Distance: 8.8 km (6.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 257m to 1343m. Gain: 1192m. Loss: 106m . Gradient: 9 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

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

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised 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

Snow/ice underfoot (difficulty: 2/7)
Snow/ice likely on track

An alternative to the long bush track on Marchant Ridge. This route passes through the water catchment reserve, so restrictions apply: no camping, no dogs, separate hunting permit scheme. Contact GWRC for details.

From the swingbridge, head 50-100m downriver on the northern bank and climb the steep spur north. The face soon becomes a defined spur and you'll pick up an old cut/marked (tape) route climbing towards the tops. The cut route goes most of the way to pt948, with a rough, scrubby section through pole beech near the clearings. Once on the open, marshy tops, follow the ridgeline to Alpha. A saddle of low scrub is encountered SW of pt1308, but is knee-high and trampable.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

An alternative to the long bush track on Marchant Ridge. This route passes through the water catchment reserve, so restrictions apply: no camping, no dogs, separate hunting permit scheme. Contact GWRC for details.

From Alpha, follow the broad tops SW along Quoin Ridge. A saddle of low scrub is encoundered as you swing west beyond pt1308, but is trampable. Crossing marshy tops on Quoin the ridge drops in to the bush. A roughly cut/marked route (2006) followed the spur all the way down meet the Hutt river 100m downriver of the swingbridge at Hutt Forks. Sections through the higher pole-beech were a bit of a bushbash, but once in good bush going was easy.