Mueller Hut Route — Attraction in South Island

I just hiked here but didn't stay here Challenging hike, the first 500m altitude gain is stairs, but from the start you get great views of Mt Cook and the glacier. After the stairs, turn right to the lookout. This is a good place for a rest, snack and photos. It's also a good spot to aim for for the less experienced hiker, as the rest of the way is negotiating rocks. Continuing on, you basically climb up an old landslide. The path is not always clear but there are always poles to keep you heading in the right direction, which is basically up. There is one section which is more challenging than others, see the photos. When you reach the saddle, expect a strong and cold wind. I recommend layering up a little bit before you reach it, otherwise there's a little rock to hide behind on the saddle. Take a quick visit to the right for some very nice views, before continuing around the mountain to the hut. If you were hoping for less rocks then you'll be disappointed. The hut is surrounded by them, and you will need to walk over rocks to get various views. I didn't get 360 degree views from the hut. I believe you need to scramble up Mt Iver to get that. I didn't do this. To me, it looked like even more challenging terrain, further uphill and stronger winds. If I was staying the night I would have done it, but I figured the downhill ahead was already enough. Seriously jelly legs by the end, coming down those stairs. The views are only a bit nicer at the top vs down the bottom, but it's a good challenge and it's nice to be up with...

Hands down the best hike at mount Cook and one of the best I have done in my life. The first half of the hike consists of a brutal 2200 step staircase which will tire you out quite quickly. After this you got a nice lookout point at the half way point which already has beautiful views of mount cook and the surrounding lakes.

If you choose to continue, be aware that the next part requires good shoes and some guts. This part goes from a rocky path with some climbing, to actual rock/mountain climbing. This will take some time as it's quite technical. When you get to the top you just need to walk straight for another 20 minutes and you are at the hut.

Now the official climb is over, but the hut itself doesn't have the spectacular views, for this you need to climb the summit you see right behind the hut which is about as technical as the previous climb (This is the fake summit of mount ollivier). This will only take you half an hour extra and gives you arguably the best views of the entire national park. You can hike another 30 minutes extra to go to the real summit but for views this is not worth it and it's extremely technical.

We were lucky that day as the 2 hours that the summit of mount cook was visible, we were at the (fake) summit of mount ollivier. This hike/mountain climb was one of the greatest experiences of my time in new Zealand and i would recommend it to anyone who has the resources to do so. Next time when I'm back I will definitely...

A really cosy and modern hut with a spectacular view on the glaciers, Mount Cook, Mount Cook Village and the valley with the rivers. The hike to the hut is pretty steep and has a lot of stairs. When you start at Mount Cook Village this will be a 3h one way hike if you're really fit, 4h if you plan to take a lot of pictures of the peaks, ice and Keas. Also consider that there will be a lot of steps, some of them are knee-high, so plan your trip, especially with small children. You also must book your stay at the DOC (in the Village) if you do a overnight trip. It's not really necessary, we did an easy day trip to the hut. When you're really experienced with hiking you should go further to Mount Ollivier. Just follow the small stacked stone towers and you will be rewarded with an even more amazing and fantastic view of the...