Distance: 1.6 km (1.0 DOC hours) - Marked route
Altitude: 1300m to 1868m. Gain: 24m. Loss: 590m . Gradient: 23 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7)

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

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous moderate climbs

Unknown (difficulty: 0/5)
Not specified

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

On the map, this route looks steep and risky - in wet or icy weather it would be. However, poled all the way, in good weather this is a simple descent on good, grippy rock.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

@millera wrote: Being a poled route, Waiau Pass is reasonably straight forward, with some impressive rocky climbs, requiring stowing of walking poles and clambering up rocks with hands and feet. It flattens significantly near the top, with an easy route in scree (Figure 20a), and views back to Lake Thompson (Figure 20b).