The highest hut in the Ruahine Range.

Map BL36 showcases some of the best tramping the Ruahine Range has to offer. On the western side, classic tracks snake up to the old ski field at Rangiwahia Hut and to Iron Gate Hut and its namesake, the formidable Iron Gates Gorge. To the east are huts with names like Longview and Happy Daze. 

Howletts Hut holds a particularly special place in my heart after a winter trip that involved its fair share of type-2 fun. The hut, the highest in Ruahine Forest Park, sits at 1340m and is tucked into stunted bush on narrow Daphne Ridge. Despite its modest altitude, it feels like an alpine hut. The beech forest drops away dramatically to offer expansive views over the east coast. On the other side, the peaks Taumataomekura (1682m) and Tiraha (1668m) loom over the little hut, which itself is a testament to how loved it is and to its keepers, Heretaunga Tramping Club. 

The first hut here was built in 1893 by William Howlett as a summer camp from where he explored and botanised the range. When Howlett honeymooned in the hut in 1902 he hired a local man to carry his wife across the numerous crossings of the Tukituki River to reach the hut. Howlett’s escapades into the area ended around 1906 and his hut was slowly reclaimed by the mountains. The current hut was built in 1940. It had a major upgrade in 1978 and a refresh in 2020, thanks to the Backcountry Trust and the Heretaunga Tramping Club.

The hut can be reached from multiple routes. The easiest climbs steeply from Kashmir Road before dropping down for a short spell in the Tukituki River to reach Daphne Hut. From here, the track requires an 800m grunt up Daphne Spur. Alternatively, a weekend loop can be formed by ascending from Moorcock Saddle to Longview Hut, and from there to Ōtūmore. The route then leads across open tops (with the odd bit of leatherwood) to Taumatamata and finally Daphne Ridge. During winter the snow can be deep along the route.

A third route to the hut for experienced parties follows the hair-raising Sawtooth Ridge to the north before connecting with other tracks that cross the range.