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DOC Land
Altitude: 399m to 1862m. Gain: 1589m. Loss: 1179m . Gradient: 10 deg (Steep)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)
From Scrubby Flat Hut, make a careful crossing of the Hunter River. The Hunter lay in good braids, but was cold, fairly swift, and hip-deep at the deepest point on a late-January morning with no rain in the previous 24 hrs.
South of Bull Flat Creek, begin climbing up the vague spur to the tops above. This area is fairly choked by what Moir's Guide describes as "desperate regenerating scrub" and the relentlessly steep climb is slow and frustrating, though the shade is also appreciated — once the tussock is reached, this climb becomes a very long plod under a hot sun. A side stream to Bull Flat Creek (unmarked) is the last water source until a tarn is reached in the basin just south of Pt. 1883.
After reaching the bushline, continue climbing the tussock spur that runs vaguely south and eventually rises to meet Pt. 1883. As you climb, knobs on the spur become rocky and the tussock gives way mostly to scree, so progress becomes a series of sidles and scrambles, some moderately exposed.
At the culmination of this spur, just below Pt. 1883, the terrain belies the gentle-looking topo lines: just ahead is a mess of bluffs and gendarmes. Being solo, I opted for a long, careful sidle on steep scree below the bluffs, aiming for a scree chute to the far right. This involved clambering over a few semi-exposed rocky ribs extending down from the bluffs, but overall was fine. In retrospect, I wonder if it may have been possible to instead head to the far left of the bluffs and climb around and over the first bluff. That way, if viable, would have been easier, and once I got above/behind the bluffs, I thought I could see a clear route there, but I did not go to investigate.
After climbing the scree chute, I entered a small basin of talus and scree where the shaded areas still held large snow remnants in mid-summer. It was an easy climb via this basin to the col south of Pt. 1883. On the other side was another straightforward basin with snow remnants, followed by a smaller basin with a large, clear alpine tarn. A flat, cleared tent space on the rock just above this tarn at about the 1800m contour line would make for excellent camping in benign conditions.
The descent into the head of Little Canyon Creek is steep but mostly straightforward. The way is clear but fairly exposed in several sections where you are walking on top of bluffs. It is possible to descend by sidling down and to the east, traveling on small terraces and scree chutes, and avoiding the wet, slippery sections where various side streams emerge. The gnarliest parts are in the top of the valley just below the ridge and the going becomes easier as you make your way down.
In the bowl of the valley, in mid-summer, Little Canyon Creek disappears into the scree to reappear downvalley near the vegetation line.
Where the route enters the short section of bush above the confluence with Canyon Creek, Moir's Guide South suggests that sidling above Little Canyon Creek on the TR makes for easier travel than the TL. However, in 2026, I encountered a very significant slip (at least 200-300m across and 100 vertical m high) on the TR, which was tedious to move through. There are also slips on the TL, and some smaller slips on the TR, but overall the TL looked more appealing.
The lowest section of Little Canyon Creek indeed runs through a small canyon just prior to the confluence, so whichever side you are on, sidle high over this gorged section. On the far side of the canyon on the TR, the way becomes straightforward, with a faint boot path through much more open bush leading down and across a side stream on the way to the poled route on the open valley floor.
From here, join the Canyon Creek Route and follow waratahs along the old 4WD track to the Ahuriri Valley. Ahuriri Base Hut lies about 3km down valley from the carpark and gate that marks the present-day roadend. There is a nice swimming hole in a wide bend of the Ahuriri River a short walk from the hut.