Distance: 2.4 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Hard terrain
Altitude: 360m to 1101m. Gain: 0m. Loss: 741m . Gradient: 18 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

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

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

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

Hard (difficulty: 5/5)
Thick scrub-bash / continuous river boulders, waterfalls, or gorges

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 ridgeline we sidled west-north-west for a km-or-so – keeping below the scrubby ridgeline until on the main spur heading down between the 2 forks of the 1st sidecreek of the Waikura. Going was tough and slow – mature bush but tangled with supplejack. Once on the ridge we aimed downhill for the creek forks, but soon hit thick, almost impenetrable scrub. The best option was to find a slip and follow it to one of the creekbeds – we chose a slip leading to the southern creek, and hit it some 700m above the forks. From here going was steep with several small, and 1 large waterfalls to sidle round. Valleysides were steep but open grass/scree so sidling was possible but not exactly fun.

Below the forks, going was good for the remaining 700m to the Waikura. But then anything would have been an improvement.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description