Brewster Hut & Brewster Glacier

River crossings, bush, ridgelines and ice. Two days of tramping and shifting weather that left us achy, wind-burnt and in awe.

Brewster Glacier and lake dip, Feb 2025.

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The trail to Brewster Hut and Glacier is jaw-dropping, winding through Mount Aspiring National Park with views that’ll stop you mid-step. AllTrails clocks it at 5.3 km out-and-back, 966 m of elevation gain, with avalanche risk from winter into spring. For our humble group of seven - a mix of varying experience levels, none alpine pros - it was a solid push to reach the glacier and return in a day. We opted for an overnighter. A word to the wise; booking the alpine 12-bunk Brewster Hut through DOC is a must if you want a mattress and place to crash indoors. Alternatively, bring a tent if you don’t mind sleeping outside.

We started at Fantail Falls carpark on SH6. It’s free, but busy. From Queenstown, the drive takes around two hours, longer if you detour for coffee. That morning it felt cinematic with mist rolling low over Lake Hāwea, the kind of light that makes you glad you got up early.

Parked up and ready, we headed straight for the first obstacle: the Haast River. In the peak of summer, it sparkled under the early sun, wide and shallow (knee-deep nonetheless). One-by-one, shoes came off, and we wade in, the cold shock and pull of the current wringing screeches, giggles and a collective sharp inhale. Shorts were the right call. Wet trousers would have set in a biting chill and dragged us down before the climb even began.

From left to right; Crossing the river, hiking up tree roots to Brewster Hut.

The forest came next. Beech roots, rocks and earthy smells. A steep, unrelenting climb where the air felt cool and alive, birds chattering overhead. Every so often, a shaft of sunlight lit a patch of moss like a spotlight. We started off layered up, slowing shedding over time as sweat built. The track was damp-dry, which made it soft and spongy underfoot, though it doesn’t take much to imagine how slippery it can get; even though everyone’s boots had grip, a little tree-hugging was still inevitable. It feels like this passage lasts forever, but it’s really a steep couple of hours marked at the start with DOC signs, then dotted with orange triangles. 

A couple of hours in, the forest began to thin. Bush gave way to exposed ridges. The wind picked up, clouds started to creep in, and the first real views opened - jagged, expansive, humbling. The scale of it all made everything else feel far away.

Around the three-hour mark, a flash of red appeared on the ridge: Brewster Hut. A small, welcoming dot in a vast alpine canvas. We dropped packs and ate lunch on the deck, watching the waterfall thundering across the way, keas slicing through the sky, sun on our backs while a sharp wind nipped at exposed skin. Layers off, sunscreen on, unnecessary weight left behind, it was time to head for the next part.

From the hut, the glacier beckons. The track dissolved into suggestion, marked only by cairns hinting at a route. Visibility and calm winds were everything. The terrain turned chalky and crumbly, exposure increasing with every step. Beacons, solid gear, and group stoke mattered here. Poles or not, hands were needed. Safety in numbers, eyes up, support constant.

This section had a way of making you feel small. After a while, looking back, even the hut shrank into something toy-like against the mountainside.

After 1.5 to 2 hours, Brewster Glacier finally revealed itself. Turquoise ice. Meltwater pools glowing against rock and snow. Cold? Brutal. Worth it? Without question. We dipped, swore, laughed, cramped, then sprawled onto sun-warmed rocks, shivering and grinning. All of us grateful we’d set setup towels, dry layers, and waterproof bags for wet togs. 

5 pm marked the time we made it back to the hut, collapsing over prepped dinners and dehydrated meals. For anyone else considering the experience, Brewster Hut facilities are basic: outside bio loo, sink, water, no cooking, but oddly, there’s signal. Two litres of water were long gone by the evening, topped up at the glacier earlier in the day. As the light faded, beanies and warm layers came out, sleeping bags unrolled, and anything soft doubled up as a pillow.

The next morning, the descent was quicker, lighter in the legs, but still demanding. The forest, the river, the final slog back to the Fantail Falls car park all feel like a victory lap. 

This hike is a lot. Timewise, it adds up to roughly 3-3.5 hours from Fantail to hut, 1.5 hours each way from hut to glacier, and 2.5-3 hours back down. It’s beautiful. It’s punishing. It’s wildly rewarding. And the scenery? Unforgettable.

Gallery above from top left clockwise; Walking past the 'Warning Brewster Track ends here' sign towards the glacier; Brewster Hut, Reaching Brewster Glacier; Hiking over tree roots; Morning views from Brewster Hut looking towards the glacier and waterfall; More of Brewster Glacier. All photos featured ©sportsnutsoph.