Distance: 4.1 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 353m to 1331m. Gain: 982m. Loss: 4m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

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

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

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

Snow/ice underfoot (difficulty: 2/7)
Snow/ice likely on track

From the DOC carpark, follow the poled route across farmland to the DOC boundary. The public track climbs the fence at a stile and a rough poled tramping track follows the creek side of the fenceline, climbing moderately steeply up to the tops in DOC land through tall tussock. The farm track south-west of the fence is not public.

At around 800m the fenceline ends and farmland is left behind. The gradient eases too for the last 550 vertical meters to Big Hut. Tussock is left behind at the 1200m contour, and the final climb is on intermittent scree.

Big Hut is on the track and cannot be missed. Two or three solar lights were present on the track (2008) giving those climbing in darkness something to aim for.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Big Hut, follow the poled tramping track down the hill, crossing the small creek after 400m. From here to the valley floor the track remains on the face just south of this creek. Rock/scree is left behind at the 1200m contour and tussock becomes common. At 800m ignore the stile crossing into farmland (and the good farm track beyond) and continue down the poled tramping track in DOC land north of the fence. At the base of the face the track crosses into farmland and is poled 800m to the carpark near a large equipment shed.