McIntosh Hut
- Mike Morelli
- May 5
- 2 min read
Date: May 5 - 6, 2025
Location: Richardson Mountains, Whakaari Conservation Area, Glenorchy, Otago, New Zealand
Total Trip Distance: 12.72 mi / 20.5 km Total Elevation Gain: 4,600 ft / 1,402 m
Trip Duration: 2 days
Team: Deanna Luu
Field Notes: Park at the Mount Judah Trailhead and take the track towards Heather Jock Hut. The track to McIntosh Hut branches off left and drops downhill crossing 2 streams. After crossing the final stream (The Buckler Burn), follow the poled route up to the saddle at Point 1244. Heading east, climb the final 200 meters to the hut. There are 4 mattresses and a water tank.
Rating: Hiking
For April, I decided to get out of town and head to Dunedin for my annual Autumn surf pilgrimage.
For me, surfing is the yin to the yang of mountains.
Surfing is fun, flowy, less committing, and high vibes. The mountains are typically fun when it's over, feel harder on my body, more committing, and require long days.
With surfing, a one-hour session can be life-changing. With the mountains, those incredible moments typically take a ton of planning, energy, and countless hours or days of physical work.
I feel like I have more fun when I'm surfing, but I feel that the rewards and satisfaction are greater for mountaineering.
The beauty is, I don't have to choose either/or. I choose both. And I choose depending on how I'm feeling or where my mental state is at. And at the end of April, I was ready to return to the hills.
My friend Deanna decided to come visit for a week at the beginning of May, and one of her main goals was to stay in a mountain hut. I had a positive experience staying in McIntosh Hut when I climbed Black Peak back in the spring of 2023 and thought she would love it.
With light overnight packs we made the steady climb along the Mount Judah track before heading left down to cross the Buckler Burn. The final nine-hundred-meter climb to the hut was a good test of fitness for Deanna, and she was stoked to finally reach our home for the night.
The day was a screamer - barely a cloud in the sky. We laid out in the grass in our sleeping bags enjoying the views of Bold Peak, Mount Earnslaw, and the skyline of jagged peaks.
Evening came and we sat inside by candlelight, trying to make up different card games until we passed out.
Morning was special to have coffee together, watching the sun illuminate the ocean of mountains. A strong northwesterly blew in and we decided to head down and treat ourselves to a coffee and pastry at Mrs. Woolly's.
McIntosh Hut has a ton of character and remains a classic for the area.
Happy days...
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