Distance: 8.0 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 666m to 1748m. Gain: 1114m. Loss: 696m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Streams (2/6) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

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

minor (5/5)
A viable route, not widely used

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

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

Occasional scrambles (difficulty: 3/7)
Tramp with some scrambles and exposure to falls

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

Iceaxe/crampons (difficulty: 4/7)
Ice axe and crampons required in winter

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Climb the sour just west fo Mae West Hut to reach the ridgeline - steep but easy going on good game trails. Follow the ridgeline WSW either sticking to the ridgeline or on basins just to its south (the ridgeline was easy with snow present but tricky in places without). Cut through the 1st obvious saddle between the main ridgeline and Maungatika highpoint into the head of Chamois Creek. It is necessary to sidle 800m west before descending to the head basin of the creek, avoiding bluffs.

Travel down Chamois creek is generally straight forward with a good open riverbed so long as the river is not up - but a few scrambles down steep sections do exist, especially the last 500m to the forks which are generally best sidled on the northern side.

2-4 hrs