A Brief Guide to Brewster Glacier
An incredible three days camping beside a spectacular glacier high in the Southern Alps
For reasons which escape me, Brewster Glacier had never really come onto my radar. After spending three days there back in April I’m now kicking myself it took me so long to get here, as it would undoubtedly be among the most spectacular locations in New Zealand.
Located just on the western side of Haast Pass, Brewster Glacier occupies the southern slopes under Mt Brewster (2,516m). A marked track starts from the valley floor near the Fantail Falls carpark, crossing the Haast River (unbridged) within a couple of minutes of starting. From there it’s a rather brutal and unrelenting 3-hour climb to the 12-bunk Brewster Hut. Beyond the hut the track continues to climb steeply and soon dwindles to a route, marked by cairns but in places difficult to follow (especially in low visibility). The terrain here can be challenging as the route weaves among bluffs and rock slabs. In winter, it becomes serious mountaineering and avalanche country and should only be attempted by the most experienced of parties.
George (my 16-year old son) and I took just over 5 hours from the carpark to reach the meltwater lakes under Brewster Glacier. Total elevation gained is around 1,200 metres. There are several good places to pitch a tent within the rocky terrain.
We stayed for 2 nights and experienced the most amazing weather, we really couldn’t have asked for better. We used our middle day to scramble up to the Main Divide near pt 1951m to check out the panoramic views into the headwaters of the Makarora River and back across Brewster Glacier towards the Haast Valley. It was hot work so afterwards a refreshing (but very quick) dip in the lakes was in order!
Below is a video and several images from the trip. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for safety info, and if you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a comment!
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