Distance: 1.2 km (0.5 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 1392m to 1425m. Gain: 45m. Loss: 48m . Gradient: 5 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

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

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 the Otutu junction, the manson tops routed heads north along the broad, exposed ridgeline. The route is poled, but in places the ground trail is ill-defined on open claypan and gravel. After 1km a signposted junction is reached at a low, poorly defined summit. Poled routes lead west towards Ngaawapurua (and Otutu) and ENE towards Rocks Ahead.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the Rocks Ahead turnoff, the manson tops route heads south along the broad ridgeline. The route is poled, but in places the ground trail is ill-defined on open claypan and gravel. Climbing towards Manson highpoint, a signposted track junction is reached 100m before the summit. This is the turnoff to Otutu Hut (and is not shown on older 260-series maps).