Distance: 2.5 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 425m to 1544m. Gain: 1119m. Loss: 0m . Gradient: 28 deg (Steep)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Streams (2/6)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Steep (difficulty: 5/5)
Steep climbs of >1000m

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

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

A snow-poled route ascends to the Shotover Saddle from the West Matukituki farm track up the true left (west) side of Bride's Veil creek. The ascent is steep on first farmed faces, later tussock. Poles are intermittent and the ground trail indistinct - you may just wish to follow your nose.

80m below the saddle, a fault-line running across the face has opened up to create a long thin basin, at the western end of which lies a narrow tarn. Reasonable, well sheltered camp spots exist at it's eastern end.

The route from the tarn to the saddle is unmarked - climb the escarpment and find your way through the humps and hollows above to the broad saddle.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Route show is approximate.

From Shotover Saddle descend steep terrain to the large tarn shown on the map and look for an orange topped snow pole on the sky line. Snow poles mark the route the whole way down to the West Matukituki track, but the route is indistinct between on poles. The descent is very steep on snow grass the whole way down until farm land is reached roughly parallel to Brides Veil Falls on the true left (west). From here drop down on farm grass and cross a fence to finally reach the Matukituki track.