Distance: 14.2 km (6.0 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 192m to 1194m. Gain: 588m. Loss: 1254m . Gradient: 7 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Road (1/9)
Formed road, 4WD track, etc

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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

Alpine weather (difficulty: 2/7)
Tramp on open tops, exposed to alpine weather

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

Snow/ice underfoot (difficulty: 2/7)
Snow/ice likely on track

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A 4wd track starts from the highway at the bridge, following the northern bank. After 2km a locked gate is reached. A 4WD track climbs first through farmland and later bush / scrub / tussock passing Blind Saddle to reach the unnamed saddle on the watershed. Only reliable water is in the last 500m to the summit. (3hr)

A good 4WD track sidles through sheer bluffs before descending a spur towards the Heron River. Candlestick Hut sits 20m off the track up a dry riverbed 2.5km before the Heron is reached. The turnoff is signposted. (1hr)