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DOC Land
Altitude: 160m to 1303m. Gain: 1326m. Loss: 183m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)
A GPS is useful to work out exactly where you are but at the dogsleg of the Dusky Track where it runs parallel to the Hauroko Burn's dogsleg, leave the track and push through ferns and light undergrowth to the river bank. The river is easily crossed under normal flows, mid calf deep.
Once up into the bush on the true left side of the Hauroko Burn, head northeast. The goal is to link up with the stream coming off the Merrie Range from Pt515, but it will soon become apparent that the stream doesn't just flow nicely northeast to southwest to the Hauroko, but instead it meanders and doubles back on itself on the large rolling area between the 160m and 180m contours. The "flat" area is boggy but is covered in animal trails, and decent progress can be made to the northeast to reach roughly where the map shows the stream coming down the contour lines. Head up the hill here following the stream.
At roughly the 280m contour you will reach a spectacular waterfall. Climb steep terrain on the true right to regain the stream above the falls. Cross to the true left, and fill up your water bottle here as the Merrie Range is dry until about the 900m contour line.
Climb steadily to the east, following a small side stream initially, but when it dissapears animal trails all the way up to the main north-south ridge near Pt591. Animal trails head northwards and reasonable travel is had through pleasant forest. I spent some time looking for water in the small saddle south of Pt771 but found nothing.
The ridge starts to open up into boggy clearings about the 780m contour. I also looked for water at the head of the stream shown dropping into the Russet Burn, but found nothing. A small slimy puddle at about 800m was the first water I found on the ridge but there are camp sites around if you have potable water for the night.
The first tarns are reached at clearings just below the 900m contour with more camp sites. Push through the last of the trees around Pt949 to reach open tussock tops, tarns and campsites.
Open tops leads up onto Pt1157. Its straight forward ridge top travel northwards, past numerous tarns and camp spots to Pt1312. If you want to head to Lake Story its best to leave the ridge top here and traverse to the lake via a large tarn in a bowl on the eastern side of the ridge, as Pt1338 looked bluffy on its northeast face. The ridge top has spectacular views but is entirely exposed to the weather.