Distance: 1.9 km (0.5 DOC hours) - Road - Easy terrain
Altitude: 637m to 775m. Gain: 141m. Loss: 33m . Gradient: 5 deg (Moderate)
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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

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

From Scotties Camp Hut a swingbridge takes the St James Cycleway over the Edwards River to the north bank, which it follows for 1km downriver on flats before making a zig-zag climb to a saddle 100m above. The track then sidles the face to reach Charlies Saddle, overlooking the Waiau.

At Charlies Saddle a signpost marks the starts of the Stanley Vale Track. A second junction lies 300m past the saddle, at the base of the descent, where a 4WD track (unmarked) heads off down the east side of the Waiau.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Charlies Saddle the 4WD track / St James Cycleway sidles the face for 1km before zigzagging gently down into the Edwards River valley. A further kilometer upriver a swingbridge crosses the river to Scotties Camp Hut.