From the picnic area, an old roadway crosses the Roding River on a bridge and continues up the northern bank of Hacket Creek. The roadway is flat and well surfaced but for a few puddles.

After 1km a long DOC suspension bridge crosses Hacket Creek to the southern bank. From here a benched walkway continues upriver a firth 1.5km to where a signpost marks the junction of the Hacket and Chromium Mines tracks.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A good flat benched track heads downriver from the Hacket / Chromium mines track junction. After 1.5km this crosses the Hacket River on a DOC suspension bridge to the northern bank. From here an old roadbed leads the remaining 1km to the Hacket picnic area.

Upriver from the Chromium Mines track junction, the benched track continues to sidle low on the river banks. As the valleysides steepen the track climbs and sidles 10-15m above the river, but the gradient is still easy. A signpost, just before the Hacket Creek / Browning River confluence, marks the junction of the tracks to Hacket Hut and Browning Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Downriver from the Hacket Hut / Browning Hut track junction, the benched track sidles low on the valleyside until it reaches a signposted turnoff for the Chromium Mines track.

Upriver from the Hacket / Browning track junction, the Hacket Hut track climbs steadily up the western face of the Hacket Valley, gaining some 80m and sidling through pine trees. A slip 200m before the hut has caused a brief, marked detour above the track. 100m before the hut, the track joins a forestry road and drops back to the valley. A bridge 100m upriver provides a dry crossing to Hacket Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A bridge 100m upriver from the hut provides dry access to the western bank. Here an old forestry road heads briefly downriver before swinging west. Shortly after the corner, look out for DOC triangles heading north through the pines - the track down the Hacket Valley.

After wandering through pines for a bit, the track starts to sidle the valleyside - a good benched walking track. A small slip has led to a short deviation on a rough, marked bypass track above the original track. Once past this the track is a good benched track descending steadily to the confluence of Hacket Creek and Browning Stream, where a signpost marks the junction with the Browning Hut track.

From Hacket Hut, head upriver to the bridge, cross, and then drop into the riverbed. A kilometer of riverbed walking follows upriver, with 8-or-so mandatory crossings. Crossings were knee-deep with moderate snow-melt, but hut book reports the creek flooding in rain,

After 1km, DOC trianlges on the true left (western) bank mark the start of the Starveall Track. The track climbs onto a spur, and then follows it, and later a branch of the creek up to Starveall Hut. The last section is moderately steep, but the track is well marked and cut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A signposted track drops north from Starveall Hut, zigzagging down the face and paralleling the stream north. After about 4.5km the track drops into the Hacket Creek riverbed and ends. A further kilometer walking down the riverbed follows with 8-or-so mandatory crossings. Crossings were knee-deep with moderate snow-melt, but hut book reports the creek flooding in rain,

100m above Hacket Hut, a fixed bridge is reached, crossing the creek. A track runs down the true-right of the river from here to Hacket Hut, which stands in a large clearing on the eastern bank.

From Starveall Hut, follow the poled route as it sidles the southern face of pt1243 to the saddle east of the highpoint. From here a sharp, defined spur climbs steeply to Mt Starveall - a few scrambles are required on rocky sections and an ice-axe is advisable in icy conditions.

On reaching the flat top of Starveall, the poled route heads south, sticking close to the eastern escarpment, before swinging east and dropping into bush. A good cut marked track crosses two low saddles to reach open tops again 100m below Slaty Peak. A poled route sidles the face eastwards, rounding a sput and then dropping south to the bushedge on the eastern face of Staty Peak where Slaty Hut is visible.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Slaty Hut, the poled route climbs slightly before sidling east to join the spur north of Slaty Peak at the bushline. A well marked, cut track drops through the bush, passing two low saddles with an intermediate peak, before climbing steeply to Mt Starveall. The bushedge is reached a few meters below the flat summit is attained. A poled route heads north across the flat top, before dropping steeply NNW down the spur towards Starveall Hut. A few minor scrambles down rocky sections of ridgeline are required, which make an ice-axe advisable if covered in ice.

Reaching a saddle, the track sidles scree on the southern face of pt1243 before arriving at the saddle where Starveall Hut is located.

From Slaty Hut, follow the poled route which sidles the eastern face of Slaty PEak before regaining the ridgeline and crossing a slight saddle to pt1538. From pt1538 the route drops to a low bushy saddle, before returning to tussock and low scrub on Ada Flat - the unmarked junction with the main Richmond Range,

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Ada flat the Alpine Route heads north across tussock tops, dropping to a bushy saddle before climbing to the open pt1538, topped by a crown of rock. Here a major spur joins from the NE (a rough route down to Roebuck Hut), and the Alpine Route swings WNW towards Slaty Peak. The route continues poled along an obvious ridgeline until just prior to Slaty PEak, where it cuts across the steep eastern tussock face (far higher than shown on the map) before descending to Slaty Hut.

The track is poled, and well used.

The poled route (‘The Alpine Route’) heads south over Ada Flat, and descends to a saddle where a cut track swings SSW to Old Man. There is a water tank on the summit of Old Man – very welcome in the dry ranges. A signpost marks the track junction.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Old Man summit a poled route heads north, dropping towards a saddle where it becomes a cut track through the bush. Climbing again the poled route resumes across the flat tops of Ada Flat. A ridgeline joins from the east here - the main Richmond Range with a rough, hard route along it to Richmond Saddle.

