Distance: 2.5 km (1.3 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 1121m to 1344m. Gain: 225m. Loss: 26m . Gradient: 6 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7)

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

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

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

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

The poled route continues climbing steadily through the tussock behind Carroll’s Hut to reach Kelly Saddle.

From the saddle, swing left, following the now-intermittent poles at about 250 degrees along the western (Taipo) side of the ridge between the Taipo and Kelly Creek. The poles peter out at times and are hard to find in bad visibility, but a series of tarns will be reached, at the first of which the route swings due west towards the largest tarn. Keeping on the small ridge formed by a fault-line-escarpment, to the west of the tarns, you’ll come across a small sign saying “Access to Taipo Valley”

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description