Distance: 3.4 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 949m to 1436m. Gain: 505m. Loss: 378m . Gradient: 15 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

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

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

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

From the head of flats in the Cameron, 2km upstream of Highland Home: head SW up the stream draining pt1432. Vegetation is scrubby in place;I sidled in from terraces to the north, which was Ok. You can stick to scree on the northern face until the scrub thins enough for travel up the valley floor.

From the pass at pt1432, I sidled (climbed slightly) onto the spur to the south of the creek, followed that until scree provided a good run down into the basin to its south, and then descended via that basin onto the valley floor. This was a quick, easy route down, though scree is loose and it would be a slower ascent.

Top Hut is visible on flats across the river. The South Branch Ashburton was knee-deep in low March flows, but could easily be impassable after rain.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description