Cattle ridge hut

Cattle Ridge was the first tops hut I stayed in (1976) so has a special memory. Favourite? Possibly, both AF and MW are great but nothing beats a tops hut. Wood burner? What are they going to burn, the leatherwood is only recovering now from when the old Waimakariri stove was there. Are they going to fly fuel in? I'm pretty sure that in 76 it was a 6 bunk hut, as there were 5 of us and a NZFS culler. Harkness Hut in the Kawekas has 5 bunks. Incidentally AF has more routes in and out than any other hut I can think of, except perhaps Kiwi Mouth in the Kawekas. I have come or gone to the hut by: the sidle track to Cow Creek, directly up to Table ridge, up the Waingawa river and the old track to (the old) Tarn Ridge Hut, Pinnacle Spur, down the stream that drains the basin between Bannister and Waingawa and the wee gem of a route that heads up the spur directly opposite the hut to Waingawa. When we first did this in the mid 80s we discovered old markers. It's an excellent route to Cattle Ridge that takes less then 5hrs. The leatherwood band is negotiated through a simple rocky chute. That leaves the river route from CC which I haven't done but as I believe the sidle track is once again becoming difficult,maybe next time.

On a rough night they're ALL my favourite :-) Blue Range ... because it's unique and really nice climb to get to (Cattle )Edit: Cow Creek ... because I've been there so often its like a second home Arete Forks ... for it's sense of isolation Arete Biv ... for the views down the Park valley Mac Gregor Biv ... a great little weekend refuge for storm watching Herepai... for the way it's tucked so neatly under the hill above it just on bush-line. Dundas ... you've worked to get there and the basin above it is so stark and dominating Mid Waiohine ... the river setting and the sense that if the weather packs a tanty you're not going to make the office Monday I could easily go on ... but every hut has something unique about it.

Theres something about that corner of the Tararuas,Dundas Cattle Ridge and Herepai are all favourites.

Hey Phillip, been there so often but still call it cattle creek? Don't you mean cow creek? Just joking mate . Cattle creek huts in the Ruahine.

Rattle Creek more like! Ever been there in a westerly?

Yeah, one day (2004)we came over from Dundas and literally ran/ crawled like crabs over the top and were bowled into the hut. It was like being at Taihape railway station inside the hut, the roar of the gusts coming sounded like an oncoming train and then watching the walls deflect as it hit. Couldn't help thinking about Angle Knob hut. In the Dominion a few days later someone claimed to have measure a gust on Angle Knob that day of over 200km/hr! What were they doing there?

@Gaiters Cripes ... the joys of early onset senility ... :-)

Forgot to mention in the earlier post that we have also come down to Arete Forks via Arete stream from Arete Bivy (when it was a dogbox in the 70s). Not a bad route,a bit of a waterfall that we sidled.

Yeah took the boys to cattle creek (ruahine) a couple months ago madpom those gust ripping through the valley are wicked. Great spot though. Very remote feeling for an easy trip.

Hey Gaiters - in answer to your original question. No the firebox has not been installed in Cattle Ridge. All the important structural work has been done but it's still needing another coat of paint on the inside and the instalation of the firebox. The new vestibule area is fabulous - enough space to get inside when you are all wet and dripping take off your wet boots and coats (plenty of hooks for hanging things up) before entering the actual hut. Decking type floor in the vestibule so water bought in can get out. Once the wood burner is installed you'll have to carry any wood you want to burn up from a way down the ridge. There is almost nothing burnable in the area around the hut, if you drop around 50m there is some standing dead leatherwood (would need a saw), 250 - 300m down to get into forest. From memory while dry leatherwood goes nicely when added to a well burning fire it is not great for getting a fire going. Personally I wouldn't have bothered putting a firebox in. It cleared overnight for us with a good frost in the morning. Despite the good insulation and double glazed windows in the morning the windows were still condensated (with frozen water along the bottom edge) but the walls were nice and dry.