Distance: 5.5 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 121m to 585m. Gain: 625m. Loss: 619m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate-hard)
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

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous moderate climbs

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

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

The new trackworks at Pakihi have completely obliterated the start of the Waahatua track at Pakihi Hut. Sidling upriver from the hut at the hut's height, and continuing to sidle south from the point where the benched track zigzags up to join the Pakihi Track we picked up the old tramping track sidling and dropping to the Pakihi Stream, upriver of the hut. We cross the river and head a hundred-or-so meters upstream past the next sidecreek on the west. The river is low (knee deep) in normal flows, but has a huge catchment and can be ferocious in flood. An obvious spur lies just upriver of the sidecreek, and after a crumbly, scree-cut section at the start, an obvious, marked track runs up it. This hadn’t been cut for a few years when I visited in 2014, but was reasonable to follow with good markers.

The spur climbs steeply, gaining 400m or so, before coalescing into a ridgeline which meanders, climbing and dropping until it reaches the highpoint at 605m. Beyond, the track swings sharply west and drops in a series of steep steps to the Wahaatua Stream.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The track to Pahiki is marked by triangles on the riverbank, just upriver of the confluence shown on the map. The spur climbs in a series of steep steps to the highpoint at 605m. From there it follows the ridgeline which meanders, climbing and dropping until, at around the 400m contour, it becomes a steeply descending spur into the Pakihi River. The river is low (knee deep) in normal flows, but has a huge catchment and can be ferocious in flood.

Heading 100m downriver, you can pick up markers on the opposite bank and the rough track up to Pahihi Hut.