Enjoying your visit to Mount Cook

This splendid alpine park attracts people who love the mountains both vacationers who come primarily to enjoy the scenery and mountaineers who expend their energies striving for the heights.

Allow time to pause and let the mountains enfold you in their beauty and serenity. Listen to the bird songs, let the sun's heat warm your body, watch Mount Cook's sharp peak turn to glowing pink and purple in the sun's waning rays. On an after dinner walk, enjoy the moonlight on the snow or gaze at a multitude of stars.

Obviously, all that snow and ice doesn't arrive in the sunshine. When rain clouds settle over the mountains, far too many visitors succumb to the cozy lure of the fireplace. Even on threatening days you can stop at the visitor center and walk some of the shorter trails.

Blending in with its alpine backdrop, the steeply roofed visitor center, located just below The Hermitage, is the park's administrative headquarters and major source of information (P.O. Box 5, Mount Cook; phone Mount Cook 819). Photographs, relief maps, Ad other displays add to your knowledge of the park's history, terrain, plants, and wildlife. You can ask about park trails and guide services or check road conditions or the weather forecast. During holiday periods, park rangers conduct nature walks and evening programs.

At The Hermitage or Glencoe Lodge, you can arrange for sightseeing flights or guided excursions.

Sightseeing flights. One of the "don't miss" experiences in New Zealand is a flight by ski plane over the icy peaks and glaciers of the Southern Alps. Weather conditions permitting, ski equipped aircraft operate from the Mount Cook Airport. Helicopter trips depart from the Glentanner Park Helipad.

Within a few minutes after takeoff, your small plane is flying above the gleaming slopes, saw edged ridges, and jumbled icefalls to the head of Tasman Glacier. If your flight includes a snowfield landing, the pilot lowers the plane's retractable skis, and the craft skims to a gentle stop on the granular ice. You step out onto terrain once accessible only to experienced mountaineers.

Hiking park trails. Even if clouds move in to obscure the mountains, you can get out and walk some of the paths fanning out from park headquarters. As long as you dress for it and watch for worsening conditions, a brisk hike can be invigorating even in wet weather.

At the visitor center, you can obtain printed trail information on several of the walks. Boots, heavy socks, and other equipment can be rented at The Hermitage.

The Governor's Bush trail begins below Glencoe Bridge and loops through silver beech forest behind the post office. Even shorter is the Bowen Bush trail, a 10minute walk on the knoll south of Glencoe Stream. It offers a view up the Hooker Valley to Mount Cook.

Longer hikes take you into the mountains. The Kea Point Nature Walk begins in front of The Hermitage and ends with a view of Mueller Glacier. In summer, hikers favor the Sealy Tarns trail, which leads to small mountain lakes where you can swim. The track to Red Tarns and Mount Sebastopol begins behind Glencoe Lodge.

Other trails lead up the Hooker Valley. The main route forks off the Kea Point path, crosses the Hooker River on a pair of swing bridges, and continues to the lower edge of the Hooker Glacier; experienced mountaineers and guided parties continue up to Hooker Hut and Copland Pass. Beginning at the Ball Hut Road bridge, the Wakefield Track runs along the Hooker River and follows the trail used by parties traveling to the Tasman Glacier in the early 1900s. Short trails lead from Ball Hut Road to Blue Lakes and to a viewpoint of Wakefield Falls.

Tasman Glacier trip. Each morning and afternoon a bus departs from The Hermitage for the 2 and 1/2 hour trip up rocky, single lane Ball Hut Road to a viewpoint of the Tasman Glacier and the surrounding peaks.

Rafting on the Tasman River. For a different kind of wilderness experience, consider a raft trip down the Tasman River, the runoff of the Tasman Glacier. On the 3 hour trip, you'll enjoy fine views of the glacier, bounce through rapids, and stop for billy tea and biscuits.

Alpine climbs. Though climbers began arriving at Mount Cook in the 1880s, the peak was not conquered until 1894. Mount Cook National Park encompasses one of the world's most challenging moutaineering areas, where ardent mountaineers find a wealth of demanding climbs. At least one experienced climber should accompany each party, and groups should always notify a park ranger of climbing plans before starting out.

You can arrange for climbing instruction and guide service at The Hermitage, where equipment is available for hire or purchase. The mountaineering school operates from November through March. Full day guided trips to Hochstetter Icefall, Hooker Hut, Mueller Hut, and other destinations can be arranged. On overnight trips, mountaineers stay in alpine huts.

Skiing the high country. Ski equipped planes and helicopters allow experienced alpine skiers accompanied by guides to enjoy the pristine white slopes of the glaciers and high snowfields. Generally, skiing is excellent from July to October.

In recent years ski touring and ski mountaineering have become popular; groups bunk overnight at highcountry huts. At The Hermitage, visitors can rent equipment, arrange for instruction, or hire an alpine guide.