Ivory Glacier, West Coast. By Sol Marconi

A trip to Ivory Lake Hut is memorable, through rainforest and alpine terrain with unparalleled views. It’s a multi-day trip and it’s far from the crowds. In fact, the hut is one of New Zealand’s most remote and is tucked away near the shore of Ivory Glacier’s outlet lake. It was built in the 1970s for scientists monitoring the glacier’s retreat. 

There are several routes to get there, none are easy. 

The first two days are mostly easy travel along the Whitcombe Valley. There’s a steady climb after the Price Flat footbridge to Steadman Brow, where there are great camping spots between Cropp Knob and The Rotunda. From here, it’s a long day to Ivory Lake across Mt Beaumont, over snow-covered ridges. 

Ivory Lake Hut is unique and has a cupboard full of research specimens collected in the 1970s. The hut book reveals infrequent visits, but jotted there are the names of many renowned Kiwi explorers and mountaineers. 

The return to the Whitcombe Valley Track involves a sidle around the Pahlow Ridge before taking the second stream down to the valley. Although the Topo50 map shows a track for this section, we found no evidence of it. At the valley floor, follow the true right of the Whitcombe River towards Wilkinson Hut, where there’s a footbridge. From here, follow the Whitcombe Valley Track back to the car park. With several huts along the way, this section can be taken as slowly as you like.