Distance: 10.1 km (5.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 920m to 1681m. Gain: 615m. Loss: 768m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6)

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-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

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

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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A rough unmarked route connects Potts Hut and Top Hut via the saddle at the head of Stumpy Stream.

Head briefly (100m) upstream from Potts Hut on scrubby flats and climb the 1st spur north of the 1st sidecreek above the hut. This leads onto a broad saddle east of pt1379. Head north over the saddle and, avoiding dropping into the gorged valley beyond, sidle upriver on gentle terraces / slopes around the 1200m contour. Once the gorge ends, drop onto the valley floor and follow the tussock / scree valley floor upriver. At the forks, take the middle fork (NE) to reach the saddle with Stumpy Stream after a 1km scramble up stable scree.

A short scree run takes you into the head of Stumpy Stream, which can be followed all the way to the South Branch Ashburton River - visible below. Top Hut is out of sight behind a small terrace 1km downriver from where you hit the main valley floor.