Easy benched track from Totara Flats/ Holdsworth Track Junction down to Holdsworth Lodge

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Track Junction

A good cut benched track

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A good cut benched track

A good benched track climbs gently up the spur from Mountain House Shelter to Powell Hut. A couple of steep staircase sections, before exiting the bushline onto a rocky section with good views down the Waiohine Valley to Totara Flats and beyond

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A good benched track descends gently down the spur to Mountain House Shelter from Powell Hut.

Serviced Hut

A well-worn poled route climbs gently up the spur above Powell Hut to reach Mt Holdsworth Summit. The summit marks the junction of the well-marked route north to Jumbo Hut and a faint trail running west to Isabelle and Mid Waiohine Hut. Though the track is easy, the area is high and exposed.

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A well-worn trail runs south off Mt Holdsworth towards Powell Hut. Poled and very obvious it's an easy, gentle descent. Though the track is easy, the area is high and exposed.

1405m highpoint and junction of the Jumbo-Holdsworth circuit with the route north over the Kings.,

A well used track, worn into the hillside drops down the spur east of Jumbo towards Jumbo Hut. Easy going and impossible to miss on open tops.

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A well used track, worn into the hillside climbs the spur west of Jumbo towards Jumbo Hut. Easy going and impossible to miss on open tops.

Steep, but straightforward climb through forest to Jumbo Hut. A lot of tree roots underfoot.

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Relatively easy walk along the Atiwhakatu Track to the hut

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A good tramping track leads north upriver from the Jumbo Hut junction, crossing the main creek on a bridge and climbing north to a saddle. On the saddle a signposted junction marks the start of a track NW to the tops at Baldy.

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From the Baldy track junction, drop south on a good tramping track to the Atiwhakatu River, which is crossed on a bridge. The turnoff to Jumbo Hut is reached 300m later, and is signposted.

The track from Baldy Saddle to Mitre Flats is tedious and painful. All the worst features of a Tararua sidle track it climbs and falls repeatedly.

Firstly it drops from the saddle into the scoured-out creek below. The track is frequently obliterated through this valley by floods, and care is required to locate the track climbing again on the far side, just downriver. The creek must be crossed and is a trickle in normal flows, but floods in extreme rainfall.

From here you are back in stable bush, but several more ascents and descent round sidecreeks, bluffs and slips are required before the track finally drops to the Sth Mitre Stream confluence. The creek is bridges, and Mitre Flats Hut lies another 100m up the main valley.

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The track from to Mitre Flats to Baldy Saddle is tedious and painful. All the worst features of a Tararua sidle track it climbs and falls repeatedly.

Head downriver from Mitre Flats, remaining on the western bank. Sth Mitre Creek is crossed on a bridge, then the track begins to climb the valleyside. The next 3km are a series of climbs and falls - for no obvious reason. 400m before Baldy Saddle the track drops into a scoured out creek bed. This frequently floods and the track is normally obliterated. A scramble is required to cross it, and some care is necessary to pick up the track starting again just upstream on the opposite side.

From here the track climbs once more to reach Baldy Saddle. The junction is in a different location to that marked on the map, a signpost here marks the junction with the Baldy Track, climbing NE to the tops.

Track begins from the hut side of the bridge (true right) and is a very picturesque track following the Waingawa River to Mitre Flats. Undulating with plenty of roots and side streams to cross. Quite a bit of recent windfall as of Oct 2017 - most easily negotiable, although one creek bed near S40° 47.792' E175° 29.333' requires some care to get in and out of (mind the onga onga), and another scramble down the bank above a decent blockage at S40° 48.625' E175° 28.981'.
DOC signage/ website recommends 3.5-4 hours, but I would suggest allowing at least 4-5 in current condition.

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Cross the swingbridge at Cow Creek hut, and follow the cut, marked track down flats on the opposite bank for about 600m. The track cuts sharply east and climbs a spur to the ridgeline 400m above. The top of the climb is marked by a signpost (pointing back the way you came): Waingawa River. This is the junction of the track to Blue Range with a route from Cow Saddle to the north.
Side stream can be difficult to cross after high rain fall.

