Brewster Track to the Brewster Hut (DOC) is one of the tougher single-day tramping options in the South Island. Like several serious hikes in the region, it starts with getting your feet wet crossing the unbridged Haast River.
Access is from the Fantail Falls car park, off the Haast Pass section of State Highway 6. Walk a short distance from the car park downstream of the Falls, and you will see a large orange trailhead marker on the other side of the Haast River. Crossing the river is normally easy, but it may change quickly in wet weather.
From there, it is a slog; much tougher than the hike up Roy’s Peak or the Isthmus which have similar vertical climbs. The rough track is almost continuously steep, with some clambering. It follows the ridge line between Fantail Stream and Pyke Creek towards Mt Armstrong (2,174 metres high). From the start, it is about a 1,000-metre climb to the hut at 1,650 metres, over just 2.5 km of distance!
The good news is that about two-thirds of the hike to the hut is in a beautiful beech forest, so you’re not too exposed to the weather. It is mountain tussock up to the hut from the forest's edge. The views from around the hut are superlative, but you can also hike another two km across the face of Mt Armstrong to the edge of the Brewster Glacier for bragging rights and some extra special pics.
Allow about 4 to 5 hours for the hut return and a full day for the glacier. If you have an extra day, try booking the hut for an overnight stop. Check the weather carefully before you set out and have appropriate clothes and gear to handle a dramatic change in conditions.
Thanks to @yageemeister and @cochranewilly who kindly provided the photos from their trip.
