Distance: 4.6 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 314m to 612m. Gain: 280m. Loss: 317m . Gradient: 7 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal 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

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

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

There’s more tall grass and ongaonga on the flats above Tokenui, 1km of it to where the track climbs out of the valley. A grunt of a climb up a spur, then a vaguely marked, windfall-smitten sidle track along the western side of the ridge before finally dropping down another steep spur into the next creek. The track does not drop down the side-creek, as indicated on newer topomaps.

There is no track down the valley, but travel is reasonable – large flats of fern-trees – tramping on the terraces amongst them rather than in the river. Crossing a large side-stream 1.5km above the climb out we come across an old concrete slab and chimney on the western bank – another hut, gone.

The track out of the valley is obvious if you’;re looking fore it – the valley narrows as it turns the sharp bend east. Just beyond, a large DOC triangle marks the start of the track, a signpost on the opposite bank in case you miss it.