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.