Distance: 10.8 km (9.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 397m to 1525m. Gain: 1128m. Loss: 830m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

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

Alpine weather (difficulty: 2/7)
Tramp on open tops, exposed to alpine weather

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

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

Scrubby Flat Creek is 1km up the valley from Scrubby Hut. An tramping track has been cut and marked up the northern valleyside (2007) sidling above the gorge and ending at the bushedge. Sadly it is not cut or recently marked above the bushedge. At the bushedge, climb the rocky gully and sidle to the tongue of beech upriver. An old NZFS track marked with red permolat can be found here, sidling through the beech on obvious terraces. Drop to the river flats as soon as scrub below clears to grassy flats. Reasonable camping spots exist at these first flats.

Good travel on open flats remains to the end of flats at the last major fork, SE of the col. The stream is small by this point and should not pose a problem except in extreme conditions.

Climb obvious, easy tussock spurs leading directly to the col, avoiding gorged sections of creek.

From the col, descend the vague spur to the WNW, keeping between the two creeks which bracket the pass. Easy travel on tussock to the bushedge, then good deer trails through open beech lead to the valley floor. The trick is to remain on the spur, as many deer trails drop to the creek son either side.

Makarora Hut is 1.5km downriver on the southern bank. No crossings are required, but crossing to fflats opposite makes for an easier trip.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

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