The Chalet | Whakapapa Village
The RSC Chalet is located at the foot of Whakapapa in Rehua Place, approx 800 metres above The Chateau Tongariro.
One of our two lower level buildings, it was built in 1964 and sleeps 32 in bunkrooms and also has a live-in cook in residence from July school holidays to the end of the September holidays.
It provides comfortable accomodation for both small and large groups.
It is open to members to use year round and besides putting the building to good use during the ski season, many members make use of the building in summer when exploring Tongariro National Park and its surrounds, including the Tongariro Alpine Crossing or a hike to see Crater Lake.
The Chalet plays host to many of RSC's organised summer activities.
During the ski season while the Chalet sees less use than the Upper Mountain buildings at Whakapapa, it provides convienient Friday night accomodation to members staying in the Lodge or Hut for Saturday night.
Many members prefer being able to drive to the door and choose the Chalet as their prefered building, while in busy periods members may be offered a Chalet bed when the Lodge and Hut are full.
As early as 1927 RSC’s pioneering members built a small hut, known as The Storeroom, at the back of The Chateau, to serve as a junk room, a photo darkroom, a summer base and most importantly an emergency shelter for use when snow did not allow members to travel further.
Today the Chalet still serves as a road-closed shelter but better snow clearing and global warming means this happens much less often than before.
FACILITIES
The building has four bunk rooms with eight single beds, lounge, dining area, drying room, pallet fire and commercial kitchen for self-catering.
LOCATION
Here's a Google map showing the location of the Chalet: