Distance: 8.2 km (6.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 273m to 1637m. Gain: 794m. Loss: 1504m . Gradient: 17 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) - Streams (2/6) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons, avalanche risk (5/7)

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

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous 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

Iceaxe/crampons, avalanche risk (difficulty: 5/7)
Ice axe and crampons required, crosses avalanche paths

From Brodrick Hut, follow the poled route north, crossing the first deeply scoured out creek, then ambling over tussock at about 1020m to the base of the first spur to the pass.

The poled route climbs this spur, crossing the head of the 1st creek to its east in the process. Poles give out, and are replaced by occasional cairns towards the saddle.

Once on the pass, there are no markers. Find gravel and tussock lead steeply down into the head of Mackenzie Creek, where the gradient softens and easy travel follows down the valley floor.

100m below where the valley starts to enter low scrub (as shown on the map), before it steepens to falls, a slip can be seen on the true left. A series of cairns mark a rough route up this slip, climbing 100m before reaching a small flat basin (not shown on maps) where good campspots and a small stream are found. From the campspot, the route, marked intermittently with permolat, continues to climb SW gaining another 100m to reach the main spur at about 1150m.

The marked, unmaintained track then follows the spur down (NW) between the main 2 forks on Mackenzie Creek, dropping to about 700m before cutting west down the face into the western fork of the creek below. The section of track on the spur is quite well defined, but that dropping can be easily lost.

Once in the creek, follow it downriver to the main Landsborough. Fraser Hut is found by following the bushedge upriver to Creswicke Flat, and is tucked out of sight of the river on the bushedge on a terrace on the southern bank.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Fraser Hut, head downriver 200m and find Mackenzie Creek. Follow this upstream for 1km to the 1st forks. The eastern fork draining Brodrick Pass has major falls in it upstream, and is not a viable route. Instead, take the western fork and look for DOC markers 200m upriver on the eastern bank marking the start of a track.

The track is vague at first, climbing to the spur, and easily lost (2011). However, once on the spur it is better defined and marked with markers of various ages. Follow the track up the spur to about 1150m, where it cuts ENE off the spur, dropping 100m to a basin below (not clear on the map). Here small flats in the beech are dotted with fire-rings marking a good campspot, with water from a small stream.

Continue east from the campspot, passing cairns marking the start of a route dropping into Mackenzie Creek down a steep slip. This route hits the valleyfloor at the bottom end of the clear upper section of the valley floor. From here, the route to the saddle is simple - head upriver on tussock, later gravel directly to Brodrick Pass.

Once over the pass, cairns mark the start of the route into the Huxley - down rocky faces cutting over the head of the 1st creek south of the pass. The now-poled track then follows the spur down to the valley floor.

Once on the valley floor, the poled track, well used, heads south at about 1020m towards Brodrick Hut. The last creek before the hut is deeply scoured out and is quite a scramble down and backup. This entire last 1km is exposed to avalanches from the peaks above in winter.