Distance: 1.4 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 686m to 885m. Gain: 204m. Loss: 38m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - 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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

Occasional scrambles (difficulty: 3/7)
Tramp with some scrambles and exposure to falls

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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

From Smyth Hut, travel up the south bank (TL) of the Wanganui is more rock hopping and occasional boulder scrambling. The bank gets progressively steeper until it becomes impassable 100m below the forks. A scramble up into the bush above is required, followed by a long 100m climb, descending back down the first spur into the Vane, 100m above the forks.

The Vane was easily crossable just above the forks when I visited early morning on a day of high summer meltwater. Other parties report finding it impassable in similar conditions. Winter flows should be Ok though in dry conditions.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Take the spur 50m-100m up the Vane from the forks and climb into the bush. Sidle downstream past the forks in the bush and find a good descent to the valley floor.

Once back on the valley a steady descent on river rock and occasional boulders takes you down to Smyth Hut. Smyth is located on an island in the middle of the riverbed (southern channel is dry). A track to the hut starts from the southern channel just below the start of the island.