Distance: 3.1 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 427m to 832m. Gain: 411m. Loss: 118m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6)

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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

Alpine weather (difficulty: 2/7)
Tramp on open tops, exposed to alpine weather

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Permission from the landowners is required to cross Cheviot Downs Station. We were given the instructions for this route by the landowners to minimise stock disturbance.

After crossing through a small horse paddock immediately behind the house, head across the large paddock to connect to an old quad bike track which ascends the hillside. The track is straightforward to travel until up to about the 660m contour, where the farm track fades out and becomes intermittent amid long tussock. Follow watercourses up through the tussock until the top boundary fence comes into view, the old farm track leading up to a dilapidated gate. Cross through the gate, and follow animal trails through knee-high scrub, keeping parallel to the fence.

Look for a 4wd track heading up the hill from the creek in the gully. The 4WD track makes travel through the scrub easy. Follow the track down the hill as it zigzags towards the creek. Once across the other side, simply follow the track, passing through another farm gate just before the hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description