Distance: 9.4 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 798m to 1377m. Gain: 710m. Loss: 288m . Gradient: 6 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

A rough, steep 4WD track connects Tailings Hut to the Chimney Creek Hut junction. From the Chimney Creek Hut junction, the track continues across open tops for a further 3km before commencing a steepening descent into Boundary Creek. The road bridge over Boundary Creek is ling gone, but a stock bridge is present 200m upriver if you are on foot and need it. From there the track climbs over Long Spur, ascending in a series of tight stony zigzags. The track then descends more gently down to Tailings Hut in the valley beyond. A track climbing Long Spur leads into private Mt Ida Syndicate land.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A rough, steep 4WD track connects Tailings Hut to the Chimney Creek Hut junction. From Tailings the track climbs over Long Spur, dropping to Boundary creek in a series of tight zigzags. A track climbing south up Long Spur leads into private Mt Ida Syndicate land. The road bridge over Boundary Creek is ling gone, but a stock bridge is present 200m upriver if you are on foot and need it. A long, initially steep ascent follows back onto the Oteake Tops. The Chimney Creek Hut turnoff is signposted 3km after you reach the first summit. The hut is 600m down the side-track.