Distance: 3.6 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Road - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 445m to 679m. Gain: 318m. Loss: 93m . Gradient: 7 deg (Gentle)
Skills:

Road (1/9)
Formed road, 4WD track, etc

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

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

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

Akatawara Saddle is a very bad spot to leave vehicles. Working the area I see fresh breakins each time I visit.

From Akatawara Saddle a 4WD track winds east along the ridgeline towards the Waiotauru. The first 3.5 km are very rough with deep scouring and require very good clearance and good 4WD skill. The route is good on two wheels (powered or not) and viable for a skilled ATV user. For tramping it's a long trudge along a rutted 4WD track

Several turnoffs exist in the first 3km, but all are either dead ends, or drop into private land to the north.

Sidling the northern face of the ridge, the track swings north to pass a spur, where a hairpin bend swings back south. A gravel pile marks the start of a rough, steep old logging track dropping north into the Ngatiawa at this point. ATV / motorbike only.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Dropping gently west from the track junction, the Oddlands Rd winds its way to the Akatarawa Saddle. Several turnoffs exists, but all either lead to deadends, ro drop north into private land.

These 3.5 km are very rough with deep scouring and require very good clearance and good 4WD skill. The route is good on two wheels (powered or not) and viable for a skilled ATV user. For tramping it's a long trudge along a rutted 4WD track