The club owns the historic Joe Slatter
and Gingerbread huts at Mt Rufus, Cradle
Mountain – Lake St Clair National Park.
These huts are maintained by club
volunteers for the use of members. Public
access is permitted, for day use and
emergency shelter only. Payment for use is
by donation – please contact the club using
the Contact page for payment details.
Joe Slatter Hut (pictured left) is located on the lower slopes of Mt Rufus in the Lake St Clair National Park. It, along with the nearby Gingerbread Hut were built in the 1950’s by the Mount Rufus Ski Club which was predominantly comprised of Hydro-Electric Commission workers from the nearby towns of Bronte Park and Tarraleah. As construction on the hydro-electric dams came to a conclusion and the Mount Rufus Ski Club became too small to utilise or maintain the buildings, ownership was transferred to the Wellington Ski Club.
The Gingerbread Hut is located near the summit of Mt Rufus. It is thought that it was originally
constructed with the intention of housing the motor for a ski tow, however the tow was never
completed and the pylons were removed from the upper slopes in the 1990’s. The hut is now
available to the public for day use and as an emergency shelter. It has been recently refurbished by club members and provides a welcome refuge from the cold and bleak weather conditions often
encountered on the higher slopes of the mountain.
