Distance: 9.8 km (8.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 681m to 1238m. Gain: 1106m. Loss: 978m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

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

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

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

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

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

Ice-axe and crampons will be required if snow or ice-level is below 1200m

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A straight forward tramping-standard track links Highland Creek Hut and Roses Hut via two 1200m saddles/shoulders.

From Highland Creek Hut the track drops & crosses the creek (small & not an issue except in extreme rainfall). After a brief sidle downstream to the next side-creek the 400m climb to the first saddle begins with a steep ascent to the next spur west. Another small creek is crossed to reach a second spur which is ascended to ~1200m, following the fenceline. At 1200m the track swings west off the spur and sidles at a gentle climb (but across steep, exposed faces) to reach the saddle between the main ridgeline and pt1261 where there is a stile.

From the saddle with pt126 the track sidles SW before dropping the next spur towards an unnamed creek. At ~1000m the track leaves the spur and descends the south face to a tongue of beech forest at the creek below.

A second 400m ascent then begins, sidling through the basin west of the creek and making a ridiculously zig-zagged 200m ascent to the next spur west and another fenceline. The remaining 200m is more reasonable on a steady gradient climbing south with the fenceline before swinging west onto the ridgeline west of pt1245. For the connectivity-deprived there is (Spark) mobile coverage above 1150m on the ridgeline.

Follow the ridgeline as it descend gently (at first) SW to the forks of Golspie Burn and the Motutupu. The river must be crossed and is knee deep in normal flows - it could be impassable after heavy rain.

Follow the poles 100m west long a farm track to a stile from which at poled route heads a further 1km SW beside a small creek to reach Roses Hut on the SW valleyside.

4-8 hrs