Distance: 9.0 km (6.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 658m to 1257m. Gain: 734m. Loss: 678m . Gradient: 9 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6) 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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional 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

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

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

No real exposed sections, but an ice-axe was handy.

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A historic pack-track runs from Roses Hut to Macetown via (near) Roses Saddle.

Follow the marked track briefly east from the hut, circling then climbing the spur east of the hut. This is followed to ~1200m on an increasing gradient and deteriorating track. At ~1250m the track sidles west of pt1358 for 500m to reach the next spur dropping west from the peak. This section may be tricky in poor visibility if there is snow on the ground. Once on the spur travel is obvious down an increasingly formed pack-track to reach the Arrow River at the forks with the Glade Burn.

From the forks, travel is possible down-river, but the banks are scrubby and so you need a good low flow with exposed riverbed to walk on for this option to be advatageous. With track improvements now that this forms part of Ta Araroa, the sidle track is certainly easier and probably faster.

The poled track sidles low on the eastern valleyside for 500m to Rankleburn before starting a climb to ~80m above the river where it picks up an old water race. The water race is followed in-and0out of sidecreeks until just prior to Macetown, where the poled route leaves it and descend to the Arrow river just upstream of the forks.

Both branches of the Arrow must be forded. The north branch being the larger is typically shin-to-knee deep but would be expected to present difficulties after moderate-heavy rain.

After crossing the two branches of the river at the forks, follow the 4WD track 50m up the west branch to a track junction from where you can cut back east onto the terrace above (south of the river) where the historic township and campground can be found.

3-6 hrs