Distance: 4.1 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 579m to 1459m. Gain: 891m. Loss: 103m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

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

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous 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

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

100m back down the road from Kawhatau Base a signpost marks the start of the track to McKinnon Hut / Crow Hut. This is still in the public land - private land starts just down the road at the gate.

Follow the track slightly downriver and cross either on the cablway or through the river. There's quite a sag on this cableway and it's a steep uphill wind from the centre to the far bank, when carrying you, a tramping pack and a 20kg dog, and on your first trip after 4 months convelescence with multiple broken bones!

The track heads straight up the spur opposite, at the far end of the cableway. Well marked and well cut (2009) but very steep - in Jan 2021 the track is still easily followed, but doesn't appear to have been cut in a while and Ongaonga (stinging nettle) is frequently encountered. Pants/long sleeves are advised. After a couple of steep sections things ease off and you get into open beech forest. 700 vertical meters later you emerge onto tussock tops. The track along the ridgeline is poled and well travelled as far as the Crow turnoff, which is reached shortly after the first high point. The junction is signposted.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the Crow turnoff, the poled route follows the ridgelione NW for a bit over a kilometer, dropping gently to the bushedge. Once in the bush a good marked, cut track drops down the spur to the Kawhatau River. Steep at first and very steep lower down.

The river can be crossed in the water, or in the cage. The cage is hard going, so be prepared.

On the far side the track climbs the far bank, heading slightly upriver, before emerging onto the road just inside the park boundary. Kawhatau Base hut (locked, bookable) is 100 m west up the road.