Distance: 1.7 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 378m to 655m. Gain: 199m. Loss: 277m . Gradient: 17 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

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

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

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

From the point where the Otamaraho Stream flows out of the Ruahine Park, head up the inside (Ruahine side) of the fenceline climbing due west. This is a small, steep gully of open bush. Keep near to the fenceline as the gully peters out, swinging SW across the face to cross the spur which drops due south. Once over the spur, drop SSW into the head of the dry gully visible from map contours - the 2nd dry gully visible within the park. Stick to mature bush as you descend and you will have an easy descent, though patches of dog nettle are present. Avoid continuing too far west as the good bush becomes thick scrub beyond this gully.

Once in the gully, follow it to the north forks of the Mangapuaka Stream, and then follow that downstream until you reach the forks with the main, southern branch - at the park boundary. Travel is best in-stream, or on the western bank. The eastern bank becomes very thick.

Once on the shingle flats of the main fork of the Mangapuaka, cross the main river (ankle deep in normal flows, but can flood)head upstream 150m to where a signpost on the western bank points south out of the riverbed to the Kumeti Roadend. The roadend is 20m out of the river.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Kumeti Roadend, drop into the riverbed and head downriver 150m to the forks. The creek mush be crossed, and though ankle deep in normal flows, can flood.

Follow the smaller northen fork of the Mangapuaka upriver for 400m to the 2nd dry basin on the NE bank, as shown on the map. Climb this dry basin to reach the spur 60m below the unmarked knob. Then swing due east through clearing until you pick up the fenceline dropping into the Otamaraho (the bushedge dropping east on the topomap). Sticking inside the bush, you'll pick up a steep, but open dry gully 50m from the bushedge, dropping east to reach the Otamaraho just inside the park boundary.