Distance: 6.2 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 549m to 902m. Gain: 501m. Loss: 356m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

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

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

A vague poled trail wanders over rough-pastured terraces, entering patchy kanuka forest, later beech. The track now good, well cut, a well benched line across beech-forested slopes as far as Tent Gully. Shortly after crossing Tent Gully, at a small gut, the track turns and climbs - gains 100m scrambling up the loose gut. We sidle briefly before starting again to climb to finally exit onto hot sun-dried faces 250m above the river– rock and dry grass. After a kilometer or so of sidling, the track descends a spur back into beech forest to the Youngman Stream confluence. A signpost marks the junction with the route to Tran Hut.

Youngman Hut is on the opposite bank 100m upriver. The walkwire over the Ashley is long gone, but in low flows you can hop across with dry feet - though it is impassable in flood. A triangle on the far bank marks the start of the short track up the far bank to the hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Youngman Hut, follow the eastern bank 100m downriver and cross at the marked crossing (knee deep in low flows but can flood) to the signposted track junction with the Tarn Hut and Youngman Stream tracks.

The Youngman Stream track is cut & marked but rough. It heads briefly downriver in beech forest before climbing 200m up a spur onto open faces above. A kilometer of so of sidling open rocky faces follows before the track descends steeply back to the river. From here the track is better cut and gentle gradient through beech and kanuka until it exists onto scrubby farm flat above the Lillburne confluence. A signpost on the fenceline at the base of the spur to the east marks the junction with the track descending from Tarn Hut, and the start of the farm track downriver to the Lees Valley Road.