Distance: 3.7 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 152m to 1098m. Gain: 946m. Loss: 0m . Gradient: 15 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) 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

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional 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

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

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

From the signposted junction at Ngatiawa forks, the southern Kapakapanui Track climbs steeply up the spur. The track is marked and well cut, and popular at weekends. The gradient eases in places, but all up it's over a 1000m climb to the summit in 3km. The bush is wonderful, and on the tops you get onto clear tussock clearings with views over the coast and the main range. A signposted track junction is reached 50m before the summit, with a track dropping ESE towards Maymorn Junction and Renata Hut. The summit itself is marked by a trig.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the trig, follow the well marked / cut track south through tussock and scrub, passing the turnoff to Renata Hut / Maymorn Junction. The track soon drops west into bush and becomes moderately steep. The track follows the ridgeline for about 3km, dropping to Ngatiawa Forks through mature bush. The last section is steep.

At the forks, a signpost and memorial mark the junction with the northern Kapakapanui track and an unmarked route up the southern fork of the Ngatiawa.