Distance: 2.9 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 179m to 899m. Gain: 736m. Loss: 26m . Gradient: 16 deg (Steep)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

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

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

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

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

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

From Wharepapa hut, head upriver some 200m to the forks. Around this point, the track starts on the western bank - but the first 20m are overgrown with scrub and not easily spotted. Triangles on trees beyond can be spotted, but otherwise it;s a case of nose in and explore till you find it.

The track climbs some 20m onto a terrace, and follows that upriver a further 200m before starting to climb the face beyond. The climb is steep and the track marked but poorly defined on the ground. Ongaonga is present for most of the lower slopes. It's steep hard going to the pt776 where the face becomes a clear spurt and the gradient becomes gentle.

Above pt776 the track and spur are better defined, climbing steadily into mossy cloud-forest and on to the summit where a brief patch of low scrub hints we are close to the limit of the surrounding forest. Swinging north the track meanders on the flat tops for a hundred meters or so, to the top of the descent into the Orongorongo. The main ridgeline towards Waiorongomai runs north from here.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

After a brief wander through the cloud forest on the tops, the track descends an obvious spur, gently sloping for the first 1km to pt776. The track is reasonable well defined and marked.

Beyond pt776 the track starts to steepen, as both the track and the spur become less distinct. Soon you are descending on a barely visible ground trail (though still marked) down a steep face. Whilst this is not the rough, steep scramble of the northern side, it is still a hard climb / descent. Lower down ongaonga makes it's appearance to add its sting to the fun.

Finally the track emerges onto a terrace 20m or so above the river and swings round it before dropping to the riverbed. The last 20m to the river are overgrown with scrub and not clear.

Wharepapa hut is 200m downriver on the opposite bank - the exit from the river is marked with triangles and the hut visible through the trees.Travel is on the river banks, and only one crossing is required. The river is small, and looks to only be a risk in extreme weather.