Distance: 3.8 km (5.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 1078m to 1681m. Gain: 646m. Loss: 609m . Gradient: 20 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7)

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

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised 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

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

From the cairned turnoff in the Smyth, 700m downstream of the Bradshaw, head up the small dry stream that cuts south then east of the knob downstream of the Smyth / Bradshaw forks. Either curl north to the saddle (tall scrubby tussock) or follow the shingle gut (Steep) directly to the main ridge above. Follow the ridge as it climbs easily to scree faces at around 1600m. The standard route follows these scree faces along the north-west side of pt1977 at the 1650m contour, climbing only at the very end to reach Smyth Saddle just east of pt1667.

The descent to County Stream is steep and tricky. Essentially - take any save route down avoiding bluffs andf hard-pack. I took the route shown:
- From the boulder field at Smyth Saddle, drop down the bouldery face then cut left onto a tussock spur / scree gully, which can be followed steeply down - keeping to the right (east) side of the gully and dropping into the main side-creek shown on the map. Follow the sidcecreek to the forks with the County.

Others recommended sidling east from the saddle to the start of the side-stream shown on topomaps at the 1500m contour, then descending that to the forks with the County

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description