Distance: 15.0 km (6.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 523m to 1874m. Gain: 816m. Loss: 1413m . Gradient: 9 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

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

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

From the lovely, snug Snowy Gorge Creek Hut, a straightforward off-track route exists over the Ohau tops through scenic tarns, where it is possible to join the Freehold Creek track and continue down to the shore of Lake Ohau.

From the hut, cross the creek and climb up the spur on the TL of the unnamed tributary that emerges from the basin directly east of the hut. After a short but steep 350m, the creek turns around a bend and the gradient eases as you reach the basin to the left/NE. Continue climbing through snowgrass and boulders, then scree and talus, towards the ridge that runs west from Pt. 1938. After gaining the ridge, sidle below Pt. 1938 on its NW face, aiming for the obvious saddle on the main Ohau ridge between Pts. 1938 and 1966. The terrain on the tops is scree and talus but not too steep or exposed, and it makes for straightforward travel in benign weather conditions.

At the saddle, descend steeply through scree chutes between small bluffs into the first gravel basin below. Small tarns and streams (marked and unmarked) abound in this area. After the initial short, steep descent, travel becomes an easy, gradual descent through a series of basins retaining picturesque tarns, until the largest tarn, 1514, is reached. I sidled above and to the north/northeast of 1514, aiming for the low ridge between Pts. 1495 and 1623. From there, descent down an obvious spur towards the track in the valley below, which is clearly visible.

Sidle above the track, which is shared with the Te Araroa Trail and is busy in summer, avoiding the swampy valley floor. Join the track where it crosses between two side streams. Follow the track steeply down Freehold Creek, past some small waterfalls, to the bushline. The track is well-made with bridges over Freehold and Sawyers Creeks, which makes for quick progress down to the Ohau shore.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description