Crawford Biv
(Crawford Biv looking up to the Main Divide: Photo Andrew Buglass 2005)
Maintenance status
Crawford Biv is currently designated as minimal maintenance. In 2011 DOC plans
to remove the Biv and shift Top Crawford Hut
from its mid-valley site to the Biv site.
Location
Map BV19. Kokatahi
catchment. Grid Ref: E1459385/ N5245118.
Altitude 845m. Crawford Biv is located in
a the head of the Crawford
River in a beautiful open tussock basin ringed by the peaks
of the Main Divide and Browning Range. The Biv is on the Lathrop Saddle - Zit
Saddle circuit, a reasonably
popular wilderness route that gets a steady flow
of traffic. DOC is fully maintaining the huts and tracks on this circuit and
the tracks in Crawford are in good condition. The Lathrop Saddle
route is poled.
Access
Access to Crawford Biv from the Kokatahi is pretty straightforward currently. If Coming via
Toaroha Saddle and the upper Kokatahi allow three days to reach the Biv. It is
2.5 - 3 hours from Crawford Junction Hut to
Top Crawford Hut and another 1.5 hours from here to the Biv.
The track up from Crawford Hut climb/ sidles up
through montane and subalpine forest to a short section of river travel
just below where the basin opens out. The tracks are currently in good condition
Coming up via the lower Kokatahi valley up until recently was a pretty
challenging option. The main valley tracks between Boo Boo Hut and
Crawford Junction were abandoned years back by DOC, and the section between Boo Boo and Twins
swingbridge was very overgrown and problematic. Volunteers recut this section in 2005,
and travel is now reasonable, around two hours to Twins swingbridge. Cross to the TR here
and boulderhop the rest of the way (with a few small detours through the scrub) up
to Crawford Junction. It is possible to get from the Kokatahi roadend
to Top Crawford Biv in two days currently.
Access to the Biv from the Styx end of the circuit is via Browning Biv
and Lathrop Saddle and takes two days.
A maintained track leads up through the scrub
from Browning Biv to the tussock. A poled route takes you from here
up a steepish face to the Saddle. Lathrop Saddle is
a U-shaped corridor strewn with large, shattered boulders and amethyst
tarns, a beautiful and sometimes eerie spot.
On the Crawford side snow poles lead in
a SW direction down and across
some steep faces onto a broad spur. This is the shady side of the Range,
is usually snow covered
in winter and spring, and can be icy. It is recommended that ice axes be carried
at these times.
At around
E1458920/ N5245773 the
route drops in a SE direction down the tussock faces. At the top of a band of scrub
covered bluffs, from which
you look straight down to the Biv, the poles veer sharply to the right and down a face
towards the large side creek that enters the Crawford just downstream
from the Biv. Follow the poles down the face, head left at the bottom
and follow the gut running parallel
with the creek down towards the Biv. Allow 4-5 hours to get from Browning Biv to
Crawford Biv.
Type
Crawford Biv is a standard NZFS 2-person 1950's design with wrap-around iron cladding.
It has two narrow sleeping platforms.
Water is from the Crawford River. There is no toilet
Condition
DOC painted and sealed the Biv, repiled it and repaired the floor frame in the Summer of 2003/4.
There is a small leak around the third stud
from the door on the West wall, where it meets the roof stud. Water has also been dripping
onto the end bunk. The
floor at front of the Biv was quite spongy and some split floorboards were not replaced
during the repiling.
This section was propped up using some of the old piles and bits of leftover
timber in 2005.
Routes
There is a route from Crawford Biv over into the Harman River
via a col SE of spot height 1640m,
between Mts. Lathrop and McDonald.
There is a good route up onto the tops via
the TL the creek that drains this. From a flat area at the 1530m line head NW to
the col. A gut on the Arahura side drops directly into the Harman River Basin.
It is steep and bluffy at the top with a patch of permanent snow
on which ice axes may sometimes be necessary. A saddle SE of spot height 1618m further
along the Range has been recommended as an easier option. Once down in the Harman river it
is easy, open tussock travel until just upstream of the Harman swingbridge.
There is a waterfall here and an unavoidable climb/ sidle of 50 metres
out of the River through dense alpine
scrub onto the rocky knoll just above Harman Hut. Allow around four hours
from Crawford Biv to Harman Hut.
A traverse of the Browning Range and down Whitehorn
Ridge to Crawford Junction is also possible from Crawford Biv. To get up onto
the Range head up the big side creek
just downnriver from the Biv. Climb out at the 1400m mark
onto a large flat bench with tarns on the TL. Access to the crest of the Range
is at an obvious low point at E1458390/ N5246493. Whitehorn Spur Biv was
removed in 2006 and the
old tops track down from it to Crawford Junction is very overgrown, petering out
completely on the
lower faces. Allow
a full day and fine weather for this route.
It is also now possible to drop off the
Browning Range from point 1858m just West of Cairn Peak to Mid Styx Hut.
An old tops track from Mid Styx
up onto the Browning Range was
recut by Permolat volunteers in 2009.
From point 1858m drop due North down a broad face on the TR of the basin of the large
unnamed side creek. Connect with a more well-defined spur at the 1400m mark, dropping down its NW
forks at around 1280m. You should be able to pick the track up in the alpine scrub belt.
Allow 5-6 hours from Crawford Biv to Mid Styx Hut.
There is a
high-level route from the head of the Crawford over into Hall Creek and Browning Pass.
Head straight up the screes (or snow slopes depending on the time of year) onto the Main Divide
between Mts.
Beals and Learmont. Descend down the scree (or snow) slopes to the upper basin of Hall Creek.
This is the esiest way to get to Hall Col or Farquharson Saddle as
the ridge down from Mt. Learmont has some
vertical rock pitches and gendarmes.
Repairs
Any significant maintenance to Crawford Biv seems pointless if the proposed
removal and replacement goes ahead.
The leaks would still benefit from being sealed in the short term however.
If the removal is put on hold the split floorboards
could be replaced and an extra joist put in under them for support.
Provisions on
site
One billy, one hand brush and one hearth shovel.