From the junction at Old Man summit the track west along the ridgeline to Old Man Hut and Mt Rintoul is signposted and well maintained. A signpost points marks the junction of the Alpine Route and the track down to Old man Hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the junction above Old Man Hut the track east along the ridgeline to Old Man summit is signposted and well maintained. The track junction on Old Man Summit is marked by a signpost and a water tank.

A moderate poled tramping track, including two steep 400m+climbs/descents over the two high and exposed peaks of Mt Rintoul. Would be very difficult in poor visibility as route is not obvious and poles are sparse in places.

Do not be fooled by Mt Rintoul. It is not a mountain. It is in fact two mountains with a steep, low saddle between them.

From the Old Man Hut turnoff the track climbs west to the bush-edge at the foot of the eastern peak, and then up good stable scree to the summit, a 350m climb. From the summit the disheartening low saddle before the west peak is visible, with an impossible knife-back ridge linking the two peaks. Fear not, you don’t have to walk along that ridge. Instead, the poled route drops steeply W down a series of loose gravel chutes to the scree-face at the foot of the southern face of the knife-back ridge. Poles continue, sidling below the bluffs to the base of western peak. From here they climb steeply up loose scree to regain the ridgeline between the two peaks, which they follow to the summit. Another 450m climb. If you’re not too tired- look NE from the summit for wonderful views over Nelson and to Motueka valley. From the western summit of Mt Rintoul the poled route crosses the summit, and descends to the bushline, from where a cut, marked track continues to the 6-bed Rintoul Hut, from where you can watch the lights of Nelson as you cook a well earned feed! 3h00, 4km

Beware of bad weather – the poled route between the 2 peaks is very hard to find in fog, and a number of parties have reported spending several days trapped between the two peaks waiting for visibility to improve.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Mt Rintoul Hut, a cut track climbs east to the bushline, from where a poled route leads to the summit - a 450m climb. If you’re not too tired- look NE from the summit for wonderful views over Nelson and to Motueka valley. The poled route continues SE across the flat, deatureless summit before descending the main ridgline east. As the ridgeline narrows to a knife-edge, the track drops south and sidles the easy face there just above the bushline. Several parties report getting trapped here by bad weather on the two summits - there are worse places to camp though...

Climbing again towards the eastern summit the poled route ascends a series of scree chutes to regain the ridgeline, which it follows to the top. From the 2nd summit the route continues east, dropping to the bushline on good stable scree, where a cut, marked track starts. 500m later the first of two signposted turnoffs south to Old Man Hut is reached. The second turnoff is 500m further east along the track on the next summit.

From Mt Rintoul Hut a clear cut track continues to the bushline at Purpletop, from where a poled route leads to the saddle to the south of the summit. Circling the summit, the poled route descends back west into stunted beech, where a wide cut track leads to the junction south of Bishop’s Cap where a signpost marks the track junction.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the track junction at Bishops Cap, a cut marked track runs east and climbs to the bushedge at Purple Top. A poled route climbs to the summit, which it circles round before sidling NNW on the eastern face to reach the bush again. From here the cut marked track resumes and runs to Mt Rintoul Hut.

Taking the track south towards Tarn Hut from Bishops Cap, you’re back into mature beech. After 3km of ridgeline and sidling, a signposted turnoff descends east to Tarn Hut, whist the main track continues along the ridge. It’s only 200m and a 40m descent to Tarn Hut (5 beds) and one of 3 lakes in the Richmond Ranges – surely worth a look!

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Tarn Hut return to the ridgeline track and follow it north through mature beech forest. After 3km of ridgeline walking a signposted track junction is reached, 200m south of the summit of Bishops Cap.

From Tarn Hut, return to the ridgeline track and follow it south. After 2km the first of two signposted turnoffs to Mid Wairoa Hut is reached. The second junction is 1km beyond near the northern summit of Bushy Top.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the Bushy Top track junctions, a cut marked track runs north along the ridgeline. 3km from the southern junction, a signpost marks the turnoff east to Tarn Hut. Tarn Hut is 200m away in a basin to the east, beside one of only 3 lakes in the Richmond Ranges, and is worth a visit.

A cut marked track descends steadily down the spur from Bushy Top, swinging later SW before pt812 to reach the river just below Mid Wairoa Hut. For those coming from the northern of the two signposted Mid Wairoa Hut track junctions, a track sidles the western face, avoiding a 200m climb, to join the main track west of the summit.

The river is crossed on a swingbrisge, and Mid Wairoa Hut is just upstream on the opposite bank.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Cross the swingbridge just below Mid Wairoa Hut, and follow the cut marked track as it climbs steadily NE. Reaching the main spur it swings SSE and continues to climb to reach the main ridgeline just north of Bushy Top at a signposted track junction.

For those heading north, a junction 200m below the summit marks the start of a sidle track which avoids the last 200m climb, joining the track to Tarn Hut 1km north of Bushy Top.