Toaroha Saddle Biv
(Toaroha Saddle Biv: Photo Andrew Buglass 2007)
Maintenance Status
Toaroha Saddle Biv and its access tracks are fully maintained currently.
Location
The Diedrich Range. Map BV19.
Grid Ref: E1450442/ N52354864.
Altitude 1200m. Toaroha Biv is located on the crest of the Diedrich Range just West of Toaroha Saddle and
forms part of the Frews Saddle - Toaroha Saddle circuit. This is a 4 to 5-day tramp of moderate difficulty
recently
included in Shaun Barnett's revised edition
of Classic Tramps.
The Biv is cosy and in good
condition and has a superb view over the Mungo valley to the Main Divide.
A number of interesting tops trips can
be done from here.
Access
It is possible for a fit, experienced person could reach Toaroha Biv in 10-11 hours from the Toaroha roadend.
The last bit up from Top Toaroha Hut takes 1.5 - 2 hours. The track from Top Toaroha Hut crosses
an open peaty area and up the TL of Bannatyne Creek a short distance. It then crosses the Bannatyne
and heads up a steep little side-creek on its TR. The trail bypasses a couple of small
waterfalls and exits via a scree
onto the tussock benches above the TR of Bannatyne Creek. From here snow poles lead
down on a sidle
into the Bannatyne's upper basin. Boulderhop upstream up from here to where
the valley narrows at E1450689/ N5235024 and snow poles lead up a steep tussock
gut on the TL onto the crest of the Range
where the Biv is located.
Access to Toaroha Biv from the Mungo side is via up a tops track
that branches off the main valley track just after Beta Creek, half an hour
upriver from Poet Hut. The track ascends
the ridge on the TL of Beta Creek to the tussock line. Snow poles lead from here
up some steep tussock faces to the Biv. Allow around three hours
from Poet Hut to the Biv. It takes 3-4 days
to reach the Biv from the Hokitika roadend via Frews Saddle and the upper Hokitika.
Type
The current Biv is a high-stud design built by the NZFS in the early 1980's to replace an original
smaller structure built in the 1960's.
It has enough room to walk at a stoop with a small
upper and lower bunk at the far end. The Biv is lined
with tar paper, is resting on wooden blocks rather than piles, and is held in place by wire tie-downs.
A couple of small tarns on the Mungo side of the
ridge provide drinking water. There is no toilet.
Condition
Toaroha Biv is in good condition. It was repainted in
2003. Water occasionally blows or seeps in under the door. Rust streaks are starting to show
through the paint in places, mainly on the roof.
The tie-downs are slack and need tightening.
Routes
The Diedrich and Toaroha Ranges are easily accessible
from the Biv and there are some great tops trips possible.
A long, relatively gentle ridge leads up
to Mt. Ross from where the Mullins and Darby Creek Basins can be accessed.
Between the upper TR basin of Mullins Creek and the main Basin
where Mullins Basin Hut is located, is a thick band of
alpine scrub.
There is only one easy route through and this starts
at the scrub edge at the bottom
end of the upper basin around E1447205/ 5237440N.
The entrance is marked with a permolat and
cruise-tape leads down into a small creek
that takes you down to the main basin 10 minutes
upstream from the Hut. Mullins Creek drops from the upper basin into the main
basin through an impassible slotted gorge. Don't attempt to go down this way.
To access Frisco Hut head up ridge towrds Mt. Ross and
sidle West off it at the dip just after
point 1524m. Sidle roughly the 1500m contour level through an area of shattered rock
onto a flat bench. There is a rock gut that drops from the western end of this bench, around E1447605/ N5234895,
and provides easy access into the Darby Creek basin, just above
a large waterfall. Climb out of the Creek onto the ridge bounding the TR of the basin and
onto point
1510m. Drop from the summit down its SW
spur onto a sloping tussock
bench with tarns around E1446195/ N5234400.
Drop down to the SW end of the bench where cruise tape and the odd bit of permolat
lead through scattered alpine to the top of the scrub faces above Frisco. The toilet and part of the Hut's roof
should be visible from here. Follow the cruise tape down
a small steep gut which eventually opens out on a face with scattered olearia.
The trail leads from here into a regenerating gut that intersects
the Frisco track 50m East of the Hut.
A bit of trimming has been done in odd places on the route down, but make sure you don't overshoot the track
and end up down in the
Hokitika. Allow 4-5 hours for the crossing. Good weather is essential and ice axes and crampons may be needed
in winter and spring on point 1510m.
There is a faster but more difficult tops route
to Mungo Hut
from Toaroha Biv via Toaroha Saddle and Topo Creek. The
Topo has an active, steep scree in its head and two waterfalls in its lower reaches, and
care needs to be taken.
Drop from the Biv to Toaroha Saddle and head up the ridge
towards
Mt. Bannatyne. A flat bench at E1451662/ N5235060 provides access to the top of
the scree at
the head of Topo Creek. The Creek is steep all the way down with loose rock in
places. The waterfalls are near the bottom. The top one
can be skirted via a narrow scrubby ledge on the TR, and the lower by
a scrub-bash on the TL. When
the Park Stream is reached, cross it and follow it down to the Mungo River. The track
to Mungo Hut starts 100m up the Mungo on the TR. A steep 15 minute ridge climb
takes you up to the Hut.
Allow two and a half hours for the journey from Toaroha Biv to Mungo Hut.
The Toaroha Range can be traversed from the Biv with
routes to Top Kokatahi
Hut,
Crystal Biv,
Yeates
Ridge and Adventure Biv (See the relevant Hutpages
for route notes).
Repairs needed
The door needs a flashing to stop water getting into the Biv. A repaint
will be needed in the medium term and the tie downs need tightening. This is particularly important as
the Biv is only resting on wooden blocks.
Provisions on site
Two old NZFS food bins, a kero cooker under the bunk (the top of the feeder
bottle leaks apparently), a billy, two buckets (one aluminium and one plastic),
an aluminium wash basin, a few nails and bits of permolat, two panes of louvre glass, a broom,
an old NZFS first aid kit, some odds and sodds of wood, a tin of paint, a tin and a large plastic
container of turpentine, and two litres of oil (chainsaw?).
