Tucked high up above the Haast Pass highway, accessed by a steep uphill grunt, is the stunning location of Brewster Hut. The old 4-bunk bivvy shown in this image, was replaced (but still stands) in 2007 by a smart red up-grade which sports 12 bunks in a separate room, with a large warm cooking area, well-equipped with tables, stools and sweeping views of this exposed ridge along with the snow-clad Mt Brewster (2515m) beyond. Earlier in the day before I captured this shot of the wee bivvy, I climbed with a friend to the less-challenging, but equally worthy summit of Mt Armstrong (2174m). The climb from Brewster Hut rapidly propelled us to wonderous views across the Makaroa Valley; towards Mt Aspiring and Westland. It was something else.
Gaping crevasses yawned up at us from glaciers far below; testimony to a millenia of glacial retreat as they scarred their way backwards, forging out the valleys we were gawping at in awe. The summit of Armstrong falls steeply into the David Glacier by way of sheer cliffs towards the east, and can be accessed from the south-east ridge via the Makaroa Valley, whilst the less-forboding approach from Brewster Hut is via the exposed north-west ridge. The scramble onto the summit is over loose scree and slabs which would be tricky when descending in wet or icey conditions; none-the-less, the view was well worth the extra few hours return from the hut after the steep walk up from the highway far below.
The hut quickly filled with excited trampers and day turned into night, along with a drop in temperature as the forecast bad weather system rolled in. I captured this image as the clouds lowered and the light was at its last ditch attempt of brilliance. Early in the hours of Sunday morning, after a sleepless night, I ventured out of my sleeping bag to go to the "loo with a view'. Large fluffy snowfalkes gently meandered down towards the ground in a silent eery calm as the hint of a new day began. I stood for a while and looked upwards towards the sky. In that moment, away from the stresses of work, I felt completely at ease and happy. A snow flake landed on my face, and I reflected upon the privilege of experiencing a simple but divine existance for 24 hours.