Distance: 7.4 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Road - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 647m to 838m. Gain: 254m. Loss: 86m . Gradient: 3 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Road (1/9)
Formed road, 4WD track, etc

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

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

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

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

A farm track provides an easement / access to North Opuha CA and Spurs Hut.

From the DOC carpark follow the Fox skifield road a further 400m north to the bridge. The start of the track is signposted up the east bank of the Ophua River and follows a rough farm ATV track on flats / terraces for 4km before climbing briefly to join a maintained private 4WD farm track for the 100m climb to the low saddle with the Orari River. The track drops into the broad flat basin at the head of the Orari and crosses the boundary into DOC land 1km before the hut. Swinging north the track leads directly to the hut which is out of sight until the last moment against the western valleyside.

1.5-2.5 hrs

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description