“The mountains are calling
and I must go.”
— John Muir
New Zealand's alpine ecosystems are under pressure — retreating glaciers, warming snowpack, shifting seasons. The mountains that define this country are changing.
CosyCabins exists so you can experience them — and help protect them.
What's happening to our alpine world
25%
of NZ glacier volume lost since 1978 — equivalent to 15 billion cubic metres of ice
50+
NZ glaciers have disappeared entirely in the last century as temperatures rise
3°C
projected warming for NZ alpine regions by 2100 under high-emissions scenarios
Every stay at a CosyCabin contributes $10 to glacier monitoring and alpine ecosystem restoration through the Antarctic Heritage Trust and DOC. The mountain calls. We answer it responsibly.
For the adventurous
Mountain Missions
Summits, traverses, ski tours — Aotearoa's best alpine objectives
Mahu Whenua Traverse
Traverse · Queenstown & Wānaka
A six-day wilderness traverse across the Motatapu and Harris Mountains between Wānaka and Arrowtown. One of New Zealand's great alpine journeys — largely trackless, crossing high passes and river valleys with no road access.
Learn more ↗Aoraki / Mt Cook Summit
Alpine Climb · Mackenzie & Ōhau
The highest peak in Aotearoa and a serious mountaineering objective. The Linda Glacier route is the most popular — requiring glacier travel, crevasse navigation, and summit-day conditions. This is the mountain that shaped Sir Edmund Hillary.
Harris Mountains Ski Tour
Ski Tour · Queenstown & Wānaka
A heli-accessed multi-day ski touring circuit through the Harris Mountains above Wānaka. Incredible powder terrain, remote hut camping, and the kind of untracked descents you only find in New Zealand's backcountry.
Mountain Cabins & Lodges
Handpicked alpine stays across New Zealand
Mt Hutt Farmstay
Methven, Canterbury
Classic Kiwi ski town, big mountain access
incl. $10 glacier restoration
Temple Basin Hut
Arthur's Pass, Canterbury
Walk-in, wind-up, ski-down — old school NZ
incl. $10 glacier restoration
Why CosyCabins exists
New Zealand's mountains are extraordinary — and they're under threat. The Franz Josef glacier that took 7,000 years to form has retreated 3 kilometres in the last century. Ruapehu's snowpack is thinning. The seasons are shifting.
CosyCabins connects people with the best mountain accommodation in Aotearoa, and channels part of every booking directly into the science and restoration work that protects these places. We work with DOC, alpine clubs, and iwi to make that happen transparently.
Go to the mountains. Learn what we're losing. Help us fight for it.