Sarah WallockIntro to Mount Aspiring
I first learned about Liverpool Hut last summer on my first backpacking trip in New Zealand to Mount Aspiring Hut in Mount Aspiring National Park. We heard Liverpool was one of the coolest hikes and huts in New Zealand. Last year, this hut was not bookable, meaning people would wake up in the wee hours of the morning to try to secure one of 10 coveted spots in the bunk, or have to hike back down. It’s a 15km walk to the hut on Liverpool Track (mostly 14km in the valley and about a 1km vertical ascent to the hut). Just imagine hiking 15km in, realizing there was no space, and having to then hike 15km out… Yikes!
Fear of the Unknown: Liverpool Hut
I was very nervously anticipating the ascent. I read it would be pretty intense, and even life-threatening at times. Two of my friends had hiked it and one completely dissuaded me from doing it. “You should not hike it it’s so dangerous you could die…” He did not make me feel reassured in the slightest.
My friend Jo wanted to go so I just went ahead and booked the final 2 spots for us for a Saturday night. Feeling nervous and uneasy, I texted another friend asking him if the ascent was truly terrible, life-threatening and so frightening. “You’ll be fine,” he said. He added that of course there’s some risk but it was an epic experience and I would be totally fine. Then, off we went! We set off at 12:45pm from Raspberry Carpark.
Raspberry Carpark to Aspiring Hut – 5km
I called the Department of Conservation (DOC) to check the weather conditions and they said we were good to go. Jo and I skipped along the first 5km in some medium-high winds enjoying the sweeping views of the valley. At Aspiring Hut we tucked into our lunches. I brought a veggie burger wrap, which was a delicious idea.
Aspiring Hut to Pearl Flat – 9km
We carried on from the hut and forged through the forest. We saw a few kea flying above the hut and enjoyed their company. The next portion of the track followed a series of swinging bridges, which crossed a few rivers off of the Matukituki River. It was so stunning to walk in the quiet valley. We must’ve encountered only around 20 other hikers all day. We followed a small ascent and curved around the trail to end up in Shovel Flat. This was one of the most stunning landscapes of the hike and I would definitely come back for a long and flat day hike on the Matukituki track.
Pearl Flat to Liverpool Hut – 1km
We finally arrived to Pearl Flat and began the daring ascent. Having no nervousness left out of pure exhaustion, I followed behind Jo confidently. We walked for 20 minutes straight up nature’s stairs made from dirt, shale, and tree roots. Wasn’t too bad. Next, the steps began to get a bit taller so it took some extra effort for the next 20 minutes or so. Eventually, for the last 20 minutes before reaching the bush line, this was a full-on monkey climb.
We arrived to the hut at 6:15pm, just as DOC estimated we would. We saw a group of 6 girls huddled around the table as we came in. Turns out a group of friends had come up with card games, desserts, and great vibes! For the next 4 hours we sat chatting, playing uno and sharing snacks. It was definitely my perfect kind of Saturday night.
The Return: Liverpool Hut to Raspberry Carpark – 15km
In the morning, we shot down the descent nice and early at 8am to have as much time as possible to get back to Queenstown. Jo and I weren’t feeling particularly jazzed about having to scale down the mountain. We blasted my work out playlist and held onto anything imaginable, tree roots, dirt, branches, rocks, as we shimmied down. It was not as life-threatening as we anticipated.
“A Loo with a View” 
The view of the glacier from Liverpool hut
At the base of the ascent I saw one of the most blue, clear and stunning waterfalls I had ever seen in my life. I was so eager to drop my pack and run over to it. Delusional with exhaustion, I couldn’t see if it was a 5-minute walk or much further away. I dropped my pack and spirited over to get a closer look. Luckily, it turned out to be a short jaunt. The waterfall cascaded through a skinny slot canyon that clearly few, if any people, had ever ventured through. It was on the lesser-known track, the Matukituki, although it very closely resembles the scenery of one of New Zealand’s most popular hikes, the Routeburn, which is just on the other side of the national park.
Standing in the middle of Mount Aspiring, alone for a minute, looking at some of the most blue water I had ever seen was such a special moment.
We powered out to the carpark, stopping to chat with a few other hikers on the way. Then ceremonially, we treated ourselves to some fresh and mouth-watering lunch at Big Fig. What a truly ideal weekend.
