Description

Sefton Bivouac is the oldest hut in Mt Cook National Park still on its original site and the oldest building in the wider environs of the park. It has served generations of climbers. It is a 4-bunk hut. There are no fees. Bookings not required - first come, first served. Pay at Aoraki/Mount Cook Visitor Centre. Facilities include non-flush toilets and water (not treated - boil before use). This bivouac is situated 1650m below the Footstool, a mountain on the main divide of the Southern Alps. The hut, 2.1m x 3m in area, has a timber frame clad with corrugated iron; the floor is earth. A stone wall surrounds the bivouac. The bivvy has a commanding view from its lookout perch, close to the big ice cliffs of Te Waewae Glacier. The route to Sefton Biv is unmarked. Route finding and moving through steep terrain (with high consequence of falls) are required to reach the biv. Reaching the biv in winter requires a good level of mountaineering experience, including walking on ice and snow with ice axe and crampons, route finding and using an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel. Call in to the Aoraki/Mount Cook Visitor Centre for advice on conditions.