Distance: 1.5 km (0.8 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 740m to 962m. Gain: 35m. Loss: 243m . Gradient: 10 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

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

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

Snow/ice underfoot (difficulty: 2/7)
Snow/ice likely on track

From Waiopehu Hut, the track heads north for some 300m through low scrub before dropping into the bush, where it remains for the rest of the trip. After 1km, a low knob is crossed with the former site of Waiopehu Hut just before the summit, and a clearing marking the old helipad on the top.

North of pt790 the track descends, crosses a small addle and climbs slightly to Bush Corner. A large but faded orange blob on a tree and a length of flagging tape mark the start of the spur running west, and the route down it into the upper Makaretu.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Bush Corner, the well maintained, cut, marked track continues SSE, dropping to a saddle before climbing gently to pt790. A clearing on the summit is the old heli-pad, and the former site of Waiopehu Hut is just beyond on the eastern face, marked by a faded sign.

The tramping track continues SSE for another 600m through bush before it finally breaks out into low scrub for the final 300m to the hut. The views of both the main range to the south-east and over the coast beyond Levin are spectacular.