Welcome to Whakapapaiti Hut. Here, the signposts are true to their word and you'll soon find yourself here whether for relaxation or maybe a decent meeting space for a regional sales meeting; in either case, this hut has seen it all. Unwind after a long day of activities safe in the knowledge that the large three inch rivets which hold the hut together have done their job for many years and will continue to do so as long as the steaming crater doesn’t pop its lid. Enjoy the kitchen utensils available, including a selection of pots and pans and a long handled brush. You may even encounter a youngish man like we did who had a roaring fire going for us as we arrived.
The RTM track from Scoria Flat spends quite some time around a maze of tussock and boulders which can get a little muddy from the pounding this route gets.There’s great panoramas to the west before plunging steeply into the valley. Watch out for the signed turnoff down the valley to the hut – blink and you’ll miss it. In summer it takes 2 - 2.5hrs from road to hut plus stopping for photos. Snow poles mark the way but route-finding could get hard in poor visibility so make sure you have a good topo map loaded on your GPS. Expect deeper drifts on the ridges and slick water ice beside the stream if you are coming in winter conditions.
The track out to the village via Whakapapaiti and Lower Silica Rapids tracks takes a bit longer 3 - 3.5 hrs with a bit of up and down but the shelter of the bush is nice if it's windy. There is an unavoidable river crossing just below the hut which is relatively easy if a little cold with normal levels but can rise with very fast flows after heavy rain. If in doubt, wait it out - stream levels drop relatively quickly up here - or turn back.
The hut has 18 bunks, 'serviced' category, no bookings but make sure you have purchased a pass if you want to stay. NO FIREWOOD - BYO - Seems to be a permanent issue now.
Thanks to team Belinda for braving the cold for a good old fashion tramp, it was what we wanted and when we got there and back we felt great.