A signposted marked walking track climbs from the carpark skirting houses and joins the Mt Judah Track (former roadway) as it makes its sidling climb up the western side of the Buckler Burn valley.

After 1km (30 mins) the first historic site is reached -the Glenorchy Battery. The most complete of all the sites the equipment is still present and looks as if only abandoned a few days ago. Another 30 minutes takes you to the first mine - located below the track and signposted. This is a drift mine tunneled into the hillside. Old huts, railways and the mine entrance are all visible though exploration of tunnels is discouraged.

1km beyond the mine a signposted track junction is reached with a track dropping towards the Buckler Burn below, with access (if the river is low enough to cross) to MacIntyre and MacIntosh huts. The main track continues to climb towards further mine sites and Heather Jock Hut.

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From the signposted track junction the Mt Judah Track makes a slow sidling descent towards the main Wakatipu Valley below. A drift mine is passed after 1km, and the large Glenorchy Battery another kilometer after that. Soon after a signpost points right to the carpark and the public track leaves the now-private Mt Judah Road and drops to the carpark beside Buckler Burn below.

An old 4WD track sidles down to the forks of Buckler Burn and Bonnie Jean Creek before crossing and zigzagging up the far side.

The crossing is deep and fast with a bad runout to rapids below. The cableway shown opn some maps has been removed. This crossing can become impassable even after short periods of rain or heavy snowmelt. As always - if in doubt, do not cross. Be prepared to turn back.

The 4WD track climbs gently through beech before emerging onto tussock faces. McIntyre hut is just above the track after the first switchback and is visible from the track.

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From MacIntyre Hut the 4WD track zigzags down to the forks of Buckler Burn with Bonnie Jean Creek.

The crossing is deep and fast with a bad runout to rapids below. The cableway shown opn some maps has been removed. This crossing can become impassable even after short periods of rain or heavy snowmelt. As always - if in doubt, do not cross. Be prepared to turn back.

On the far side the track makes a sidling climb travelling 1km downstream as it rises to join the Mt Judah Track at The Junction.

From McIntyre's Hut the old 4WD track zigzags up the face to reach the saddle at the head of Long Gully, marked as pt1244 on maps. A signpost marks the junction with the McIntosh loop track.

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From the signposted turnoff a 4WD track drops down the eastern face of Long Gully in a series of zigzags, passing McIntyre's Hut.

Ice axe / crampons required if snow level below 1200m

A poled route leads up the northern side of Buckler Burn to join 4WD tracks to McIntosh Huts.

From the Mt Judah Carpark, return to the main road, cross the bridge toward Glenorchy and look out for a vague track and partially hidden signpost 15m north of the bridge on the western side of the road. Nose around against the deer fence until you find it.

The poled route is cut through scrub, following the deer fence up the western side of Buckler Burn and climbing gently. After 1km the route veers off the fenceline and follows a working water race.until it hits a fenceline at the bottom of Chinamans Flat. The poled route swings west, following the fenceline and involving a bit of a scramble across a small creek. Once on the far side the route is clear, following the fenceline to the base of the peak visible ahead.

The route ascends the peak in three very steep climbs, sticking beside the fenceline all the way to the summit, and gaining 600m in little over 1km. Very steep.

Once at pt1203 the track follows the ridgeline climbing gently to meet the 4WD track at pt1247. The 4WD track leads east over a series of sharp summits to the saddle at pt1244 where a signpost marks the junction with the track from McIntyre Hut and the Mt Judah Track in the valley below.

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From the track junction at saddle 1244, the 4WD track heads west climbing over a series of sharp knobs to pt1247 where a signpost marks the point to leave the 4WD track. A poled route follows the fenceline south from pt1247 along the main ridgeline to pt1203. A series of 3 very steep descents follow, the poled route following the fenceline down some 600m in little over 1km.

On reaching Chinamans Flat, the poles continue, following the fenceline west, crossing a small gully in a bit of a scramble, to meet a water race beyond. Follow the water race downstream for 1km until it disappears back through the fence then follow the fenceline all the way to the main road. The route is cut through scrub lower down, and is poled throughout. The Judah carpark is 100m south along the main road, across the Buckler Burn bridge.

From The Junction, the Mt Judah Road continues its sidling climb, swinging into the catchment of Bonnie Jean Creek. After 1.5km a signposted track junction is reached with a track dropping to Jean Hut and the other continuing to climb towards Bonnie Jean.

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From the Jean / Bonnie Jean junction, the Mt Judah Road makes an easy sidling descent on Bonnie Jean Creek and out onto the faces of the Buckler Burn. After 1.5km a second signposted track junction is reached with a turnoff cuts back and down to the Buckler Burn and MacIntosh / MacIntrye Huts.

