Distance: 3.0 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Benched track - Easy terrain
Altitude: 815m to 1315m. Gain: 561m. Loss: 69m . Gradient: 12 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Benched track (3/9)
Benched, maintained, marked tramping track or pack-track

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

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

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

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

A newly recut, benched track leads from the Rangiwahia Carpark at the end of Renfrew Road to Rangiwahia Hut. Cross the style at the carpark, and take the left hand track signposted Rangiwahia Hut. This track sidles the face, climbing gently through first beech and later low podocarp bush. The track climbs in a gentle zigzag to pass over a large slip, before descending in similar manor to cross Chamberlain Creek on a high, arched bridge. From here the gradient steepens, but the track is still good and suitable for all abilities and ages. The track continues to sidle, climbing the face into scrub, later letherleaf, and finally tussock tops. A small stream is crossed 200m before the hut, and is a good source of nice drinking water (water at the hut is from roof tanks and can get smokey after heavy use in winter).

Emerging onto the broad tussock tops, the track forks with a right turn climbing to the Mangahuia rops and the track straight-on leading 100m to the hut - just on the far side of the ridge, looking out towards Mts Ruapehu and Ngarahoe. A short track leads from the hut to pt1327 where a bench provides a lookout over the Manawatu to the coast and, on a good day, as far as Mt Taranaki.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Rangi hut, return to the track junction above the hut, and take the southern fork signposted to Renfrew Road. A good benched track zigzags and sidles gently down the face until it reaches Chamberlain Creek - crossed on a high arched bridge. Beyond the bridge the track climbs in a series of zigzags to pass above an old slip, before returning to its gentle downhill sidle all the way to Renfrew Road carpark.