Distance: 5.2 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 768m to 1639m. Gain: 924m. Loss: 551m . Gradient: 17 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

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

Iceaxe/crampons (difficulty: 4/7)
Ice axe and crampons required in winter

An easy climb along the bushedge on moss, rock and tussock takes us to the summit of pt1334, south of Tarn Hut. Scrubby, wind-flattened beech laps onto the tops from the west – it’s tight-packed barrier but find a break and push through to tall-standing forest beyond.

Pick up the spur dropping just south of west from pt1334 through mature beech forest. Tight-packed pole beech is frequent on the spur and makes for slow travel. Gradient is steady - not too steep.

On the valley floor: the Lillburn River is slow, dark, and knee deep in normal flows. Easy to cross but can clearly flood.

Head up the steep face beyond onto the spur, climbing steadily to pt1271– more of the same: open mature beech in places but wind or snow damage more common, forest periodically flattened, periodically regrowing. Above the bushedge travel is easy on short tussock and low hebe scrub. Climb the obvious spur to pt1645 on the summit of the Puketeraki Range - for amazing views of the Esk/Poulter beyond.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

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