Distance: 4.9 km (7.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 1051m to 1888m. Gain: 643m. Loss: 844m . Gradient: 18 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

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

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

Just north of the Taruahuna Pass swing NW and climb steep scree faces through a band of bluffs to reach grassy terraces above at 1400m. The creek draining the pass to Lake Mavis is impassible: a series of bluffs and waterfalls, but two good terraces cross the northern face The lower, grassy, on which we now stand terminates at bluffs in the creek; the upper of grey scree connects into the head basin below the pass. The trick is to know when to climb from on to the other. A series of cairns mark the route from the grassy terrace to the scree terrace above; climbing steeply just beyond a sheer rocky chasm. Sidle the broad scree terrace into the valley head; a simple ascent from there to the small unnamed tarn - ‘Lake Anti-Mavis’? Short-grass flats around the lake make for good camping spots, the valley sheltered to the north, south and west.

The lower of the two routes between Lake Anti-Mavis and Lake Mavis is along the broad scree ridgeline north of both lakes – 1800m and flat-topped, and probably the easier route for those headed east. But the ascent from Anti-Mavis to the ridgeline is up 150m of loose fine scree so this is hard for those heading west. Instead climb SW up the remainder of the valley- good stable rock-scree all the way to the 1900m pass just north of pt1978.

An exhillerating scree run takes you 300m down to Lake Mavis - more tussock flats but badly exposed to winds the west. Small more-sheltered campspots behind the dam wall.

Follow the stony ridgeline north of the lake to pt1520, overlooking Goat Pass. Beyond pt1520 small cairns lead to the top of a steep but usable scree gut which drops all the way to the pass far below. Descent is easy and fast, but climbing would be hard work. The scree ends 100m from the boardwalks – a simple walk across tussock onto the paved highway the last two minutes to the hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

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