Distance: 3.2 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 307m to 704m. Gain: 18m. Loss: 410m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Take the route up Dunn’s creek, which is also unmarked but easy until the first of the (impassable) waterfalls is reached. Sidle through 1 tongue of beech on the true left of the falls, to reach a slip running parallel to the creek, with a defined bush ridge in between the slip and the creek.

The slip is clearly marked on maps. Climb part way up the slip, then cut left onto the ridge, where you’ll pick up an old track marked with white permolat. I was unable to find the start of this track, but picked it up ok by cutting to the ridge as described. Note that this track is marked incorrectly on the 260 series topomaps: it is shown further upriver and on the wrong side of the ridge. Marked, but badly overgrown, the track climbs the ridge until it flattens above the gorge, and then sidles left across two side creeks keeping just above the steep faces. It maintains this level veering towards the main creek, hitting open marshes 300m from Dunns Creek Hut.