Guide Pete James and crew at Baron Saddle Hut, Mnt. Cook National Park

No it is not a discarded soup can, it is the hut at the head of the Mueller Glacier on the east side of the divide.  This is a great area for ski touring and climbing.   A relatively short helicopter flight and the ability to ski out to the village makes this a popular hut to base a trip out of.  This location has an interesting if somewhat frighting history. 

The previous hut was called the Three Johns Hut.  In 1977 four members of a North Island tramping club disappeared, along with the hut!  The were in contact with the Park on the radio and several days later when they had not been heard from, the authorities were horrified to find that high winds had sheared the hut from its footings.  The hut and victims were later located deep in the Dobson Valley where the wind had relocated them.  The Three Johns tragedy lead to a major overhaul of how huts are anchored and in the the ensuing 30 years there has not been another accident of this type.  Knowing that huts are now safe is comforting but late at night when the hut is shaking and the wires are humming it is hard not to spare a thought for the poor people who perished when their hut blew away.

30k Downhill Ski Run !

What does a 30 km ski run look like?  Guide Mark Austin-Cheval and clients just finished a Summit to Sea which took advantage of some great weather on the eastern side of the mountains.  With the snow reaching down to low elevations the group achieved a rare feat, skiing from the very top of the Tasman Glacier to the very end at Blue Lakes.  Flying into the head of the Tasman Glacier they spend two days touring before pointing their skis down.

The group headed down through a huge of variety of terrain - ice falls, avalanches and snow caves were all part of the journey.  Starting at 2640 above sea level the group took off their skis at 740m, a whopping ski run of 1900 m or 6234 ft.

The photo above is looking back up the Tasman at about the half way point.  The Tasman is the Glacier that comes in from the right.

 The Ball Hut road is subject to enormous avalanches and can only be skied when conditions are right. 

The road head at Blue Lakes is the end of a Kiwi ski classic!

Pioneer Blizzard

Our popular Summit to Sea trips can meet with some pretty wild weather.  Here the team tries to dig down to the door of the hut.  Fast digging barely stayed ahead of the snow as it filled in.  The long finespells of weather have meant thin snow and icy conditions at the ski areas but the glaciers there is no shortage of snow!