Distance: 4.4 km (3.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 497m to 665m. Gain: 210m. Loss: 45m . Gradient: 3 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, 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

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

Above Makakoere Hut the valley again opens to broad flats – grass and moss becoming established and making great walking. Sadly this only lasts a kilometer or so, after which normal service resumes: rough river rocks and travel in the riverbed to the major forks. Taking the eastern fork (the Makokoere) the stream narrows further, dense vegetation crowding us into the riverbed. Gradient increases and the rocks become larger, and we spend most of the time scrambling over rocks or hopping over the now-narrow flow. Passing the 2nd (after the forks) major sidecreek on the west, keep a lookout for a large DOC triangle 80m further upriver, which marks the start of the track to Rangaakapua Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description