Top Kokatahi Hut
(Top Kokatahi Hut: Photo Andrew Buglass 2010)
Maintenance status
Top Kokatahi Hut and the routes and access tracks to it are designated as fully maintain.
Location
Kokatahi
catchment. Map BV19. Grid Ref: E1452365/ N5239498.
Altitude 1050m. Top Kokatahi Hut is located near the head of the Kokatahi River.
The present Hut was shifted up from a site further down the valley in 2008
to replace the semi-derelict Top Kokatahi Biv,
and underwent an almost total rebuild in the process.
It is located on a tussock slope above the
Kokatahi River on the TR of the side creek that drains Zit Saddle. Upriver
from the Hut the Kokatahi River rises steeply to its head in the
Toaroha Range. Top
Kokatahi is on the Lathrop - Zit Saddle,
circuit, a reasonably popular route of moderate difficulty. A number of
more challenging high-level routes are possible also from the Hut.
Access
The most frequently used and probably most direct route to Top Kokatahi Hut is
from the Toaroha valley and a poled route over the tops
above Zit Saddle. Adventure Biv in the Toaroha
can be reached in around six hours
from the roadend. From the Biv the track continues up the ridge
through the alpine scrub for a bit, then drops into a gut and
sidles South through scattered alpine scrub and tussock into the upper TR branch of
Zit Creek. A track on the TL of the Creek
leads up through a band of alpine
scrub onto a steep tussock rib. Snow-poles
continue up the rib and the steep tussock face above it to the crest of the Toaroha
Range. The route crosses the Range North of Zit Saddle, around 2361270E/ 5801620N,
dropping straight over into the Kokatahi and
down a rock gut into the creek draining
Zit Saddle.
It is easy, fast travel down the
creek to the Kokatahi River and Top Kokatahi Hut.
Allow around three hours in good conditions for the crossing
from Adventure Biv to Top Kokatahi Hut. The steep faces near the top on the Toaroha side
of this route may require ice axes on odd occasions when snow covered and icy.
Accessing Top Kokatahi from the Crawford Junction side is reasonably
straightforward. The track from Crawford Junction Hut goes up the
TR of the Kokatahi intially, then crosses via cableway to the TL.
The Cableway is sagging currently, causing it
to hit the riverbank on both sides well before the winding platform is reached.
This may create problems for solo trampers. The trail follows the TL for
a period, then recrosses to the TR again via
a swingbridge in the mid valley.
The tracks in the upper Kokatahi and Crawford Rivers were recut in 2004 and should still
be in reasonably good shape. It would be possible for a fit party to get to Top Kokatahi from
Top Crawford Hut in a long day. Most folk coming from this end have
crossed from the Styx valley via Lathrop Saddle, taking
an average of three days from the Styx roadend.
Access to Top Kokatahi from the lower Kokatahi valley is a more
challenging affair. The tracks between Boo Boo Hut and
Crawford Junction are not officially maintained. The section between Boo Boo and Twins
swingbridge was recut by volunteers in 2005, but fresh slips, washouts, windthrow and regrowth have made
travel increasingly difficult again. In January 2012 Andrew Barker recut the bit from Boo Boo to where the track drops directly down to
Pinnacle Creek (about the 400 metre contour, Ref. E1453517/N5244218). From here to Twins swingbridge is
still uncut. Travel from Twins swingbridge up to Crawford Junction
on the TR of the River is more straightforward. It is mostly
river travel with the odd detour through the scrub and around bluffs and boulders.
The track from the Kokatahi roadend to Boo Boo Hut is
officially maintained, but overgrown currently, and won't be recut until 2012-13.
Getting the whole distance to Top Kokatahi up the Kokatahi valley could be done in 2.5-3 days
by a fit, experienced party.
There are a couple of hot springs in the upper Kokatahi
just below the swingbridge. One is on the TL around 5m from the river's edge (GPS E1455336/ N5239902)
and is marked with white plastic.
It's not overly hot and issues from a one-person-sized muddy pool. The other is on the TR and doesn't get visited much.
I'm not sure how useable it is.
