Distance: 5.5 km (5.0 DOC hours) - Marked route - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 659m to 1788m. Gain: 1242m. Loss: 129m . Gradient: 15 deg (Steep)
Skills:

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

Steep (difficulty: 5/5)
Steep climbs of >1000m

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Tall, walkable scrub / large rocks, occasional waterfalls or gorges in rivers

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Staying on the TR, from the hut follow the path a few hundred metres. A right turn starts a short steep climb to high above the east branch of the Sabine. Still climbing, but less steeply, the track remains under beech to the fixed bridge that crosses to the TR. A short distance and the track emerges from the bush and turns uphill to begin the 1000m climb. Briefly back in the bush, the track begins to climb a major slip. As you approach the treeline, the track moves to the right and continues to climb. Follow the footpad with occasional and helpful poles. The pass is not visible until the final climb.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Descending from the pass, the route picks up the obvious tounge of tussock and moves to the TR of the initial gut. Descending further and moving away from the initial gut, the footpad stays close to the bottom of scree and crosses a slight ridge.

The main descent gut comes into view - move to the top of the chute and descend (left, right or on the scree - whatever is easiest) steeply to the treeline. The track descends the final 100m to the East Sabine River then continues a few hundred metres to a fixed bridge that crosses to the TL of the river.

Now under beech, the track descends gently at first, finally a very steep short descent to a little upstream of the East and West branch confluence. A few hundred metres upstream is the West Sabine Hut.