Distance: 7.2 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy terrain
Altitude: 596m to 831m. Gain: 294m. Loss: 67m . Gradient: 3 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

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

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

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

A good tramping track once ran up the south Temple to the hut, but the lower section of this has been obliterated by shingle washouts on the valley floor. However, this is still an easy walk.

Follow the marked track upriver, crossing the North Temple after 300m. There is no bridge (maps are outdated), and this can flood after heavy rain. From the western bank, puck up warratah-marked track across shuingle and grassy flats heading upstream on the northern bank of the South Temple. 3km upstream a sidecreek/slip reveals itself as the source of all the shingle, and beyond the valley is more pleasant - grassy terraces and a river confined to its bed. The track improves and is well marked and cut, sidling low on the northern valleyside as far as the hut.

Again, the swingbridge shown on maps at the hut is long since destroyed, and another river crossing is required at the forks to cross to the hut. Again, this is generally knee deep, but can be impassable after a night (or day) of rain. The hut is clearly visible of grassy terraces upstream of the forks on the southern bank of the north fork.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Cross the north branch of the river at the hut - there is no longer a bridge and the river is knee deep in normal flows, but impassable after heavy rain. A marked sidle track leads downriver on good grassy terraces and through beech forested valleysides until 3km from the roadend. Here a sidecreek dumps shingle into the Temple, and the valley changes to a broad shingle expanse. Continue on the northern bank, on the poled track, as far as the confluence with the North Temple. There is no bridge, and this must be forded - again no more than knee deep in normal flows, but easily flooded after rain. A well marked track leads down the north bank to the Temple campground and roadend 300m downstream.