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Mt Curtis Hut
2 members checked in.
Honora
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7 Oct 2017 | I haven't been there but these notes are from Permolat courtesy of Simon Lewis: The new (2012) Mt Curtis hut is superb, nice design, warm and well ventilated. We had heard that the current farmer at Dee Ck did not grant access so we sidled bush terraces south of Dee Ck and intercepted the unmapped but well marked track just upstream from the Dee Ck forks so staying clear of open country. The track up to Mt Curtis Hut is in great condition. We made the hut just before the heavens opened and by dawn it was fine and clear again. Mauricio was keen to check out the small hut northeast of Boundary Peak so we headed off over Mt Curtis and along the ridge to Boundary Peak. It is all easy quick travel and the 2km bush section is relatively open and easy. Midway along this section we happened upon a single orange plastic marker (not a DOC triangle) which seemed a little odd. There was a mob of chamois on Boundary and quite a lot of pig sign. The small 2 bunk hut northeast of Boundary Peak at the bush edge was a bit of a disappointment. The two door bolts were rusted closed and the door was hard to get open. The hut was damp and very mouldy inside. There are a couple of mattresses and pillows, quite a bit of old food and the hut note book recorded very few visitors since 1987, the most recent being in 2014, although some visitors sound like pretty interesting characters judging by the hut book prose. There is a water tank but it was either empty or the tap was blocked as it didn't yield anything. We both agreed that we would rather bivvy out in dry conditions or prefer a tent in wet conditions rather than stay in this one. After a quick lunch stop we bashed down the ridge toward the saddle between De Filippi Ck and Mountain Maid Ck then over .770 metres and down the edge of the limestone escarpment west of Arnolds Ck then down the pylon service track to the Buller where we had stashed a bike for the ride back to Inangahua. On the descent from Boundary Peak we found frequent orange markers indicating an old route downhill. There were very few markers indicating the uphill line. These markers are old, brittle, sometimes faded almost to white and most of them were obscured by mosses or grown into the tree. It provided some interest on the descent as we set about trying to locate the marked line and clear the moss from the markers. At times the marked line coincides with a rough ground trail, generally when the ridge is well defined, but just as often the marked route is discontinuous and heavily overgrown. Markers are sometimes close enough that the line can be easily seen but frequently they are too far apart to be of much use. There are animal trails that provide better travel away from the marked route so we eventually stopped seeking markers and just bashed on down although we did keep seeing markers from time to time. Plenty of bellbirds around, heard a few kakariki, a couple of falcons, a few weka but no kea or kaka. Robins were fairly common. Looking very out of its element was a solitary chamois buck in lowland bush just a few minutes from the Buller Gorge Road. >From Inangahua to Mt Curtis Hut took about 5 hours although access up Dee Ck would have saved 30 mins or so. Curtis Hut to Boundary Hut was about 3-4 hours and it took around 4 hours to descend to the Buller Road although we would have been quicker if we hadn't gone looking for markers. The bush is mostly reasonable going, no monkey scrub, just a few dense bits and a moderate amount of windfall. A traverse south from Curtis to Wheel Ck and beyond would be a great tops trip in good weather. Thanks to Paul Kilgour for route information provided to Mauricio. | |
glennj
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13 Jun 2014 |