hut Fees

The fees for both Members and non-members using NZAC huts have been fixed by the Club Committee. The Club expects that all fees for huts will be paid unsolicited to the controlling Sections, or to the Headquarters Office, PO Box 3040, Wellington. Members are asked to collect fees from non-members, or to take steps to see that these are paid.

Hut fees are paid directly to the Department of Conservation if using the De la Beche, Murchison and Godley huts which are owned by the NZAC but managed by DoC. Club Members are eligible for a rebate ($7 per night in 1995) for these huts. This is obtained by writing to the Club Administrator and enclosing a suitable receipt.

Hut Rules

Please sign the hut book on arrival and departure.
Respect the comfort of other occupants and assist in keeping the hut clean and tidy.
Note the location of the fire extinguisher and how to use it.

In huts where a warden is present, please give him or her your fullest co-operation. Any occupant not behaving in a responsible manner may be directed by the warden or DoC staff to leave the hut.

Please report to Club Headquarters any damage or deficiencies in hut supplies.

Before leaving:

See that no perishable food is left in cupboards and carry out non-burnable rubbish.
Leave ample firewood for the next party. Cut no live trees.
Securely fasten all doors and windows.
Check that all fires and primuses are extinguished.
Pay hut fees to the warden, place them in the honesty box, or forward to the controlling Section or to the Headquarters Office, PO Box 3040, Wellington.

Department of Conservation (DoC) Huts in Mount Cook National Park District

DoC maintains a number of non-NZAC huts in the Park for use by climbers. Hut fees for these hut are $14 per climber per night. No refunds are available to Club members for these huts.

The huts contain bunks, kerosene stoves and fuel, some cooking utensils and often blankets. All huts in the area have radio communications with Park Headquarters. Bookings should be made at DoC, and climbers intending to use the huts should check that spaces are available. The DoC huts are:

Mueller Hut, on the ridge between the Hermitage and Mueller Glacier.
Barron Saddle Hut, at the head of the Mueller Glacier.
Hooker Hut, on the moraine near the terminal face of the Hooker Glacier.
Gardiner Hut, on the Hooker Glacier below Nazomi.
Tasman Hut and Kelman Shelter on Tasman Saddle.
Plateau Hut, on the Grand Plateau under the East Face of Mt Cook.
Haast Hut (King Memorial Hut) on the Haast Ridge.

There are shelters for emergency use under Footstool and on the Copland Pass ridge. The Canterbury Mountaineering Club owns Empress Hut at the head of the Hooker Glacier. This hut is controlled by DoC Headquarters for the CMC.

Page created by Tom Bennion, Alastair Smith, and Murray Scott. Last modified 26 June 1996