Distance: 3.0 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 976m to 1204m. Gain: 61m. Loss: 257m . Gradient: 6 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

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 end of the 4WD track an unmarked route continues north along the ridgeline. Initially the route is obvious and clear, but the last 500m to the bushedge are scrubby and not clear. Keep in low manuka scrub east of the bushedge on the ridgeline until , just as the descent becomes steep, cairns and triangles on the bushedge mark the start of a track. These are not obvious,

A good marked, cut track descends NW to the saddle through beech forest. At the saddle the track junction with the Cromel-Irthing track is marked only with triangles (no signpost).

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the saddle, follow triangles SE along the ridgeline, climbing steeply to the bushedge. An unmarked route pushes south, initially through manuka scrub, before reaching open tussock and good open travel. Follow the ridgeline south until you reach the end of an obvious 4WD track after about 3km. An obvious saddle 1km further south is the start of the route east to Mansion Hut.