Type
The original Top Kokatahi Hut was a standard NZFS 4-bunk design,
built in the late 1950's. It had an open fire intially, which was repalced with a woodburner
during Lands and Survey's tenure of the valley in the 1970's and 80's.
The Hut was effectively rebuilt in the recent move, having most of its framing replaced, and new bearers and joists,
underfloor and wall insulation,
double glazed windows, a porch, and a
roof-fed water tank added. A wood burner replaced the original. A toilet has been built at the new site.
Condition
Top Kokatahi Hut is in excellent condition currently with a supply of old floor and framing
timber for wood. Fuel for the burner will be a bit harder to scavenge once this is used up. The Hut
turns rapidly into a sauna with the burner going.
Routes
Access to Adventure Biv
is via the side creek that drains Zit Saddle, 50m downriver from the Hut. Near the creek's head
snow-poles that lead up a rock gut on the TL just below a small waterfall, onto the crest of the Toaroha Range.
The route crosses the Range North of Zit Saddle around E1451520/ N5240255 and drops straight over into the Toaroha
down a steep tussock face. The poles continue down a narrow rib and through
a band of scrub into the upper TR branch of Zit Creek. The route climbs straight out on the TR of the Creek
and traverses a face
with scattered alpine scrub to Adventure Ridge. A short section of track leads down to the Biv.
Don't try dropping down Zit Creek directly from Zit Saddle unless you have a rope, tent, and a
spare day up your sleeve.
A traverse of the Toaroha Range down to
Pinnacle Biv is possible from Top Kokatahi Hut. Use the Adventure Biv route to access the
Range, but instead of dropping into the Toaroha continue up and over Mt. Reeves.
North of Reeves the Range drops steeply down to
a saddle South of
spot height 1618m, then flattens off. There are a couple of steep little knobs
as you drop from 1618m towards the low point before Genoa Peak. From here
drop in a northerly direction down a series of tussock benches into the small basin at the head of Alice Creek.
From here you can climb up around the East face of Crinkletop to the Biv.
Allow 5-6 hours to get from Adventure to Pinnacle Biv.
A traverse to the South will take you to Yeates Ridge
and Crystal Biv. Access onto the Toaroha Range
is up the tussock faces directly
behind Top Kokatahi Hut. From the top of the Range there is a
prominent Western spur leading down to both Crystal and Yeates. The spur forks at a flat area around the 1300m mark.
To get to Yeates Ridge Hut drop down the scrubby face on the NW fork of the spur. A trail has been cut through
a band of alpine scrub and there is intermittent cruise tape and two or three snow poles.
At the bottom of the face the poles lead westward through patchy scrub and open tussock
onto a low ridge bounding Zit Creek. There is a track through the scrubby bits on on this ridge.
Yetaes Ridge Hut is clearly visible across the tussock basin on the slopes of Yeates Ridge proper.
Wooden stakes lead off down into this basin and up to the Hut. Allow 3-4 hours in good
conditions for this crossing.
To get to Crystal Biv drop down the SW-running fork to Crystal Biv, which is visible in fine weather from here.
It is easy travel down the spur with a bit of scattered scrub to negotiate
just above the tarn before the Biv. Allow 3-4 hours for the crossing in good conditions.
Top Toaroha Hut
can be reached by traversing the Toaroha Range or by heading up the Kokatahi
into its head and traversing Mt. Chamberlin. Drop into
the Chamberlin Creek Basin, sidling out at the lip
above the waterfall and across the
western faces of Mt. Bannatyne. Drop down to Bannatyne Flat
via a small open side creek on this face.
There are viable tops routes to
Mungo
Hut and Toaroha Saddle Biv
via the head of the Kokatahi and Commodore Ridge (see relevant hut pages for route notes). The
Kokatahi above Top Kokatahi Hut is reasonably easy travel and provides direct access to Mt.
Chamberlin and Bastion Ridge.
Repairs needed
None currently.
Provisions on site
One coal bucket, an aluminium basin, three brooms (including a spare handle), two hearth brushes and a hearth
shovel, two axes, a small serrated knife, a bench and two forms for seating. There is a small wooden
ladder under the Hut and a heap of old Hut framing timber.
