Distance: 14.1 km (9.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 416m to 1714m. Gain: 2168m. Loss: 1437m . Gradient: 15 deg (Steep)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons, avalanche risk (5/7)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Steep (difficulty: 5/5)
Steep climbs of >1000m

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Tall, walkable scrub / large rocks, occasional waterfalls or gorges in rivers

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

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

Iceaxe/crampons, avalanche risk (difficulty: 5/7)
Ice axe and crampons required, crosses avalanche paths

Climb/sidle up from pt.1434 to pt. 1646 would be sketch if iced over. Descent into the valley from NE of pt. 1679 would be treacherous.

Take the obvious 4WD track to the Wairau riverbed and follow it up to the opening of Wash stream. Although you can avoid the main river - as of November 2025 it flows a distance from the route taken - if the Wairau was in flood Wash stream would be equally treacherous. It's possible to stick to the marginal strip up to Wash stream. The stream itself is initially easy travel, crossing back and forth on gravel and small rocks. Farm tracks enter and exit on each side. The stream begins to narrow after ~2km. Recent storm damage was obvious the entire way up. While it may be possible to continue further upstream, we exited early to climb the open obvious spur to the ridge proper (after a 5 minute scrub bash). In Nov 25 the stream was the last water source until streams in the upper Silverstream.

Note that this route strays into private land and thus station permission would be required. Travel on the pt.1137 spur looks reasonable, if scruby.

The main spur up to pt. 1426 is obvious, but overgrown in places with pine and native. The shift from manicured farmland to scrub is marked with a climb over a wire fence. It's a fairly easy bush bash and quickly opens up past pt.1200 to open rock and tussock. Quick travel despite the steep elevation but would be miserable in wind and rain (which goes for this whole route).

Pt. 1426 is an open tussock dome with 360 degree views out to the Red Hills and Kaikouras. Follow the well-maintained 4wd track along the ridge (people bike this) until where it peters out by pt. 1482. Continue along the ridge - obvious in all but the worst conditions - to pt. 1434 where there were old, dry tarns. Climb steeply up to the 1500m contour, favouring the North side of ridge, sidling at times. Good rock and tussock handholds. The final sidle on the N side is exposed (don't look down) and only enjoyable in good weather. This continues up to 1646. Scree slopes on the South side are not an option - steep guts. From pt. 1646 to the unnamed point SE of 1730 travel is easy with open tussock on the W and steep scree on the E.

While the ridge looks mostly good from pt. 1679 to 1776 (and is a common traverse), the descent to Silverstream Biv is a different story. A thick band of bluffs at the 1400m contour blocks travel - interspersed with steep waterfalls. Drop down from gentle tussock from 1679, heading SE towards an obvious scree slope. There are a few streams that still held water in Nov after little rain fall, and a few possible tentsites.

Follow this slope down to the 1500m contour and cut sharply SE, picking a route down on the TR gut of a steep stream before getting into the stream angling SW. The stream exits via a waterfall into the main valley - avoided on the TR. Negotiate steep but easy tussock down into the main valley. Good visibility and dry conditions are needed, as well as a head for heights. And a few bumslides.

Travel is easy on the TR of the main stream, crossing where necessary aiming for the bush edge. Climb out into open, easy beech forest to avoid a gorge. The biv is on a small bench 10m off the TR of the stream up a short path marked with orange triangles. We stumbled upon it through the bush; it's obscured by bush from view upvalley and is slightly north of where the topo marks it (Nov 25)

The biv has no toilet but was well-stocked with pots, pans, and cutlery. 4-5 visits per year, mainly by hunters and wilding pine removal squads. 99% of parties came in via the tops; the two parties who came up from the main Silverstream both reported a horrible slog. A descent from pt1797 (or the saddle between it and pt 1789) looks steep but is evidently doable as parties do come this way. There is great camping in good conditions just up from the stream bed.

As noted on https://hutbagger.co.nz/huts/silverstream-bivvy, it may be easier to access the Biv via the stream between pt. 1776 and 1748.

Time: 8-10 hours

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

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