0:00

Today, we're heading into the heart of the Southern Alps to one of New Zealand's most iconic alpine landscapes. Let's talk about Mueller Hut and day walks in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.

Peter 0:10

So

Jonty 0:18

Kira and welcome to the Tramping Life, a podcast about hiking in RO New Zealand, or as we call it here, tramping. I'm ch and in this episode I'll talk about a specific track or hut. I'll give an overview and share my experience along with the highlights and some practical advice.

0:36

home to 19 mountains above three thousand meters, including Aoraki Mount Cook, the highest in the country. Aoraki Mount Cook National Park offers some of the most stunning alpine scenery in New Zealand. It's also some of the most accessible With incredible views from a number of short walks in the park, most of which start from the White Horse Hill car park at the end of Mount Cook Road. At the easier end are valley-based day walks, which are among the most popular in New Zealand. Walks such as the Hooker Valley Track and Kea Point Track follow well-formed paths through glacial landscapes with gentle gradients, boardwalks and swing bridges. These walks provide close-up views of glaciers, terminal lakes and moraine walls and are suitable for a wide range of walkers. The Hooker Valley Track in particular, leads to a glacial lake with views towards Aoraki Mount Cook, making it one of the most accessible ways to experience the scale of the Southern Alps. A short drive away, Tasman Valley has a short walk to viewpoints over the Tasman Glacier and its terminal lake. In contrast to these relatively easy walks, the Mueller Hut route represents a significant step up in difficulty. Starting from the same White Horse Hill area, the route begins with a steep ascent of thousands of steps to Sealy Tarns. This section alone involves substantial elevation gain and Is often completed as a challenging day walk in its own right. Beyond Sealy Tarns, the route becomes more alpine in nature. The formed track gives way to a marked route across rock street and exposed ridge lines. Poles and markers guide the way, but the terrain is uneven and requires more care than the valley tracks. The route continues to climb steadily to Mueller Hut at around eighteen hundred meters above sea level, with increasing exposure and expansive views as elevation is gained. I've walked in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park a number of times in very different weather conditions. The three-kilometer return walk to Kea Point is along an easy track, ascending around a hundred and eighty meters. The lookout offers impressive view of Mueller Lake, glaciers, the three thousand one hundred and fifty-one-meter-high Mount Sefton and Aoraki Mount Cook. The Hooker Valley Track is understandably one of the most popular day walks in New Zealand, offering quite incredible views the whole way along its ten-kilometer length. It isn't always this way, though, as I learnt the first time I walked the track in extremely wet and windy weather nine years ago. At that time, the track had a few tricky parts, but has since been upgraded to an easily and mostly flat walk. Near the start is a memorial to the many people who have lost their lives in these mountains, home to some of the most challenging climbing routes in the country. Mueller Lake is a frequent sighting along the track, surrounded by epic landscape. after which is the majestic Hooker Lake, potentially home to icebergs. Went there, I saw a brave guy swim out to one and back, a no doubt freezing experience and officially not recommended. From here, the track returns the same way back to the White Horse Hill car park. about a fifteen-minute driveway is Tasman Glacier. This is the largest glacier in New Zealand, up to twenty-nine kilometers long and three kilometers wide, although it has been shrinking worryingly fast with climate change. An at times steep but well-graded and stepped track runs up from the car park, passing by the Blue Lakes. They are now green, as they've changed from glacier-fed to rain-fed since they were named in the 19th century. There are epic views down the valley and equally epic views up the valley across the glacial lake, home to a few icebergs and surrounded by towering mountains. One of the highest huts in New Zealand, Mueller Hut offers incredible views across Aoraki Mount Cook National Park and a comfortable bunk for the night. Reaching it requires climbing around a thousand meters in just over five kilometers, but the rewards are easily worth the effort involved I stayed at Mueller Hut in January 2020, weather, drizzling and overcast. There were a few other people on the track, but all of them were heading to the popular Kea Point Lookout, a flat one-hour return walk. I turned left onto the Sealy Tarns track, which involves climbing around two thousand two hundred steps. This wasn't