From Heather Jock Hut the track drops gently south - an old 4WD track. 300m from the hut a signposted track junction marks the turnoff to Jean Hut. To head to Bonnie Jean, ignore the turnoff and continue to sidle the 4WD track upstream into Bonnie Jean Creek. After 1km the track becomes indistinct and a badly poled route zigzags down the face to Bonnie Jean Huts below. The huts and equipment shed are closed off with bars - but you can peer through at the equipment and possessions of the former miners.

A clear poled route drops from Bonnie Jean hut into Bonnie Jean creek, where Boozer Hut is visible on the opposite bank. The creek is easily hopped across in normal flows, but could flood in extreme conditions. Boozer Hut is weathertight, but is a historic hut available for day use only.

From Boozer Hut a poled tramping track sidles out of Bonnie Jean Creek on the southern side for 500m before dropping to reach the end of the My Judah Road at the signposted Jean / Bonnie Jean junction.

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The Bonnie Jean track climbs the face from the Jean turnoff - now just a tramping track rather than a roadbed. Follow the poled route, which sidles the face cutting 500m upstream to cross the Bonnie Jean Creek at Boozer Hut. Boozer Hut is weathertight, but historic and available for day use only.

The creek in ankle deep and easily hopped across in normal flows, but could flood in extreme conditions.

The track is poled and climbs steeply to Bonnie Jean Huts, vizible perched precariously on the face above. The huts and equipment shed are closed off with bars - but you can peer through at the equipment and possessions of the former miners.

Above Bonnie Jean the track becomes indistinct, but continues to zigzag up the face for another hundred vertical meters before becoming obvious again as a former vehicle track, sidling and climbing north towards Heather Jock Hut. 300m before the hut a signpost marks the turnoff back down to the road via Jean Hut.

An old 4WD track sidles down to Bonnie Jean Creek, and then starts a zigzagging climb of the face opposite. The first switchback takes you to the historic Jean Hut - available for day use only but intact and weathertight. Countless more switchbacks follow as the now faint track / poled route climbs 400m up the face. At 1300m the Bonnie Jean track joins from the right, and a final switchback takes you the last 300m to Heather Jock Hut.

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Follow the old 4WD track back south from Heather Jock Hut for some 300m to a signposted track junction, from where the Jean Hut track descends zigzagging to the valley floor below. Jean Hut is reached just before the river, and whilst weathertight is historic and available for day use only. Crossing the creek at a ford (ankle deep in normal flows) the track rejoins the Bonnie Jean track on the opposite face.

From Heather Jock Hut, climb to the spur and follow it south climbing towards Mt Alaska. After 500m an obvious old mining track (4WD) crosses the spur and sidles the face to the east - follow it. The track is unmaintained and crosses several active slips - an ice-axe or pole was handy crossing these steep, loose sections. The track crosses two creeks, zigzagging out of each before sidling a large tussock basin to reach the former Larkins Slip Hut, of which only the roof remains (2015).

This appears to be the end of the usable track - beyond it disappears completely as it crosses Larkins Slip towards the former mine site.

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Fromn the former Larkins Slip Hut, an old miners track sidles west towards Heather Jock. Crossing two gullies, the track sidles over several active slips and has been wiped out in places. A good pole ro ice-axe is handy for these steep crossings. Once on the main spur descending from Mt Alaska to Heather Jock you can leave the track and follow the spur down. Heather Jock Hut is visible 150m west of the main spur.

Avalanche risk unknown.

Many possible routes exist down from the road end at Larkins Slip Hut to Wallers Hut - this is the one I took.

Head 100m back west from the hut site and drop down the central spur to the main forks below the hut. Cross the creek (both forks) and sidle the eastern face, picking up the old track / water race visible. The track ends after a few hundred meters, but continue sidling round onto the spur east of Larkins Creek and follow it down to the fenceline. Follow the fence to Wallers Hut.

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From Wallers Hut, follow the fenceline up the spur, and then cut west into Larkins Creek at the 3-way forks shown on the map. Climb the spur between the western two forks until you hit the old road 100m west of the former miners hut site.

I travelled this in spring (October) with snow at 1700m, and it was doable with an ice-axe but no crampons - though crampons would have been really useful for the descent of the dark eastern face. The route crosses visible small avalanche paths below Mt Butement, which could be an issue in heavy snow loading. There was little snow there when I passed in October.

Moirs Guide recommends not using Monument saddle due to the eastern descent, but by following the route described here the bluffs on that side can be avoided.

From Wallers Hut, sidle the face at the altitude of the hut until the next creek, where you can drop to the now-flat riverbed above the gorge. A riverbed / bank route follows travelling 3km up the northern fork of Wallers Creek. The creek climbs steeply for much of this time and travel is on steep tussock banks or short shingle faces just above the creek.

