Distance: 2.0 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Unmaintained track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 231m to 412m. Gain: 242m. Loss: 423m . Gradient: 20 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)

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

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised 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

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

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

Once on the logging track going is obvious down ridge 666. 200m short of the forks is a flat clearing, at the lower end of which the track cuts sharply left (SW) off the ridge. Follow it down zigzagging to the side-creek. The last 10m of the track have washed out, so drop down directly to the creek, and then scramble downriver 10m of the slip opposite to pick up the track restarting opposite. The crossing is narrow but knee deep in normal flows and can flood (in flood conditions, continuing down ridge 666 to the forks may provide shallower crossings of this sidecreek.

Once on the opposite bank the track climbs past a small terrace then on NW up the face. Shortly before the spur the track becomes faint, but push on 10m and you'll pick it up again at a junction with another logging track dropping down the spur from pt687.

The track sidles the southern face of the Snowy 80 above the river. Two sidecreeks provide scrambles to cross, picking up the old logging track again on the far side at the same altitude. After the 2nd creek the track starts to sidle back down to the river. About 200m above the forks a small flat is crossed on the valleyside and tape marks the junction with another logging track sidling north up the face - this is the wet-weather track to the Waiotauru.

Continuing down the main track you hit the snowy just above the forks with Tregar Creek. Cross just above the forks and pick up the track again on the far bank again cutting off a small corner before crossing Tregar Creek 20m upstream.

Both river crossings are knee deep in normal flows, and can easily flood. In flood conditions, take the 'wet weather' track instead which sticks to the southern valleyside.

This point is the junction of tracks upstream up the south face of the Snowy, the north face of the Snowy and the NW face of Tregar Creek.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Both river crossings are knee deep in normal flows, and can easily flood. In flood conditions, take the 'wet weather' track instead which sticks to the southern valleyside.

From the Tregar Creek crossing, follow the track briefly up the northern bank of the Snowy and then cross the creek. Pick up the track again on the southern bank and follow it upstream for 100m before it starts to climb the face. 100m of sidling climb takes you to a junction with the wet-weather track cutting back downriver up the northern face of the Snowy.

Continuing ESE upriver, the main track climbs and then sidles, crossing two sidecreeks. After the second it starts to climb the spur leading to pt687. After 100m or so, crossing an areas devoid of trees, the ground-trail cuts onto the bank on the downhill side of the track. Leaving the obvious track (which continues to climb) and sidling the face here for 10m and you'll pick up another logging track which drops gently to the next sidecreek upriver. At the sidecreek, head upriver for 10m to the base of small flast, cross, and scramble up the opposite bank to pick up the track again (which has washed out at the crossing).

The track zigzags up the western face of this ridge (ridge 666) until it reaches the summit, and then swings south - not clear, wide and obvious, and follows the ridge uphill.After about 400m the track leaves regenerating scrub and enters mature bush, and soon after ends. A well-worn but unmarked route continues from there, heading up ridge 666 towards Elder Hut. 100m beyond the bushedge a tree adorned with marker tape marks the start of a steep route dropping north to the Snowy at Snowy Camp (Hut)