Distance: 3.4 km (1.8 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 316m to 953m. Gain: 675m. Loss: 38m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills:

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

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

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

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

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

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

From the roadend the walk starts easy. A good marked, cut track signposted Blue Range crosses the creeks on two wooden bridges and heads off up Reef Creek through conifers on an old logging tramway. After 800m, there's a sudden turn left and the flat tramway is forgotten and a fierce 30 degree climb commences through beech and fern. The climb continues on a constant gradient for 2km until, shortly before the ridgeline, a signposted junction is reached pointing right to Blue Range Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the Blue Range Hut turnoff, a steep, rough, cut, marked tramping track descends through fern and beech to Reef Creek. Once in the valley things improve - the flat bed of an old tramway leads downriver to the roadend, crossing 2 streams on wooden bridges.