Distance: 1.3 km (1.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 713m to 1020m. Gain: 335m. Loss: 32m . Gradient: 16 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)

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

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Prolonged rivers (difficulty: 4/6)
Frequent river travel - impassible after rain, risk of getting trapped

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

From Iron Gate Hut, head upstream adjacent to the river on the southern bank on unmarked tracks until a section of windfall blocks your way. Drop to the river, and cross to the island mid-flow just upstream. Follow the island up to it's upstream end, and then cross back to the southern bank. After cutting round/through the next loop in the river, the southern bank ends at bluffs above a rapid. The Oroua must be crossed here, either by wading just above the rapids, or by swimming the pools as far upstream as you can push below the bluffs (sometimes safer as it puts some distance between you and the rapids). The crossing is thigh to waist deep in normal flows, and can easily become impassable.

Once across a DOC triangle marks the start of the up-and-over track which cuts off the next bend in the river, avoiding some serious, tricky gorges. Good campspots also exist here.

The track heads 100m up the northern bank before heading up the next sidestream, which it soon crosses. From here a steep, but well cut and marked track climbs to reach the spur just above pt1037.

From just above pt 1037 the cut track cuts east off the spur, but it is also possible to continue from here up the spur on a roughly marked route to Mangahuia highpoint.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the summit of the up-and-over track, the marked, cut track swings briefly down the main spur before dropping the western face to pick up a side-spur below. The descent is steep, but well marked and cut - crossing the next sidestream west, and following it to the main river. After cutting 100m further downriver on the northern bank, the track ends above a rapid. The main Oroua River must be crossed here above the rapids - if you can't cross above the rapid then you won't be able to cross it further downstream and your only option is to head back up and out via Mangahuia or wait out lower flows (good campspots are available).

This crossing is normally thigh to waist deep just above the rapids, though sometimes swimming the pool 50m further upstream (at the lower end of bluffs on the southern bank) is safer.

Once across, head down the southern bank for 100m. The normal route crosses half of the flow again to a long thin island, which is followed downriver before recrossing to the southern bank. After a section of windfall, good bush opens up on the southern bank with unmarked tracks heading downriver. A large triangle on the river bank marks the start of the track to Iron Gates Hut, 20m beyond.