Altitude: 314m to 1526m. Gain: 7472m. Loss: 5052m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Altitude: 314m to 757m. Gain: 218m. Loss: 661m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate)
Skills:
Easy benched track from Totara Flats/ Holdsworth Track Junction down to Holdsworth Lodge
Track Junction

Altitude: 732m to 781m. Gain: 57m. Loss: 66m . Gradient: 5 deg (Flat)
Skills:
A good cut benched track

Altitude: 748m to 1215m. Gain: 536m. Loss: 69m . Gradient: 21 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7)
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

Altitude: 1215m to 1459m. Gain: 281m. Loss: 37m . Gradient: 11 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)
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.
1405m highpoint and junction of the Jumbo-Holdsworth circuit with the route north over the Kings.,

Altitude: 1224m to 1394m. Gain: 201m. Loss: 34m . Gradient: 14 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)
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.

Altitude: 481m to 1227m. Gain: 833m. Loss: 87m . Gradient: 24 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills:
Steep, but straightforward climb through forest to Jumbo Hut. A lot of tree roots underfoot.

Altitude: 480m to 551m. Gain: 123m. Loss: 193m . Gradient: 10 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
Relatively easy walk along the Atiwhakatu Track to the hut

Altitude: 560m to 672m. Gain: 117m. Loss: 5m . Gradient: 9 deg (Moderate)
Skills:
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.

Altitude: 375m to 694m. Gain: 788m. Loss: 612m . Gradient: 17 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
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.

Altitude: 375m to 510m. Gain: 774m. Loss: 896m . Gradient: 11 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Occasional rivers (3/6)
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.

Altitude: 489m to 948m. Gain: 459m. Loss: 11m . Gradient: 15 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
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.

Altitude: 893m to 1045m. Gain: 283m. Loss: 288m . Gradient: 12 deg (Gentle)
Skills:
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.

Altitude: 886m to 967m. Gain: 16m. Loss: 83m . Gradient: 11 deg (Gentle)
Skills:
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.

Altitude: 495m to 649m. Gain: 145m. Loss: 297m . Gradient: 17 deg (Moderate)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
No notes taken other than it took me 30 minutes. Please edit if you have details.

Altitude: 672m to 1353m. Gain: 681m. Loss: 0m . Gradient: 16 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7)
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.

Altitude: 496m to 804m. Gain: 518m. Loss: 344m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate)
Skills:
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.

Altitude: 1356m to 1495m. Gain: 194m. Loss: 93m . Gradient: 9 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7)
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.

Altitude: 1382m to 1526m. Gain: 290m. Loss: 270m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7)
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!

Altitude: 669m to 1477m. Gain: 166m. Loss: 963m . Gradient: 18 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)
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.

Altitude: 560m to 672m. Gain: 117m. Loss: 5m . Gradient: 9 deg (Moderate)
Skills:
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.

Altitude: 316m to 953m. Gain: 675m. Loss: 38m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills:
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.