Distance: 3.5 km (1.8 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 1517m to 1703m. Gain: 184m. Loss: 271m . Gradient: 7 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

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

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

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

Heading NNE from the Back Ridge Hut turnoff, the main ridge is a broad, featureless expanse of fine stone, narrowing towards the mast at North Kaweka. The sparsely poled route skirts the peak to the west, and swings WNW to drop some 120, to a saddle, before climbing / sidling pt1668 on its eastern face.

Heading north again we drop 100m to another saddle, and climb over pt1638, swinging NE on the summit. 500m beyond the top of Ikaha Spur (rising from the east) is reached, which gives access down to Middle Hill.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Heading south from Iahka Spur along the main range, the poled route crosses a couple of minor peaks and intervening saddle before swinging SE to make a brief but tiring slog up North Kaweka to the mast – only 120m above the saddle, but it feels like more.

South from North Kaweka, the ridge broadens to flat, stony tops, devoid of any vegetation. Frost action has made wave patterns in the gravel, and in places sorted the rocks into polygons of larger stones. On a good day, all three major volcanoes are visible to the west: Ruapehu, Ngarahoe, and in the far distance Taranaki. To the east, on a really clear day, a distinct grey shape beyond the Uruwera range can only be Hikurangi. This place truly feels like the top of the world.

The track junction for North Ridge / Back Ridge Hut is 600m south of North Kaweka and is signposted on the broad, featureless tops.