Distance: 4.9 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 1108m to 1857m. Gain: 864m. Loss: 115m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

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

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

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

The route from the cairn is uncomplicated – cross to the true left and climb (steeply) away from the river to an obvious saddle, avoiding the Spaniard grass. Then gradually descend back to the river, below a major gut on the true left. From here, stay in the river, boulder-hopping, until just below the final climb to the tarns – easy travel.

For the climb to 3 Tarns, we exited the river to the TL at the 1400m contour - in hindsight, it would probably be better to continue in the stream to the 1600m contour.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

(notes copied from duplicate route by Millera)

The route to Three Tarn Pass heads north on a fairly flat ledge around both tarns with a fairly straight forward walk up schist to the pass itself. This is a very narrow gap in the ridge, easily visible in clear weather from both sides. The West Matakitaki side of Three Tarn Pass is a narrow and steep chute followed by reasonably easy walking down steep scree, avoiding the occasional small bluff, to the tarns. The West Matakitaki valley is a majestic valley clearly carved out by glaciers with the terminal moraine leaving the three tarns. Travel down the valley is reasonably straight forward. I stayed on the true left of the river for about 500 metres, until reaching 1,485m, when it became necessary to cross the river constantly to find the easiest travel. Parts of the river had very steep sides, and on occasion I found myself in bogs buried up to my knees and sometimes thighs, sliding down steep banks and alternating between walking over boulders on the side of the river and terraces above the river, with speargrass as a constant companion. The river rounded the moraine wall to head east, after which the travel became substantially easier on river flats, with what appeared to be evidence of pigs. Beyond these river flats the river enters a small gorge, with it being necessary to leave the river at about 1,150m and climb above it on the true left, and then descend back to the river, reaching it at 1,100m. This traverse required scrambling between rocks, hebes, flax and then pushing through thick young beech forest to reach the river. On reaching the river at 1,100m I crossed it, and found travel reasonably straight forward down grassy river flats again on the true right. Eventually at about 1,080m the river flats ended, met by heavy beech forest on a reasonably steep hillside.