Distance: 3.3 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 157m to 882m. Gain: 730m. Loss: 28m . Gradient: 14 deg (Steep)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

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

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

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

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

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

From Papatahi Hut, the Papatahi Crossing route continues 1km up broad shingle river flats to the confluence with Boulder Creek. The Orongorongo is low - ankle to knee deep - in normal flows, but can be impassible after heavy rain.. Above here the broad flats end and the Orongorongo becomes a creek in a bushclad valley.

The papatahi crossing however heads NE up the northern fork of Boulder Creek, climbing the steep stony riverbed some 100 vertical meters to where a large DOC triangle on the northern (true right) bank marks the start of the track to Wharepapa.

The track starts a good tramping track, climbing out of the creek and onto the spur to the north. Things soon deteriorate however. The spur becomes crumbly and steep - and the track little more than a series of gravel chutes to climb. Steep, hand-over-hand climbing in places - grabbing what vegetation you can.

After 200m or so the spur consolidates into something more identifiable, and the track runs up it's crest - between scrubby faces on the south and slips to the north. Finally the gradient lessens, the scrub changing to beech and then cloud forest - carpeted in moss for the last 300m to the summit. At the first plateau - the main Rimutaka ridgeline leads off to the north, the crossing track swinging briefly south along the ridge to seek out a spur down to Wharepapa.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Starting from the Papatahi summit, going is steady down a cut marked track through cloud forest. The moss and beech is soon left behind, and the track steepens entering scrub - steep faces and slips to the right. The track becomes steeper and steeper - soon becoming a series gravel chutes providing a tricky, crumbling route down the spur. Finally, the cut track swings south off the spur into the creekbed and ends. It is a further 200m down the steep rocky riverbed to the Orogorongo valley.

The Orongorongo is low - ankle to knee deep - in normal flows, but can be impassible after heavy rain..

Below the confluence, the Orognogongo is a broad shingle flat. Travel is easy but exposed to sun and heat (in summer!). The valley swings first left then right. An old 4wd track starts on the northern bank, and soon after the right bend a signpost n the norther bank points into the bush: Papatahi Hut..The hut is 60m above the valley floor - a steep and cruel climb at the end of a long day. This is a 'bush cabin' sole occupancy, bookings required - a combination lock on the door.