Distance: 2.2 km (4.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, hard - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 103m to 1014m. Gain: 936m. Loss: 25m . Gradient: 27 deg (Steep)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7)
GPX info source: Drawn on map

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Moirs describes a somewhat different route up from the Large Burn to the saddle with the Doon. However, locating the start of that route defeated me when attempting it in reverse. The following route is a far easier one to follow int the downward direction.

From the southernmost end of the Large Burn - Doon saddle, drop into the valley which drains SW into the Large Burn (or follow deer trails down the spur to it's north) into the bush-clad basin below. At about 800m the creek drops vertically via waterfalls towards the Large Burn below. Cross the head of the falls to their true left (southern) side where you'll find a good deer trail following the terrace south. After maybe 50-80m a deer trail drops west off the terrace, descending steeply but safely through the bluffs between the 700m and 800m contours.

Once below the bluffs and on gentle slopes I regained Moir's route by making a descending sidle north across the valleyside, crossing the creek we followed earlier, following the prominent spur beyond it before dropping off that into the open creek to its north which I met just above the 300m contourline. Crossing to the north of this second creek and sidling 50-80m north of it good deer trails dropped west again through the lower layer of bluffs between the 200m and 300m contour lines, depositing me on the valley floor. From here it was a simple case to follow dry rocky creekbeds and deer trails SW to hit the bend int he Large Burn.

Moir's speaks of good safe campspots at the base of this descent, but the only ones I found were on dry, floodable creekbeds and had no nearby water. Maybe you need to nose around.

I have no idea if the long sidle north once below the upper bluff system was required, or whether I could have continued directly down deer trails south of the creek and found a way through the lower bluff system.

Pass - river: 2.5-4 hrs

Created by: Madpom on 2019-03-21. Experienced: 2019-03-12
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