Distance: 2.6 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Unmaintained track - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 400m to 882m. Gain: 491m. Loss: 9m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmaintained track (5/9)
Former track, overgrown - markers / ground trail still followable

Secondary, mapped (3/5)
Formal route, on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Cross College Creek at Baber forks and push through the undergrowth to find the tip of the spur opposite. A well defined, but unmaintained track starts at the base of the spur and climb it. DOC removed markers sometime prior to 2012, but local hunters keep the route reasonably clear of vegetation/windfall as far as the bushedge. The track starts off very steep, but becomes a steady climb after the first 100m or so. As bush is replaced by scrub above 700, the track becomes overgrown with flax, and harder work pushing your way between the bushes. Eventually you reach the ridgeline between pt840 and pt945 and join the Main Range route at a junction marked with flagging tape (2013).

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

The turnoff for the Puketurua Track is easy to miss on the flaxy tops. The junction is on open tops (flax and low, scattered leatherleaf) and was marked with flagging tape (2013). It lies 40m south of the start of a 2m+ tall section of thick leatherleaf on a knob.

The track has a well worn ground trail, and was once 2m wide and cut, but has become overgrown with flax. Dropping NE down the spur it is scrubby at first, but improves once you get into the bush, were maintenance by local hunters commences. Track markers were removed by DOC some time between 2008 and 2012, but the route is fairly obvious and well travelled.

After a last, very steep descent, the track hits the valley floor at Baber Forks. The start of the track to the dam is on the opposite bank across College Creek - normally ankle to knee deep, but capable of flooding in very heavy rain.