Distance: 5.3 km (4.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 448m to 1060m. Gain: 727m. Loss: 133m . Gradient: 9 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

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

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Tall, walkable scrub / large rocks, occasional waterfalls or gorges in rivers

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

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

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

Riverbed route up the north branch of the Forks Stream from Forks Hut, Valley starts narrow, scrubby and riverbed travel is the only option on rounded river rocks. First waterfall passed after about 30 DOC minutes - bypassed with a small scramble on the true left. Above the fall the valley starts to open out to grassy & toetoe flats, surrounded by grassy slips. Good camping spots exist about 2km above the hut.

DOC pink triangle mark a route to ridge to the north above the flats.

Continuing up the river waterfall marks the end of the flats, again passed with a scramble on the true left. At the forks shown on the map take the north fork, which climbs steadily. A huge waterfal is reached at the first main bend - it's a big climb round on the true right and though the creek enters a basin the vegetation becomes scrubby beyond. There is good access to the ridgeline up the 1st side creek above the falls.

On the ridgeline an old wildlife management track is marked with pink triangles, and though not maintained leads to the leatherleaf where it continues overgrowing, but still usable at the expense of some swat and skin - running all the way to the Takapari Roadend.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description