Arriving in the head basin, the creek forks into 3 (the map shows only the southern 2 forks). Climb the spur between the southern 2 forks (shown on the map), heading due east to Monument Saddle. The climb is steep but good, with only a brief section of loose shingle scree 80m below the summit.

The descent east from Monument is made tricky by several layers of bluffs - none of which are fully visible from the saddle itself. Head south to the southern end of the saddle, and descend the face below pt1987, crossing east over all the major streams you can see descending above the points where they start to gorge out. Once across, head directly downhill. All the small streams combine into two major flows lower down, with a narrow, tall spur between them. Aim for the top of that spur.

Follow the centre spur down. The spur is interrupted by 3 bluffs, but all can be passed by sidling the past southern side of the bluff. avoid dropping into the southern fork too soon as it has impassable falls low down. Finally the spur becomes very narrow and reaches a small copse of beech. Here finally you can follow good goat trails dropping steeply south through the beech into the southern fork below the last waterfalls.

From here it is a 'simple' case of following the creek downstream. You soon enter beech forest. The creek has various falls and pools and a few sort sidles (true left) are required early on. Later the riverbed becomes choked with windfall and progress is slow. The only impassable section was just above the major north and south forks of the Monument. A sidle on the true right was possible, but drop as soon as possible back to the river to avoid becoming bluffed higher up. The remaining section to the Stoney has good shingle but the southern bank is subject to frequent slips so conditions may change.

Arriving at Stoney Creek, stick to the western bank and follow the Stoney 400m downriver to where Stoney Creek Hut sits in a flat clearing 20m from the river.

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Two common routes exists from Stoney to Oxburn. Moirs recommends Stony Saddle, but the route described here is via Dismal Saddle. This route was snow-free in spring, whereas Stoney would still have required ice-axe and crampons.

From Stoney Hut, follow the valley upriver. You can stay on the true-left for about 2km, sidling well-used goat trails past the first gorge. Once above the gorge frequent crossings are required to avoid bluffs and many pools and waterfalls are present. A few minor scrambles are required, but no large climbs. A lot of time is spent sidling low on shingle faces on the eastern valleyside - a pole / axe was handy. Tussock becomes low scrub higher up, but nothing too difficult.

At the last major forks the Stoney Pass route is visible climbing NE between the two creeks to pt1934/Stoney Saddle. For Dismal Saddle, however, follow the western fork through more tussock and gorges to the head basin.

The face below the saddle is steep and bluffed and not viable. To the left (south) two creeks are visible descending in waterfalls from pt1704. Take the spur south of these and climb until you pass all the bluffs, then sidle/climb north below the steep face of pt1704 towards the saddle. I would strongly recommend an ice-axe or good pole for this climb as you spend a lot of time on steep, exposed tussock faces and a slip could be fatal.,

Once on Dismal Saddle, head 100m south, peering into the Oxburn until you can see clear screen dropping the first 100m below you. The section directly west of the saddle has a line of bluffs, not visible but just below the saddle. Once onto the tussock any route works. Drop to the valley floor and follow good wide river flats downstream. After 2km the creek drops into a tussock V slot, but travel on the southern terrace is still good for another 800m until the whole valley gorges. Cross and sidle the gorge on the northern face, on steep scree and tussock faces. If the river is high, you probably want to cross to the northern bank much further up, as the crossing here could easily be impossible after rain.

The gorge ends just upstream of the major NNE / SE forks. These were swift and knee deep in normal spring (meltwater) flows. They could easily be impassable after rain. An easy kilometer remains on tussock flats to Cash's Flats Hut. The northern bank here, and the hut are private, and permission is required from Temple Peak Station.

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A poled DOC route climbs the spur opposite Cashs Flat Hut, leading to a (private) farm track to Temple PEak station. Permission is required from Temple Peak Station to use this track.

Cross the river below the hut - knee deep in normal flows, can flood. Follow the poled route up the spur/fenceline opposite to a taranaki gate, and then sidle west along the face. Poles are intermittent and more reassurance then guide. The initial section is steep and tussock and no ground trail visible. Later the route sidles below bluffs and a good stock track becomes visible and is easy to follow. Beyond the bluffs the poled route climbs south directly to the ridgeline above. Crossing the fence on the ridge, continue SSW picking up a faint vehicle track sidling and descending gradually (the poled DOC route leaves us here and sidles high on the face into the head of Davidsons Creek where it ends. The reason for the route is unclear as Davidsons Creek has impassable 100mm falls lower down).

The faint track drops into the head of a small copse of beech, and becomes clear on the ground, joining the track shown on topomaps and zigzagging down the face to reach the roadend at the end of the old Temple Peak Station driveway.

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