Top Kokatahi Hut
(Top Kokatahi Hut: Photo Andrew Buglass 2010)
Maintenance status
Top Kokatahi Hut and its access tracks are designated as fully maintain currently.
Location
Kokatahi
catchment: Grid Ref: 2362300E/ 5801080N.
Map J33. Altitude 1050m. For 50 years Top Kokatahi Hut was located midway up the TR
of the upper Kokatahi valley, then in March 2008 it was shifted to the head of valley close to the site
previously occupied by Top Kokatahi Biv. The Biv was semi-derelict and was removed, and Top Kokatahi Hut,
reassembled and significantly modified, took its place.
The Hut is sited on a tussock slope above the River 50m
upstream from the side creek draining Zit Saddle. Upstream
of the Hut, the Kokatahi River rises to its source in the
Toaroha Range and Commodore Ridge. Top
Kokatahi Hut is on the Lathrop - Zit Saddle,
circuit, a reasonably popular route of moderate difficulty. A number of
challenging high-level routes are possible from here.
Access
Access to Top Kokatahi from the Toaroha valley is from
Adventure Biv via a poled route over
Zit Saddle. The track from Adventure goes up the ridge a short distance, then
across a face with scattered alpine scrub and areas of tussock into the upper TR branch of
Zit Creek. From here a short section of track goes up through alpine
scrub onto a steep rib that leads to the faces of the Toaroha Range. Snow-poles
lead up the rib and continue up a steep tussock face onto the crest of the Range North of Zit Saddle,
around 2361270E/ 5801620N.
The poles drop straight into the Kokatahi from here, down a face and into gut that enters the creek draining
Zit Saddle just below a small waterfall.
It is easy fast travel down the
creek to the Kokatahi River and the Hut.
Allow 3-4 hours in good conditions from Adventure Biv to Top Kokatahi Hut, 6-7 hours from Cedar Flat Hut, or 10+ hours
from the Toaroha
roadend.
If coming from Crawford Junction Hut allow 4-5 hours. The track is up the
TR of the Kokatahi intially. It crosses via cage to the TL, then recrosses to the TR again via
a swingbridge midway up the valley.
The tracks in the upper Kokatahi and Crawford Rivers were recut in 2004 and should still
be in good shape. It would be possible still for a fit party to get from Top
Crawford Biv to Top Kokatahi in a long day.
It should also be possible now to get up from Boo Boo Hut
in a long day. The track from Boo Boo to Twins swingbridge was recut by volunteers in 2005.
(see Boo Boo notes).
There are a couple of hot springs in the upper Kokatahi
just below where the track from Crawford
Junction crosses over to the TR, one on each side of the valley. The one on the TL is 30 minutes
downriver from the old Hut site (around 2365305E/ 5801527N), around 5m from the River's edge. I'm not sure how useable
they are currently. The one on the TR doesn't get visited much.
Type
The original hut was a standard NZFS 4-bunker design,
probably built some time in the late 1950's.
It was effectively rebuilt in the recent move.
Most of the framing was replaced, new bearers and joists were
added, underfloor and wall insulation was added along with
double glazed windows, a porch and a
roof-fed water tank. It has a wood burner. A toilet has been built at the new site.
Condition
Top Kokatahi Hut is in excellent condition after the re-siting and rennovation.
There is a large supply of good firewood currently. The old rimu tongue and groove floor and the
old framing has been cut up and there is a pile of old uncut framing under the hut. The firewood situation will
change drastically once this is all used up however, with just patchy alpine scrub in the surrounds. The Hut
turns rapidly into a sauna with the burner going.
Routes
Access to Adventure Biv
is via the side creek 50m downriver from the Hut. On the TL just below a small waterfall near the
head of the creek, snow-poles lead up a gut onto the crest of the Toaroha Range
North of Zit Saddle (around 2361270E/ 5801620N). The poled route drops from here down a steep tussock face
onto an narrow rib, then down through
a band of scrub into the upper TR branch of Zit Creek. The route climbs 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 Mt. Reeves and the Toaroha Range down to
Pinnacle Biv is possible from Top Kokatahi Hut (see Adventure or
Pinnacle route notes). Allow a
full day for this one.
A traverse to the South will take you to Yeates Ridge
and Crystal Biv. Access to the Toaroha Range for this
is up the faces directly
behind Top Kokatahi Hut. From the top of the Range there is a
prominent Western spur leading down to Crystal and Yeates.
Top Toaroha Hut
can be reached by traversing the Toaroha Range or by accessing Mt. Chamberlin directly
from the head of th Kokatahi. 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 is a route 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, 3 brooms (including a spare handle), 2 hearth brushes and a hearth
shovel, two axes, a small serrated knife, a bech and two forms for seating. There is a small wooden
ladder under the Hut and a heap of the old Hut framing.