Distance: 2.4 km (1.3 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 1292m to 1701m. Gain: 61m. Loss: 470m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

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

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

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

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

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

Snow / ice likely on tops. Southern faces descending off tops hold ice late into the day & can be dodgy.

This route takes the northern of the two ridges leading down to Back Ridge Hut. The turnoff from the main range lies about 1km N-NE of Kaweka J & 500m north of the Makahu Spur junction. The junction is signposted & both tracks are sparsely poled so they could be easy to miss in bad weather. In good weather however, the entire Kaimanawa Range & central volcanic cones lie before you. Heading due west across exposed gravel tops from the track junction, the route begins to drop & a defined spur forms, delimited by valleys to the north & south. The spur drops in a series of steep rocky steps, still on bare gravel - often sidling down the southern face. Tussock is finally reached beyond pt. 1552 & the track continues to drop along the clear ridge to a narrow saddle. The map show the track continuing along the riidgeline but on the ground it sidles the southern face, contouring from the saddle to bypass the small un-named peak N-NE of Back Ridge Hut, until it reaches the spur dropping directly to the hut. The route then zigzags down though the tussock to enter beech forest just above the stream. Back Ridge Hut lies beside the stream some 50m beyond & downriver.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

This route takes the northern of the two ridges leading up from Back Ridge Hut to the main Kaweka Range. A roughly marked track behind the hut climbs briefly (2-3 min) through beech trees before you emerge into the open. A good foot trail exists in the tussocks as the route climbs towards the un-named peak north of Back Ridge Hut. The route sidles the SE face, climbing over a shoulder of the peak & sidling into a small basin before taking you into a small saddle. A poled route then follows the spur east, climbing to the main Kaweka Range through a series of clay-pans & over a series of steep loose rocky tops, including pt. 1552. The poled route frequently sidling the dark southern face of the spur which can hold ice late in the day in winter. The junction with the main Kaweka Range is marked by a stamped metal signpost which due to the sparsely placed poles could easily be missed in poor visibility.