From Girdlestone Saddle to South Ohau Hut via South Ohau River and Dowling Falls bypass track with side trip to falls
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Distance: 2.6 km (2.8 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 335m to 649m. Gain: 113m. Loss: 422m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)
GPX info source: Uploaded from GPS

The DOC sign at the saddle says 2 hours. It isn't due to some serious wind damage. Allow 3 hours
From Girdlestone Saddle the track drops very steeply through bush providing hand holds to the narrow stream bed. The South Ohau is a narrow rut with plenty of hook grass and greasy rocks and is just a trickle, but grows as it drops and the gradient eases.
The track then follows the course of the stream for an hour until it climbs steeply onto the spur to avoid Dowling Falls. The exit is well marked. This spur has suffered a lot of windfall and the track is difficult to follow and slow going. Eventually it drops steeply back into the river where a 10 minute walk will get you to the bottom of the falls in 2 hours.
From the falls, the hut is reached by following the stream for another 45 minutes. Keep an eye out for the large Butchers Creek coming in from the left and the hut will be up the bank just around the corner.

Created by: Robbiet on 2020-05-26. Experienced: 2018-03-18
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