A trip to Barker Hut is best described as challenging but rewarding. Located amid some of the most beautiful surroundings of Arthur’s Pass National Park, this 10-bunk memorial hut is, at 1560m, the highest hut in the area.

Named after Neville Barker, who was killed during the Second World War, it serves as a base for ascents of peaks like the 2408m Mt Murchison. Surrounded by glaciers at the head of White River and with rocky peaks all around, the location is spectacular. But it comes with a price. In this case, a demanding tramp via an unmarked rough route along the White River.

The rewards are waiting – not only will you pass the 152m Kilmarnock Falls, but there are also pleasant river crossings and when you finally reach the hut, watching the sun slowly set, illuminating the alpine basin with the last fading light, you’ll know it was worth the effort.

NOTE: Barker Hut is a Canterbury Mountaineering Club hut. Club members stay free, others must pay $5 a night. Visit www.CMC.net.nz for details.