Distance: 2.0 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, hard - Hard terrain
Altitude: 407m to 1018m. Gain: 11m. Loss: 616m . Gradient: 18 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmarked route, hard (8/9)
Unmarked route, no clear geographic features to follow

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

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

Hard (difficulty: 5/5)
Thick scrub-bash / continuous river boulders, waterfalls, or gorges

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

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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Otaki River will be uncrossable in flood

From Notoriwa, head South about 200m to the top of an open spur. There is an open patch where animals have grazed from the top for the first 100m or so, then the spur is in thick bush. The spur is easy to lose with other spurs heading off in various directions and a steep drop down into the creek to the South. Near the bottom, drop into this creek which is full of slip debris before joining the Otaki river. The biv is visible just to up river and makes a good campsite.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Head down river, then join the slip debris filled stream. ABout 50m up the stream, head into the bush on the North side and climb onto the obvious spur. Follow the spur to the top. Near the top, the bush opens out into a browsed section. On the ridge, turn right to Notoriwa.