Distance: 6.4 km (6.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 715m to 1497m. Gain: 324m. Loss: 1057m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Prolonged rivers (4/6) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

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

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal 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

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

Prolonged rivers (difficulty: 4/6)
Frequent river travel - impassible after rain, risk of getting trapped

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

From the tarn, traverse to the obvious saddle (Zampa saddle?) and continue to climb to 1520m and the top of a good scree slope. Descend the scree to the unnamed stream (1220m) and follow the stream down to it's confluence with Maruia River (710m).

Head downstream on the flats, crossing where required, to the TL under the Cannibal Gorge bridge where a footpad climbs up below the bridge to the St James Walkway. Note that a similar footpad can be found on the TR as well.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

On the TL, climb over the railing and descend to the river directly under the bridge. Note that a similar footpad can be found on the TR as well.

With at least 2 crossings (easy in normal flow), head upstream and around the bend to the unnamed stream - begin the relentless climb.

Full of rubble all the way, the stream narrows around 960m and short sections out of the stream channel are easier. At 1220m, several routes to the obvious saddle (Zampa saddle?) are possible but we decided to climb beside the scree slope on the TL. Although we started a climbing traverse from 1400m, better is to push on to the ridgetop before descending to the saddle (the traverse is more tedious than the additional climb).

Once the saddle is gained, an obvious footpad leads to Zampa Tarn and good sheltered camping.