Distance: 4.1 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 914m to 1313m. Gain: 635m. Loss: 340m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate)
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 (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Tall, walkable scrub / large rocks, occasional waterfalls or gorges in rivers

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 Wakelings Hut, cross the river and follow the track that leads to Maropea Forks. On reaching the ridgeline 500m ENE of the hut, leave the track and follow the ridge SSE. The bush is reasonable - open with a bit of windfall over the 1st two knobs, but becomes scrubby as it climbs towards the third (where the map shows slips on the western face). Either from the summit, or sidling the eastern face, identify the spur dropping ESE and follow it down to the river. Going improves as you descend to reach the river just below the sidecreek.

Head upriver, looking out for the next sidecreek from the west. Climb the face opposite (east), just upriver of the confluence. There's a faint spur here, though not visible on the map. Going is a bit scrubby, but ok. Once you reach the ridgeline, the spur you are on curves north. Leave it and follow the rideline south, dropping slightly to the saddle. Here you will locate the track after about 100m of bushbashing along the summit.

The track climbs the ridge south for a further 500m to reach Top Maropea Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description