The very enthusiastic Sam Demas of hut2hut.info got in touch recently regarding some of my shots of Empress Hut at the head of the Hooker Valley. He had read ‘The Hut Builder’ by John Pascoe — the definitive account of the building of New Zealand’s alpine huts — and was working on a comprehensive guide to these historic structures.
New Zealand’s Mountain Huts
The network of huts maintained by the Department of Conservation and the New Zealand Alpine Club represents one of the great gifts to New Zealand’s mountain community. These huts — ranging from basic three-sided shelters to the well-equipped facilities at major climbing venues — make multi-day alpine travel accessible and enjoyable.
Empress Hut sits at the head of the Hooker Valley in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park. From its position at around 2500m, it offers one of the most dramatic views in New Zealand — directly toward the Southwest Ridge of Aoraki and the Linda Glacier.
The Hut Builder
John Pascoe’s book documents the extraordinary effort that went into establishing New Zealand’s alpine hut network from the early twentieth century onward. The physical challenges of transporting materials to remote mountain locations — before helicopters, before modern equipment — are almost incomprehensible today.
These huts are more than convenient shelter. They’re a thread connecting the contemporary mountain community to the pioneering alpinists who first explored and documented these ranges.
Empress Hut Today
For climbers attempting the standard routes on Aoraki or the surrounding peaks, Empress Hut is a key staging point. The views from the hut — particularly at dawn and dusk — are extraordinary even if the summit remains out of reach.