Distance: 3.9 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 429m to 1117m. Gain: 27m. Loss: 715m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

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

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised 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

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

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

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

Find the obvious saddle north of pt1246, about 1km south of the 4WD roadend, Drop east to the bushedge, and follow the bushedge to the next spur south. Follow the obvious spur ESE to pt752. The bush is open and clear with good deer trails and fast travel. Swing due east of pt725 following the steep spur down to the river. Only the last 40m are scrubby with fern, other than that travel is good. Mansion Hut is 1km downriver on the eastern bank.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A good open unmarked route climbs to the Mt Bee ridgeline from the forks 1km upstream of Mansion Hut, reaching the 4WD track at the saddle 1km south of the roadend.

From Mansion Hut, head upriver. An old NZFS track runs up the western bank, but is very overgrown and markers are very intermittent, so pick your own way, crossing briefly to the eastern bank where the west becomes steep.

After 1km an obvious forks is reached. Cross to the western bank and follow the sidestream 100m upriver to the base of the spur between the two creeks. After a brief steep ferny scramble the bush becomes open beech and provides good open travel all the way to the bushedge. For those heading north, follow the bushedge 150m north and climb to the obvious saddle where you will find the 4WD track; otherwise continue up the spur to hit the track on the summit.

The 4WD track ends 1km further north along the ridgeline. Mt Bee huts are 5km south,