Distance: 12.0 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 1423m to 1741m. Gain: 169m. Loss: 362m . Gradient: 3 deg (Gentle)
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

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

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

Snow-covered in winter. This is cross-country skiing country.

From the northern Fraser Basin turnoff, a 4WD track follows the Old Woman Range NW for 3km before swinging north. A further 9km takes you to a set of yards where a signpost points west, 500m to Old Woman Hut. From the point the track swings north, both sides of the fenceline are DOC administered land, though old signs still indicate otherwise (2015).

The entire section is across exposed, barren tops - beautiful but bleak.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Old Woman Hut, return 500m east to the main track and follow it south along the range. After 3km it crosses a fence which used to be the DOC boundary. However, both sides are now crown land (2015). A rough track follows the boundary fence, whilst the vehicle track swings briefly east to avoid swamps.

The junction of the Garvie and Old Woman ranges is reached 9km from the hut. Land south of here down the Garvie Range is private. Follow the vehicle track as it swings SE along the Old Woman range, continuing a further 3km to a junction just beyond an east-west fenceline. This is the turnoff (east) to the Fraser Basin.

The entire section is across exposed, barren tops - beautiful but bleak.