Distance: 13.8 km (6.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 729m to 1761m. Gain: 821m. Loss: 1526m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

minor (5/5)
A viable route, not widely used

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

A continuation of the Red Hills Ridge traverse from the basin below Red Hill. Gaining the ridge line from the basin was quite straight forward, with an obvious ledge leading to the ridge just west of Maungakura / Red Hill. The ridge was very difficult travel from Red Hill, as experienced on the southern parts of the ridge, requiring clambering amongst huge rusty-red coloured abrasive boulders with sheer sides in a random jumble. However, it improved, and travel became easier, with a reasonably easy descent to the saddle to pick up the Top Wairoa Hut to Hunters Hut track.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description