Distance: 3.1 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Unmaintained track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 661m to 1318m. Gain: 725m. Loss: 88m . Gradient: 16 deg (Steep)
Skills:

Unmaintained track (5/9)
Former track, overgrown - markers / ground trail still followable

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Steep (difficulty: 5/5)
Steep climbs of >1000m

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

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

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

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

Now for the hard bit – it’s only 3km to the hut, but a steep 700m climb, most of it in the first kilometer. The track starts vague, but good markers start to appear 50m above the river. What is consistent, however, is the gradient – it’s a steep, overgrown scramble some 300m to the first knob - unrelenting. Shortly before this outlying knob, the track cuts right off the spur and angles across the south face to hit the saddle beyond. A welcome, flat respite, but don’t get used to it, as another 300m near-vertical slog follows to the ridgeline. If, like me, you’ve come 25km from Nikau Flats today, you may be forgiven for feeling a tad tired.

Finally the track emerges onto an old slip, and the summit is in sight. Trees become dwarved, and daylight starts to penetrate. Cresting the ridge, we descend 60 hard-earned-meters to a boggy basin beyond, climb again (“only 2 more”) descend, and finally make one more 160m ascent to reach the 1310m summit. From here it’s a relatively easy kilometer of meandering along the top to emerge from stunted beach into leatherwood and find the very welcome sight of Rangaakapua Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

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