Distance: 1.8 km (0.5 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 918m to 1002m. Gain: 90m. Loss: 50m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills:

Road (1/9)
Formed road, 4WD track, etc

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

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

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

A good 4WD track (closed to vehicles) runs between Flora Hut and the Flora Carpark via flora saddle. The gradient is gentle and it is an easy walk. The turnoff to Arthur Hut is 600m west of the carpark, at the saddle.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description

Distance: 4.5 km (1.0 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 805m to 926m. Gain: 219m. Loss: 110m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Road (1/9)
Formed road, 4WD track, etc

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

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

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

A good 4WD track runs between Upper Gridiron Hut and Flora Hut. All major sidecreeks are bridged. The gradient is constant but gentle. 0.75-1.5 hrs

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description

Distance: 1.1 km (0.3 DOC hours) - Benched track - Easy terrain
Altitude: 764m to 812m. Gain: 48m. Loss: 0m . Gradient: 2 deg (Flat)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Benched track (3/9)
Benched, maintained, marked tramping track or pack-track

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Flat (difficulty: 1/5)
Flat

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

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

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

A gentle, benched sidle track runs the 1km from the signposted Upper Takaka Junction to the Upper Gridiron rock shelter. The turnoff to Upper Gridiron Hut is 100m beyond the rock shelter and the hut a further 50m up the hill.

The track to Cloustons Mine starts 800m upvalley from the hut and is signposted.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description

Distance: 4.9 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Benched track - Easy terrain
Altitude: 752m to 1133m. Gain: 126m. Loss: 499m . Gradient: 7 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Benched track (3/9)
Benched, maintained, marked tramping track or pack-track

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

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

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

Snow/ice underfoot (difficulty: 2/7)
Snow/ice likely on track

A well maintained broad benched track runs from Salisbury Lodge to the Upper Junction in the Takaka valley. The first 2km are poled across flat tablelands leading to a signposted junction at a bridge from which Dry Rock Shelter campsite can be reached, 400m to the east.

Below Dry Rock Shelter the track is benched into the valleyside, broad and in good condition for a further 3km to the junction with the Upper Takaka Track. The Growler Rock Shelter - a picnic area under a natural rock shelter - is on the track 1km before the junction.

1-2 hr

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description

Distance: 1.7 km (0.3 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 1133m to 1244m. Gain: 111m. Loss: 0m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, 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

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

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

Snow/ice underfoot (difficulty: 2/7)
Snow/ice likely on track

From the Lodge, the defined track heads west across the tableland, poled, running 1.5km to a signposted junction with tracks leading to Lake Peel (via Balloon Hut) and to the Karamea (via Splugeons Shelter)

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description

Distance: 2.3 km (0.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy terrain
Altitude: 1216m to 1295m. Gain: 79m. Loss: 56m . Gradient: 3 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy (difficulty: 1/5)
Grass / prepared surface

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

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

Snow/ice underfoot (difficulty: 2/7)
Snow/ice likely on track

A good poled / marked track runs from the Peel Lake Track / Leslie Karamea Track junction to Balloon Hut. Dropping west into a beech gully it then climbs gently north across the tablelands to reach Balloon Hut located in the last section of bush before the climb to Lake Peel.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Balloon Hut a good marked / poled track runs south tyen east to join the Leslie-Karamea track at a signposted junction 1.5km before Salisbury Lodge.