a particularly interesting walk, but it was a good way to gain height and views of Mueller Lake and Hooker Lake behind me. The steps and graded track stop by the tarns. From here is a poled route, which is easy to follow, if quite rocky and steep, not ideal in the on-off rain that I walked through. One upside of the rain, though, was multiple rainbows in the valley below, with it raining further in the park, but relatively dry at Aoraki Mount Cook Village. Further up were large patches of snow, and there was almost no one around, so good times despite the rain. coming to the top of the ridge, my vision was filled with a quite epic sight of a towering glacier and the roar of snow and ice falling off it. It started to rain more heavily, but thankfully, Mueller Hut was only twenty minutes away, sitting on stilts on a rocky and snowy area. Inside the hut, it was warm, dry, and spacious, even with twenty-two people staying, a mix of mostly Kiwis and Americans. The hut is home to the most industrial doors I've ever seen on a hut. If it was like this in the middle of summer, then in winter this place would be quite extreme, which I got a taster of heading to the toilet in the night when the winds picked up, which was quite an experience. Thankfully, the morning brought much better weather if persistent cloud cover above. There was a spot of rain around which gifted another stunning rainbow. Reaching the top of the ridge, the views were quite different to yesterday, particularly looking down into the valley towards Aoraki Mount Cook Village. The Mueller and Hooker Lakes were much clearer and quite spectacular. weather brought out the crowds, though, with a surprising number of people on the track between 8 and 10 AM heading up towards Sealy Tarns and Mueller Hut. although visibility the previous day was nowhere near as good, I almost preferred it in the wet because it was much quieter. In terms of highlights, one of the main highlights in the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park is the intimacy of the alpine landscape. Even on shorter walks, you're surrounded by high peaks, glacial valleys, and dramatic terrain shaped by ice. The valley walks stand out for their accessibility and scenery. The Hooker Valley Track offers a relatively easy walk to a glacial lake, whilst the others provide perspectives on the Tasman Glacier and surrounding landscapes. These walks allow you to experience the high alpine environment without needing technical skills. The Mueller Hut route provides a different kind of highlight, with a rapid transition from valley floor to high alpine terrain. and the hut provides wonderful views of surrounding peaks and glaciers. So Together, these walks highlight the diversity of the park, from accessible scenic routes to more physically demanding alpine climbs within a relatively compact area. To finish with some practical advice, White Horse Hill Car Park is now a paid car park. Mueller Hut is very popular, so you need to book well in advance. Check at the visitor center before you start walking up for the conditions. The weather here is highly variable. I've been to Aoraki Mount Cook National Park in January multiple times, and I've had everything from blue skies to heavy rain, and conditions can change quickly, particularly on exposed routes like the Mueller Hut route. Weather forecasts should be checked carefully, and walkers should be prepared for wind, cold temperatures, and reduced visibility even in the middle of summer. track difficulty varies significantly. The valley walks are generally well-formed and suitable for most people, whilst the Mueller Hut route is steep, strenuous, and very exposed. The route involves a large elevation gain over a short distance and therefore good fitness. In colder months, snow and ice, will be present, increasing the level of difficulty and experience and equipment required. For most trampers, summer is the time to do this. Winter is not the time to do this. Time management is important. Although the distances are not long, the terrain can slow progress, particularly on alpine sections. Starting it early and allowing plenty of time is advisable, particularly if you're attempting Mueller Hut as a day walk. Finally, while Aoraki Mount Cook National Park offers some of the most accessible alpine scenery in New Zealand, it remains an alpine environment. So careful planning, appropriate gear, and a realistic assessment of conditions are key to a safe and enjoyable trip

Peter 8:03

So

Speaker 8:06

Thank you so much for listening to the Tramping life. If you've enjoyed today's episode, please follow the podcast in whatever app you use. Tell a friend about it and consider leaving a rating or a review. It really helps more people discover the show. you have any questions or feedback, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me an email at the tramping life, one word@gmail.com.