Distance: 0.5 km (1.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, hard - Hard terrain
Altitude: 1660m to 1923m. Gain: 22m. Loss: 283m . Gradient: 41 deg (Steep)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7)

Unmarked route, hard (8/9)
Unmarked route, no clear geographic features to follow

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

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

Hard (difficulty: 5/5)
Thick scrub-bash / continuous river boulders, waterfalls, or gorges

Occasional scrambles (difficulty: 3/7)
Tramp with some scrambles and exposure to falls

Unknown (difficulty: 0/6)
Not specified

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Begley Saddle's southeastern slopes up from the Begley side-stream are moderately steep rubble but no bluffs.

The northwestern side of Begley Saddle has bluffs immediately below, so the route described here needs to be followed.
From Begley Saddle head North-North-West for 150 metres to a rocky shoulder. From this point you can start to see a gully straight below. This is the way through the bluffs. Continue in the same direction for several metres down rock (the crux of the route) into the gully. (The rock is almost steep enough for trampers to want to pass packs down, but not quite. In snow, climbing skills and equipment would be needed to descend this rock safely). When you reach the rubble gully, turn sharply left to descend the gully.
The gully soon widens into the scree marked on the map (actually rubble, not fine scree), in the direction of Upper Travers Hut. From here we descended and sidled west (the nearest marked stream is actually underground) to Travers Saddle, but instead a descent to Upper Travers Hut would be straightforward.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description