Distance: 11.2 km (6.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 793m to 1941m. Gain: 174m. Loss: 1191m . Gradient: 7 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6)

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

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

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

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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

A physically and technically easy alpine pass on moraine and tussock.

From the tarms at the head of the Sth Temple (due east of Mt Maitland), head WSW over the obvious pass. This is a gentle climb on semi-stable rock-scree - just loose enough to half roll when you stand on it.

The descent into the Watson is similar. A fairly gentle descent but on semi-stable rock-scree - not loose enough to run/surf down, but too loose to trust your footing on. After 2km tussock replaces scree and going improves. The valley gorges out as it swings west and drops to the forks in the Watson. Sidle above the gorge on the true left and descend good tussock faces to to main Watson valley. An easy walk down tussock flats follows to the bushedge where good, well used campspots exist on the true left.

Cross to the true right and sidle the valleyside at roughly the height you entered the beech at on good terraces as shown on the map. Pass through a series of clearings and head to pt1003 where the bush ends. An easy descent on a face of short tussock takes you to the Ahururi valley floor. Cross the river to the old farm track on the western side. The river is fairly small here and an easy crossing in normal flows, but it is in a large bed so can clearly flood.

Shamrock Hut is 1.5km south down the old farm track - 150m west of the track on the bushedge.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the Shamrock Hut turnoff on the main valley track, continue upvalley for 1.5km until you have passed the outflow of Watson Stream to the east. Cross the river and climb the easy grassy face to pt1003. Terraces exist on the true right of Watson Stream beyond pt 1003 - follow them through a series of clearing in beech forest, sticking at the same height until the valley narrows and you find yourself on the creek-bank. Cross to the southern bank at the bushedge. Good well used camp spots exist here in the last of the beech forest.

Continue up Watson Stream, and climb the southern valleyside 100m-200m before the main forks to avoid a gorge in the lower South Watson. Sidle into the south branch of the Watson, remaining above the gorge on good tussock faces, returning to the valley floor above the gorge. A km or two of tussock flats remain before the valley transitions to moraine and boulder scree. This stuff is semi-loose and rolls easily underfoot, so watch out. Swing NE with the main valley and climb gently to the obvious low pass SW of Mt Maitland. The descent on the far side is equally gentle, but on equally loose boulder scree. 1km from the pass takes you to the tarns at the head of the South Temple, where a steep pass to the south leads into a branch of the Maitland.