Distance: 1.9 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 636m to 1230m. Gain: 594m. Loss: 54m . Gradient: 21 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

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

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

Alpine weather (difficulty: 2/7)
Tramp on open tops, exposed to alpine weather

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

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

Behind Kiwi Mouth hut the signposted track climbs steeply up the face towards pt1238. Initially the spur is ill-defined. The track is well marked, but in places not obvious on the ground where it follows chutes or open claypan faces. At 600 vertical meters in 1km it is a steep, hard climb.

On reaching the summit, the track enters beech forest on the flat tops. A signposted track junction is reached 300m beyond marking the turnoff south to Cameron Hut (and the faster route to Kurikapango bypassing the descent to Kiwi Saddle), the main track continuing east to Kiwi Saddle Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the Kiwi Mouth - Kiwi Saddle track junction the orange track markers become prolific & you climb gently through beech forest to the flat high point of pt. 1238. Dropping in a NW direction you negotiate your way down a 'single-lane' width track through beech & alpine scrub before emerging onto open clay-pan faces. From this point to the bush line proper, you essentially connect up the various steep (600m in 1km) open NW facing clay-pans & clay-shutes as the route descends an ill-defined spur. Orange triangles become sparse & at some of the larger clay-pans care needs to be taken to identify the exit point as it is not always at the base of the clay-pan. The route steepens & swings west, & the views across to the expansive open tops of Mt Meany & the ridge up to the Manson Tops is impressive. Eventually, you hit the bush line & the gradient eases somewhat & eventually you are greeted by the distinctive orange of Kiwi Mouth Hut, sitting beside the Ngaruroro River.