This is the ultimate off-road trip into the mountains from the comfort of a full suspension rubber tyred wagon or atop a heavy riding horse. This trip takes you to our new Clyde Hut beside the Clyde River looking up into the mountains and glaciers. Hut is an understatement as it’s a large, warm 4 bedroom outfit and the only hardship is going outside to the loos. Clyde Hut still retains much of the mustering charm though with open fire cooking, bath under the stars and horses camped outside. The hut is only fifteen minutes from the homestead as the crow flies but is the only spot we could build that wasn’t affected by the rivers floods and roughness. Repeated river floods led us to abandon trips to our actual mustering huts way up the valley as we couldn’t guarantee to be able to get there and the distance was hard on people’s bottoms. This new hut/lodge is based around our old shearer’s quarters and is a very comfortable solution in an extremely beautiful mountain spot.
This trip leaves early afternoon and the first day is an easy 2.5 hour trek. Once at the Hut you will enjoy billy tea (or a DB Clydesdale Beer!) and a meal cooked for you on the open fire before resting your body in the hot tub while gazing at the incredible night sky. The next day we enjoy a cooked breakfast before a short 1.5 hour trek back home again. We offer this as an overnight adventure, returning home about 11.30am leaving you ample time to grab lunch back down the road at Mt Potts or Mt Somers. The second day route we cross the river if conditions are suitable but if not we have an alternative hill home track to return home. This alternative track isn’t for the faint hearted as it has a couple of steep pinches, but we can retrace our day one steps if any major concerns. Crossing the river can be very bumpy but for a short time and makes you appreciate the strength and surefootedness of the Clydesdales.
Adventurer's to the hut so far have reported back it was a real bucket list adventure for them. Due to demand and a busy farming operation we only have limited bookings available through the main Summer/Autumn season.
The wagon trip is $500 per person which covers trek, accommodation and food. Or we can offer small groups a saddle option for $700pp.
You just need to bring your overnight bag, camera, warm clothes, raincoat and sleeping bag (although the last two items can be hired).
We require a minimum of 6 people to run the trek on the available dates. However, where the farm permits we will run an exclusive trip for individual groups meeting those numbers.
With the bunk layout the hut is capable of sleeping 23 singles or 30 people if all the double bunks have two people in them! We can do a quote for bigger groups.
This trip is a really great way to see the horses in action in their beautiful backyard and to learn more about how the team works. An amazing opportunity to learn about the high country of NZ and get up close with the horses. This is not an epic adventure into the rugged back country but a pleasant taste of life in the high country with our beautiful Clydesdales.