Distance: 2.6 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 1327m to 1663m. Gain: 76m. Loss: 409m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

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

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

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

Iceaxe/crampons (difficulty: 4/7)
Ice axe and crampons required in winter

From Tiraha highpoint the unmarked route to Howletts heads SSE along the high spur, passing the start of the Daphne Ridge towards Howletts. A cairn marks the spot where the route drops east of the spur into a basin, then cuts back NE across the tussock face to regain Daphne Spur. This dogsleg avoids a steep, slippery descent of the eastern face of Tiraha.

Once on Daphne Ridge the route is obvious. A good ground trail runs east down the ridge, swinging south towards Howletts. The first 2km are on tussock and shingle, occasionally sidling high on the western face to avoid climbing unnecessarily to intermediate knobs. 300m before Howletts the track enters stunted beech and a marked, cut track runs the remaining distance to the hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Howletts Hut, follow the cut, marked track north through the 300m-or-so of stunted bush to emerge onto rock and tussock tops. The route has a clear ground trail, but is not marked from here north. It mostly follows the ridgeline, sometimes sidling the eastern face as it runs north. Swinging west it follows the main spur climbing towards Tiraha until about 1580m. here the route cuts briefly south across the face and climbs a tussock basin to reach the top some 200m SE of the summit. This avoid a steep, tough climb at the top end of Daphne Ridge.

Tiraha Summit is not marked, but is the start of the Sawtooth Ridge route to the north, and a rough, exposed route WSW to Te Hekenga and beyond.