East Side, Mt Ruapehu
Summary:
This alpine hut is located high up beside the Whangaehu valley on the slopes on the active volcano Mt Ruapehu. It is a great location for rock climbing in summer, ski touring and mountaineering in winter, and generally exploring this remote area of the Tongariro National Park.
Winter starts early, from Easter onwards and finishes late (Christmas). This means that the ground maybe frozen or that there will be rimming. Snow conditions change and are likely to freeze to ice. Winds over 150kph can come up very quickly from any direction. Whiteouts occur frequently and can make navigation very difficult.
Location:
At 2080m, above the Whangaehu River, east side of Mt Ruapehu, Tongariro National Park.
Access:
Off Desert Rd to Tukino Skifield, then 1.5hrs on poled/cairned route from the road end, 15m marker pole close to the hut.
The hut is not locked. If you have a 4WD and want access through the locked gate, there is a $20 key deposit (see under bookings).
Facilities:
4 double bunks with mattresses (so can sleep 8), water tank, some utensils.
Non-flush toilet only.
Fees:
Members $10 per night
Non-members $20 per night
NOTE: You need to log in first, when booking, to obtain member rates.
Bookings:
Contact: Dean Stringer 0211 426 493 or email. The hut is open, so can't be reserved, but by contacting Dean first, you will be able to gain access through the ski-field locked gate and get an idea of who else may be using the hut at a given time.
The Auckland Section of NZAC often runs courses and trips in this area. To find out more, please check out their section page.
Location map:
Point Location:
POINT(175.5888176 -39.28243021)
NZTopo50: BJ34 233 487
NZMS260 (old): T20 333 103