Distance: 5.2 km (5.0 DOC hours) - Marked route - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 803m to 1321m. Gain: 429m. Loss: 522m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal 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

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

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

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

Ice axe / crampons will be required for the ascent/descent from Dickie Spur if the snowlevel is below 1500m

From Dickie Spur Hut, return to the main ridgeline by following the poled route to the marked junction.

The poled route continues SE up Dickie Spur to the saddle marked pt1296 on maps. The route descends the creek draining pt1296 into the Tuke (not the spur to its north as shown on some maps). The descent is steep & shaded and can be slippery but is not technical in summer conditions. At about 100m above the main river small DOC triangles on the south bank mark the start of a brief sidle track cutting past the last of the Tuke gorge to the start of the more open valley of the upper Tuke.

From where the track reaches the river, progress upstream to Top Tuke Hut is on the riverbed / banks. The footbridge below the hut is long gone and the river must be waded - knee deep in normal flows. Just one crossing is necessary if river flows are high, and brief sidles sections are marked around the larger obstacles on the southern bank. However 3 or 5 crossings make for faster travel.

Top Tuke Hut is not visible from the river. The climb to the hut starts at the side-creek upriver of the hut and is marked by triangles. Climb the sidecreek for maybe 20m and the cut back up the spur to the hut following a sparsely poled route. Do not be confused by poles/markers leading upriver to Mt Beaumont which also start at this point.

3.5-6 hrs

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

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