Routes
Huts / campsites
Roadends
Summits
Passes / crossings
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Junctions
DOC Land
Altitude: 617m to 1568m. Gain: 496m. Loss: 974m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)
From the top of the Snowdon slip, ascend the slope to the southeast to gain the main North ridge of Snowdon Peak. Good travel on snowgrass and the ocassional firm scree leads all the way up to the summit for 360degree views, 3-4 hours from Army Hut, and the same from the head of the Whitestone. Theres a small cairn on the summit with a memorial to Jock Murdoch who built the original Army Hut.
Heading South, follow the obvious ridge to Pt1443. I chose to descend to the Whitestone via Pt1443's east ridge but theres probably no reason why you couldn't head south via Pt1205 and 1085. Steep slopes drop down the east ridge, being careful not to head too far north of the ridge where slopes plunge down into the stream far below.
The open tussock splits below 1160m with a tounge of bush seperating them into 3 seperate ridges lower down. It might be easier trying to make a more concerted effort to stick to the crest of one of the ridges down through the bush then I did. I got pushed off the middle ridge by thick belts of windfall and some bush lawyer, and it was a slow and sometimes grovelly descent down the bush face to eventually hit the small stream on the topomap at about the 700m contour. The contours ease off below here and the last bit of travel is through pleasant open bush near the stream before bursting out of the trees beside the Whitestone river.
Cross the Whitestone and head briefly down river. The confluence with the side valley which leads to the Kiwiburn valley is a few hundred metres away.