Liebig Hut
Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park
Liebig Hut (6 bunk, matresses, no fire, water at 200m, mountain radio) is a DOC hut on the south side of the Murchinson River. It's cold with no fire - but views of the glaciers & 3000m+ peaks opposite are amazing. Mt Cook glints in the evening sun. The Murchinson Glacier is black with surface moraine and not the glistening blue ice you may imagine.
Boats across the Tasman Glacier Lake near Mt Cook Village are the most common means of getting this area. These generally drop people on the true-right bank of the Murchinson, where travel upriver is easiest. However, this means that a river crossing of the Murchinson will be required to reach Liebig Hut. This can be tricky in all but low flows - good weather results in more meltwater! Sidling the true left bank of the Murchinson is possible, but steep and slow going.
From the hut you can explore the Murchinson Glacier, hunt tahr in the Liebig Range, or cross the Rutherford/Ailsa Pass to the Cass and Godley.
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Owner
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Owner: DOC |
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Category
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Standard Hut |
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Sleeps
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Sleeps 6
6
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Facilities
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Mountain radio, Toilet |
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Water supply
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Tap or tank water |
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Getting there
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Tasman Glacier Lake (H36 820185): Boat over Tasman Lake. - True right: 15km (4-8 hrs) rough but flat on moraine / river flats. Tricky crossing of Murchinson near hut. - True left: 14km (6-12 hrs). Steep, rough, sometimes scrubby sidle of Murchinson to valley corner. Old marked track round/over last bluffs. No river crossings Cass / Godley valleys: Difficult alpine routes (2100m+) over Rutherford or Ailsa Passes. Good ascent up 1st ridge upstream of hut. |
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Unlocked
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This hut is unlocked and open to access. |
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Bookings
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No bookings — open access
No — open access
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Altitude
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1,000m |
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Mobile phone coverage
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No coverage |
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Maps
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NZTopo50-BX16
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