Distance: 4.4 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 1140m to 1452m. Gain: 368m. Loss: 431m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

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

From the Dundas turnoff, the main range continues NE, climbing to Pukemoremore before descending over a series of smaller peaks. The narrow ridgeline gets too little use to form a good ground trail, and going is slowed by rolling tussocks underfoot. At West Peak, the range swings sharply east, dropping some 200m to a low saddle. The descent is steep and on a mix of loose gravel and scrub, and the saddle itself is scrubby. A good ground trail exists up the opposite face though, leading to the 1355m summit of East Peak.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Heading due west from East Peak, the Tararuas play a mean trick (to be repeated many times) with a steep descent of over 200m to the saddle between East Peak and West Peak (1335m). Throw away all that hard-earned altitude. The base of the saddle is a bit scrubby, but there's a well worn ground trail, the ascen to f the far side is rocky and good going.

Up high, amidst the tussock, on a narrow ridgeline traversing rocky peaks, we’ve reached the real Tararuas at last. From West peak, heading SW again, a series of climbs and descents follow as the ridge crosses a series of peaks and saddles: Walker (1392m), Pukemoremore (1474m) and pt1415. The gets too little use to form a good ground trail, and going is slowed by rolling tussocks underfoot. At pt1415 a DOC signpost points east to Dundas Hut, clearly visible clinging to the hillside 150m below.