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From the Waingawa River signpost, follow the track as it descends steeply west to the river. Once on the valley floor the track heads upriver on flats on the eastern bank to reach the swingbridge just before the hut. Cow Creek Hut is on the opposite bank at the forks

Above the Blue Range Hut tunoff, the track gradient becomes gentle as it turns SW and swings round the head of a river basin. Heading north it descends gently down a broad bush ridgeline. Shortly before reaching pt970 the track swings sharply easy off the range towards Cow Creek Hut. A siognpost 'Waingawa River' marks the point.

A route also continues north from here over pt970 to Cow Saddle.

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South of pt970 the track follows the range south then east round the head of a catchment before swinging north towards Blue Hut. 400m before the hut, the track starts to drop west off the ridge. A signposted track junction is just off the crest of the ridge, with a track turning off left to Blue Range Hut.

From the signposted track junction, the Blue Range Hut track sidles north onto the ridge, and follows it before dropping north on a side-spur to Blue Range Hut. The track is marked and cut through beech and fern.

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From Blue Range Hut, the track climbs south onto the ridge, and follows it before dropping slightly south to sidle the face, where it meets the main track from Kiriwhakapapa to Cow Creek at a signposted junction.

No notes taken other than it took me 30 minutes. Please edit if you have details.

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Well formed track from Cow Saddle down to the river - you can see the hut across the river, which could be crossed in low flows, track turns left (south east) and crosses at least one side stream. It seems to go well past the hut, but you will arrive at a big new swing-bridge. Hut is located immediately on opposite bank.

A steady 400m climb up the cut marked track from Cow Saddle takes you to the bushedge. Shortly before emerging onto tops a small stream crosses the track with good campspots beside it.

The climb is not over. The well cut track continues for another 100m-or-so of leatherleaf taking you to open tussock beyond. However, the route does not get much use and there is no ground trail beyond this, so it's a slow ascent on rolling tussocks, a further 300 vertical meters to reach to top.

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Head up hill behind the hut, climb further than it would seem you need to from the map and look out for the old sign where the sidle track angles off up valley. A well established route with old markers continues up the spur and people have been known to miss the start of the sidle track proper. From the turn off the sidle track is typical of the area with heaps of seemingly pointless ups and downs before finally dropping down the open spur to Arete Forks. It is usually open enough and easy to follow the markers but it will depend on how long it has been since it was last cut. Side streams will be a problem in heavy rain.
Much the same time either way. During low flows the river can be a sensible option for experienced river travelers, especially when descending, with only a few deep wades or swims required.

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From Angle knob a clear, easy ridgeline drops SE towards Jumbo. The route is not marked but a reasonable ground trail exists through low tussock.

The junction with the Holdsworth Jumbo track is marked with a signpost, and the 'highway' of a track is impossible to miss when you hit it.

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From Jumbo a clear, easy ridgeline climbs gently NW towards the obvious highpoint at Angle Knob. The route is not marked but a reasonable ground trail exists through low tussock

Relatively straight forward traverse along the ridge top between McGregor Biv turnoff and top of the Baldy Track. Route is unmarked, but has a clear footpad in most places (a little unclear south of McGregor). The Pinnacles themselves are slightly exposed, but without any bits that are too scrambly - the exception being the final northern rock of which there is a poled bypass track on the eastern side. It would be much easier to climb up this section, than down. It involves four short sections of down climbing and scrambling - narrow and very exposed in places. You need to have a bit of climbing nous and a good head for heights to go over the top - being tall is also an advantage!

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A continuous descent through tussock following cairns until a cut track at the bush line. The track has recently been cut and is easy to follow, with only one or two short steep sections.

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A good tramping track leads north upriver from the Jumbo Hut junction, crossing the main creek on a bridge and climbing north to a saddle. On the saddle a signposted junction marks the start of a track NW to the tops at Baldy.

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From the Baldy track junction, drop south on a good tramping track to the Atiwhakatu River, which is crossed on a bridge. The turnoff to Jumbo Hut is reached 300m later, and is signposted.

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.

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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.