Grassy Flat Hut
Grassy Flat Hut (sleeps 12 on 2 platforms, matresses, water, stove) is a modern tramping hut with a large covered veranda overlooking the Grassy Flats in the upper Styx Valley. The hut is on a terrace adjacent to the river. It's a lovely warm hut, but note that the stove has no removable lids for cooking.
The hut is on the Arahura-Styx track, a 36km tramp (36km roadend-roadend, 53km including 10km along roads to complete the circuit) along a historic, well maintained, benched pack-horse track. The hut is 14km from the Styx roadend, and as such a convenient 1st/last night's resting place.
500m below the hut a cut/marked track climbs 1000m to the tarn-dotted Lathrop Saddle. This handing valley cuts the Browning Range between the Styx and Crawford Creek, passing two alpine bivouacs: Browning Biv and Top Crawford Biv.
Access
Arahura Roadend (J33 657186): 22km along a benched, well maintained track, via Mudflats Hut (8km) and Lower Arahura Hut (16km)
Styx Roadend (J33 596122): 14km along a benched, well maintained track, via Mid Styx Hut (5km).
Top Crawford Biv: 6.5km (5-10hrs) steep 1000m climb up a marked / cut track via Browning Range Biv (2.5km, 1.5-3 hrs) and Lathrop Saddle
It's a steep, scrubby climb up unmarked ridges on the north side of the Styx Valley to Newton Range Biv.
| Category | Standard Hut |
|---|---|
| Owner | DOC |
| Bookings | Not available |
| Sleeps | 12 |
| Facilities | Tank/tap water supply, Toilet, Enclosed wood/coal burner |
| Altitude | 620m |
| Maps |