Sir Robert Hut
(Sir Robert Hut: Photo Geoff Spearpoint)
Maintenance Status
Sir Robert Hut has been designated as
minimal maintenance. It is likely that DOC will cease maintaining the track up Homeward
Ridge which provides access. This was maintained
for some years as a part of a diversion on the Frews - Toaroha Saddle circuit caused by the Bluff
swingbridge washout. The bridge was replaced in early 2009 and it's unlikely Homeward Ridge
will be a high maintenance priority now, due to its low use.
Location
Hokitika catchment: Grid Ref: E1449755/ N5231014.
Map BV19. Altitude 955m. Sir Robert Hut is a high-country time
capsule set in a beautiful, spectacular and remote area backing on to the Main Divide.
Gaps in the hutbook entires of 2-5 years used to be common. This is not surprising,
as the Hut
is well off the beaten track
and considerable time and effort
is required to get there. Sir Robert is located in the alpine scrub zone
on the TL of Sir Robert Creek, a tributary of the Mungo River.
The lower section of Sir Robert Creek is gorged and impassable and access to the Hut
is via the tops only. High-level cols in its head provide access to the North Mathias
River in Canterbury.
The peaks running North along the Divide are rugged and seldom climbed.
I'm not sure whether they've been traversed much since John Pascoe and his companions
did 10 first ascents in a day back in the 1930's.
Access
Sir Robert is generally accessed via Homeward Ridge
from either the upper Hokitika basin, or Poet Hut in the Mungo.
The track up
Homeward Ridge starts at the Poet Walkway in the Mungo valley
about 20 minutes up from Poet Hut. There is some wind damage from the 2008 winter storms
on the terrace
at its bottom end. This can be skirted
without too much difficulty and the rest of the track
up the Ridge is still in good shape.
It's a long haul uphill to the tussock and the 1460m
contour line where you need to drop off
the ridge. Head down some steep faces into a small
creek that enters Sir Robert Creek about 400m downstream from the
Hut. There are a couple of new bits of track on the TL between the creek
and the Hut. Allow 5+ hours from Poet, or 2-3 day's from the Toaroha roadend via Toaroha
Saddle.
If coming from the Whitcombe valley end via Frew Saddle, there is a poled route
that leads from
upper Hokitika basin onto Homeward Ridge.
The drop-off point into Sir Robert is the same as
when coming up from Poet. Time from Frew Saddle Biv to Sir Robert is around five hours.
Allow two long days from the Hokitika/ Whitcombe roadend.
Type
Sir Robert is a standard four-bunk NZFS design built in the mid-60's. It was lined
in the early 80's and a loo was built. Water is from the Creek. There is no open fire
or wood burner.
Condition
Sir Robert is in reasonably sound condition. The
Hut had its exterior repainted and resealed and some repair work done over the
Summer of 2003/4 by DOC.
Routes
There is a reasonable alpine route into Sir Robert from Canterbury via
Mathias Pass,
the head of
the Canyon Creek basin, and a
col between Gerard Peak and spot height 1964m. From the basin head up toward a col between
spot height 1964m and Mt. Treager. Instead of crossing this, sidle North around the
West face of 1964m to a second col
marked 1905m, and from here drop into Sir Robert Creek. This is a relatively easy
alpine route, requiring ice axes and possibly crampons depending on snow conditions.
If approaching the Divide from the Sir Robert side, there is the choice of
dropping into the Mathias down
Canyon Creek, or heading back over Mathias Pass into the Hokitika basin.
The route down Canyon Creek is via the tussock benches on the TR.
The lower gorge can be walked through at normal flows. There is a flood
route up a side creek that comes in on the TR
just before the top of this gorge. This involves climbing up the creek onto
a flat bench at 1500m
on the NE ridge of Monarch Hill. From here drop down the ridge to the Canyon
Creek/ Mathias River confluence.
There is a high-level route from Sir Robert to Mungo Hut
via Brunswick Ridge. For this head down Sir Robert
Creek and go up the first big side creek
downstream from the Hut on the TR. Head up a large scree that comes in on the TR of this
creek at E1451202/ N5231174. Climb until you reach a small steep side
scree coming in on the TL of the main scree. This provides access to a dip in
Brunswick Ridge
below Kai Iwi at around E1451915/ N5231240. The side scree is
steep at the top and the main scree is active with occasional
rock falls.
Once on Brunswick Ridge it's pretty good going.
Head along the ridge toward the Mungo and drop down an obvious
side ridge in a NE direction into Brunswick Creek at around E1452882/ N5232300.
The Brunswick is fair-sized stream, swift lower down, and can be difficult to ford.
To be on the safe side, to ford it in its middle reaches and travel
down the TR. Allow
around six hours from Sir Robert to Mungo Hut.
To get to Bluff Hut from Sir Robert just head back up onto
Homeward Ridge, and over and down into the Hokitika basin. Once the basin is reached head
downstream. The route further down is snow-poled in the tussock areas, and cut and marked
through the alpine scrub (4-5 hours
from Sir Robert to Bluff).
Repairs needed
Unknown.
Provisions on Site
Unknown.