Distance: 5.7 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 592m to 1226m. Gain: 53m. Loss: 646m . Gradient: 7 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

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

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

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

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

A DOC stoat-trap line runs from Ruahine Corner Hut to Ikawatea Forks Hut, crossing the edge of private land. Follow the warratahs and pink triangles from Ruahine Corner ENE towards pt1234, then north along the ridgeline bordering the bushedge to pt1206. Markers are infrequent, but just about followable. Follow the geography, if not.

From pt1206, drop NE to the bushedge, again following warratahs, and pick up the cut, marked stoat-trap line (more pink triangles) running down the spur past pt953. Passing level with the forks / hut, a saddle is reached. A track drops very steeply right, marked with blue triangles, the pink triangle continuing north away from the hut. Take the right-hand (blue) track and drop to the forks immediately below the hut.

Crossing the first branch of the stream (ankle to knee deep in normal flows), a DOC walking track starts at the forks, marked with the usual orange triangles, heading up the spur between the two forks, leading to the hut 100m south.

1.5-3hrs hut to hut

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Cross river next to hut and then follow track markers up steep section to get onto spur.
We followed Pink triangles and did not notice the Blue markers that Madpom refers to from a decade ago.
Trapline is easy to follow and good going. Once above the treeline,follow the poled route across the plateau to the hut.
The track had been cleared of weeds in 2024 to assist the checking of traps.
THere is a track to the hut from the middle of the airstrip.