Distance: 5.5 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 218m to 411m. Gain: 197m. Loss: 341m . Gradient: 6 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

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

From Pinchgut Hut climb the old 4WD track for 50m to the signposted junction, then follow the Pinchgut Track downriver. The track is a good tramping track, sidling and climbing initially before dropping to Whare Creek. Below the side-creek travel is relatively flat. Ignore 4WD tracks as you near the roadend (which lead onto private land) and follow the markers to the creek crossing (knee deep, normal flows). The carpark and roadend is on the far bank.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the signpost at the roadend a broad track crosses the river (knee deep, normal flows) and heads up flats on the southern bank. The track eventually narrows to a good tramping track, initially low on the valleyside, but above Whare Creek, climbing 150m over a spur and then sidling. The tramping track intersects an old 4WD track at a signposted junction just above Pinchgut Hut. The hut is on flats beside the river just below.