Distance: 4.8 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 1280m to 1473m. Gain: 251m. Loss: 168m . Gradient: 5 deg (Gentle)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (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

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

South from pt1396 there is no ground trail along the main range - slow going along untracked/unmarked tops of tall tussock and low scrub. It takes 1km or so to leave the scrub behind and emerge onto short tussock and moss. From here going is good, if spongy in places.

In bad weather, watch for the swing east over Piopio - compass is strongly recommended.

After 2 gentle saddles and a gentle climb the broad tarn-dotted tops of the eastern side of the Makaroro are reached. The track junction here is not marked, lying somewhere on the broad junction of the two ridges 300m SE of pt1503.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

400m north of Totora spur, and 300m SE of the low highpoint pt1503, look out for the narrower ridgeline branching NE to circle the head of the Makaroro. Following this the route becomes obvious as the ridge narrows, and 4 good kilometers over low tussock and moss follow, crossing several low summits to pt1407. The route is neither cut nor poled, but a faint ground trail follows the ridgeline.

North of pt1407 things become scrubby and the ground trail is lost. Follow the ridgeline NE until the next highpoint at pt1396 where the ridge can be seen dropping ESE towards the bushy saddle at the head of the Makaroro.