Arete Forks Hut

Arete Forks (6 bunks, wood-burner, firewood available) is a standard forestry hut in the Tararuas. It lies in mature beech at the valley forks immedieately to the east of the Wiohene Pinnacles. The creek is 20m from the hut. The hut can be reached by dropping down the ridge from the summit of Lancaster (the peak immediately north of the Pinnacles), and is a steep, but managable escape route for those not able to cross the pinnacles in bad weather

The downside to Arete Forks is getting out. The sidle track down to Cow Creek Hut is maintained but as bad as sidle tracks come. Steep, crumbling, slippery, full of unnecessary ups and downs with a total climb / fall greater than would be necessary to reach the peaks above. The other options (recommended in the hut book over the sidle track) are to follow the creek (requires swimming the pools) or climb to the Table Ridge.

Update; the river route takes about 4 hours now and several pools near Cow Creek hut need swimming.