Distance: 3.2 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Marked route - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 184m to 617m. Gain: 505m. Loss: 79m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Marked route (6/9)
Uncut route, with markers normally within sight

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

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

An old signpost points right to 'Quartz Creek Track', leading upriver from the point where the Platinum Mine track ascends from the Kahuterawa to the tops above. Following this track for 10 minutes leads to Quartz Creek where the track appears to end.

From the confluence of Quartz Creek and Kahuterawa Stream, head 10 to 15 meters up Quartz Creek to where a rope is stretched over the riverbed. On the far (eastern) side of this, just upstream from a small bluff, a rough track can be identified climbing the valleyside. This soon becomes a well-maintained bait station line, cut through the bush and marked with orange triangles. The cut track climbs steadily to pt624 where the track maintenance ends at the last baitstation.

Beyond here, flagging tape marks a well-travelled route south along the ridgeline towards Arawaru. A track junction is marked by an excess of flagging tape at the unnamed / unnumbered peak 500m south of pt624: this is the junction with the Main Ridge Track which heads east towards pt600.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the track junction, continue north a further 400m to pt624 along the roughly-marked route. At pt624 bait station and track maintenance commence, and a well-marked, well cut route continues north, dropping steeply to the Quartz Creek confluence. Crossing Quartz Creek (ankle deep, but could flood in extreme conditions), a good, benched, walking track commences, leading a further 300m to join the Sledge Track at a signposted junction.