Pfeifer Biv
(Pfeifer Biv looking over to Mt. Alexander: Photo Andrew Buglass 2008)
Maintenance Status
A brand new Pfeifer Biv was built in January 2008
to replace an old delapidated structure built by the NZFS in the 1960's.
The new structure will be fully maintained.
Location
Taramakau catchment: Grid Ref: 2400870E/
5821830N. Map K33. Altitude 1300m. Pfeifer Biv is located in a tussock basin on the Aicken
Range directly above Lake Kaurapataka. From the lip of the basin a small side branch
of Pfeifer Creek drops down a steep face into the main catchment. Pfeifer Biv is
overnight trip of moderate difficulty that can be done from
SH 73 at the Deception River.
The Aitken Range is mostly easy travel and is dotted with tarns and plenty of good
campsites. There are
great views over the Taramakau
to Mt. Alexander and the Kaimata Range.
Access
The standard route to Pfeifer starts from the Deception River on SH 73. Cross the
Otira River footbridge and head
up the TR of the Deception for around 1km. Veer East from the River through patchy
regenerating bush
and gorse, and cross some open paddocks to Paratu Stream. Follow the Stream up. At around
560m altitude the river forks. Take the TR fork which is marked with a couple of permolat
arrows and a cairn and continue up the streambed to Waharoa Saddle. The Stream narrows to a
trickle in its head, drying up just below the Saddle. A track was recut from the Saddle
through the alpine scrub to the tussock by Frank King and
Honora Renwick in 2007. It climbs in a SW direction to a tussock bench with a medium sized
tarn at 1364m. Continue from here up the main
spur to a rocky knoll around the 1460m contour line. Traverse this
and drop in an easterly direction into a large
tussock basin. Cross this and follow a conspicuous fault scarp
at the basin's lip, up and around into the next basin where the Biv is located. Fine weather and good visibility
are required for the tops sections of
this route. It could be difficult to located the
Biv in the clag without GPS if you hadn't been there before. Allow 5+ hours for the journey
from the Highway.
Type
An original Pfeifer Biv built in the 1960's wasn't
maintained after DOC inherited it from NZFS in the 80's. I became steadily more delapidated, eventually
slipping from its piles.
The new Biv is a typical example of DOC overkill. It is lined, double-glazed, has two sleeping platforms with mattresses, and
a cooking bench. A large and ostentatious toilet (half as big as the Biv) was built and stands
next to it. Water is from the creek and there are also a couple of reasonable sized tarns in the basin.
Condition
The new Biv is very well constructed and secured with tie downs. It has a spartan interior
that would benefit from the addition of few home comforts. Mountain gnomes have already added
coat hangers. Some book shelves and a clothes line would further reduce the standardised sterility
of the dwelling.
Routes
The lower Aicken Range is easily traversable
and there are some good day walks possible from the Biv. Mt. Pfeifer
is a realtively easy tussock and rock scramble with great views. It looks
possible to traverse all the way around the Whaiti Stream tops.
There is a good
route into pfeifer creek from the first basin East
of the Biv. Sidle from the Biv gaining a small amount of height
to stay above the bluffs and scrub, onto the shoulder of the spur.
Head from here down to a small scarp ridge running NE at the lip of the basin.
The ridge rises then descends through patchy scrub to a scrub/tussock
bench. Two cairns at the top of a steep scree mark the start of the route down. Another
scree comes in from the TL (a permolat marker here indicates following up the TR gully if coming up).
Continue dropping down the scree towards the Pfeifer Creek. The scree ends in a small creek 40m above Pfeifer
Creek. If coming the other way
look for a red permolat marker on a tree in Pfeifer Creek just below where the access creek enters
(not far up from where Pfeifer Creek closes in a bit). Boulderhop down Pfeifer Creek to the Lake Kaurapataka
track.
It is possible
to drop down the NE spur of Mt. Pfeifer to the low saddle between
Lake Kaurapataka and the Otehake River. This route is essentially
a scrub/ bush bash and is rough going in places.
There is an alternative fine weather route back to the Otira road end via the Aicken Range,
Tutu Creek and the Deception River, which you need good visibility for. Access into Tutu Creek
is down a large, steep scree
immediately South of spot height 1591m. The scree is vertical and unstable at the top.
There is at least one reasonable access point down a tussock rib on its TL,
but you need to sidle back into the scree around the 1500m mark before the rib
gets too steep. The scree is narrow and steep intially with loose rock,
but becomes more stable lower down, and can be followed all the way down into the
Deception
River. It is an hour to the road end from the Tutu Creek confluence.
Time from the Biv to the road end 3-4 hours.
Repairs needed
None currently.
Provisions on site
One aluminium basin and a hearth brush.