Distance: 1.4 km (0.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 369m to 444m. Gain: 96m. Loss: 104m . Gradient: 8 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

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

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

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

From Barner Forks, a track heads downriver on the north-eastern bank. Dropping to gravel flats at the next confluence you can either cut right and pick up the sidle track on the opposite bank of the sidecreek (large triangle) or follow the riverbed down to the reservoir, then cut into the bush and pick up the track there.

The track climbs and drops a few times as it sidles the steep face to the dam, which it then crosses on the dam top to reach the carpark at the end of Mangahao Road.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the carpark at the end of the Mangahao Road, climb onto the top of the dam and follow the track across it to the opposite side. A sidle track then runs SE, dropping and climbing the steep valleyside until it reaches the Baber River valley. The track remains more-or-less defined until the 2nd forks - Baber Forks where it ends 20m up College Creek at a signpost.

From here you can either continue up College Creek, or cross and pick up the overgrown Puketurua Track climbing the spur opposite.