The Hut At The Pass

I really hate alpine starts. I am someone who likes my sleep. I climb so that I can see the amazing views, and I don’t see them when it is dark. However, at 4am one morning at the NZAC Arthur's Pass hut I found myself fumbling around with my breakfast as I struggled to stomach porridge whilst barely awake, and forced my first coffee of the day down, while trying hard not to snap at any of my overly happy companions.

My one and only attempt on Mt Rolleston thus started from my happy place in my sleeping bag at Arthur's Pass Hut. Although we weren’t successful that day, it started a love affair with my local NZAC hut. A warm, cosy place to base myself for the various trips available in and around Arthurs Pass. Although I dislike alpine starts, at least the hut affords me a good night’s sleep which I struggle to get in my tent. When I was younger this didn’t worry me so much, but as I move well into middle age, a good night’s sleep is essential to my enjoyment of my outdoor activities. Thus, the ‘hut at the Pass’ is a wonderful refuge for day tramps and more recently, short family day walks.

My favourite (pre-family) day tramps are the classics—Avalanche Peak, Bealey Spur, and the track to Mt Aicken. In winter with good conditions, they all make fantastic day trips which don’t require an alpine start and still give those wonderful views, complete with some fun time stomping around in the snow. The walk up to Temple Basin is achievable even with my current reduced fitness level, and with the ongoing work at Lockwood Shelter by the CMC and BCT, this remains a great place to have lunch if the weather is not ideal. For valley tramping, the Otira valley track rewards with great views of Mt Rolleston’s Otira face, made especially beautiful when cloaked with snow. 

I have also used the hut as a Friday night staging post for weekend missions. Being able to get an early (but not too early) start from Arthur's Pass allows for some great overnighters in the park. I enjoyed going up over Avalanche Peak, down the scree and into Crow Hut a few years ago. Meeting NZAC guidebook author Graeme Kates at the hut was definitely a bonus, as he entertained us with tales of climbing and rescues in the park into the evening. Up over Temple Col and spending the night at Goat Pass Hut was another great overnighter, though I may have blocked out some of the scrub bashing necessary to get to the Mingha track. One tramp which breaks my ‘no tent’ rule, but was particularly beautiful, was the Hawdon, Tarn Col, Edwards Valley to Sudden Valley via the Polar Range circuit. Camping just beyond Taruahuna Pass in a boulder field after a very long day I wondered why I persisted with this 'Type 2' fun. But remembering the beautiful river valley, alpine meadows, scree and boulder bashing reminded me that I am very lucky to have the opportunity to see such sights. This was a long trip by my standards and shouldn’t be attempted when rain might make the multiple crossings of the Sudden Valley Stream difficult on day two.

As my life has changed with the introduction of husband and daughter to my adventures, I still use the hut as a base but with slightly different adventures in mind. The Punchbowl Falls track is now a real adventure, and the township valley walk is filled with interesting sticks and rocks to discover. As my daughter grows, I look forward to introducing her to the other joys that the park has to offer, and the comforts of the hut after a long day ‘out there doing it’. 

Karen Leacock