Distance: 5.5 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 809m to 1178m. Gain: 414m. Loss: 317m . Gradient: 8 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

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

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Snow/ice underfoot (difficulty: 2/7)
Snow/ice likely on track

From Woolshed Creek Hut an old 4WD climbs east over a low saddle and drops back to the eastern fork of the creek. Both forks must be forded and though ankle deep in normal flows could pose problems in severe rain.

The 4WD track climbs steadily for 300 vertical meters to the saddle with Bowyers Stream. Soon after the tramping track leaves the 4WD track at a marked point and is then poled as it sidles west along the southern valleyside below spectacular bluffs, passing in and out of a couple of sidecreeks. From the saddle with a low scrubby knob the track starts to drop steeply into the bush making the 100m descent to Pinnacles Hut, which lies directly on the track.

1.5-3 hrs

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Pinnacles Hut, follow the marked, cut tramping track as it climbs steeply west from the hut. After an initial 100m steep climb to the saddle with a low knob, the track emerges into open tussock and low scrub, and makes a gentle sidling climb to the saddle with Woolshed Creek, 2km to the west. Just before the saddle the tramping track joins an old 4WD track, which it follows west down to the valley floor. A brief zigzag climb follows over the low spur separating the east and west branches of Woolshed Creek, before dropping back to the stream at the hut. Both branches of the creek must be forded and are ankle-knee deep in normal flows. They could pose problems in extreme rain.

1.5-2.5 hrs