Distance: 6.9 km (5.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 566m to 1456m. Gain: 943m. Loss: 698m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Alpine weather (2/7) Winter - Iceaxe/crampons (4/7)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

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

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

Iceaxe/crampons (difficulty: 4/7)
Ice axe and crampons required in winter

Ice axe was handy in winter. I didn't need crampons on gentle slopes.

From Lincoln Hut, headed due south on a bearing until I hit the 2nd creek. Crossing that, I climbed the spur beyond it until clear of the bushline - good open going. Out on tussock, the ridge joins another and swings east - I followed this up until a good basin opened to the south. Dropping into this it was an easy sidling climb to the 1450m saddle.

From the saddle drop SW into the next creek. I started sidling the southern valleyside, but found this steep and scrubby and soon dropped to the valley floor, where there was a good track. Following this downriver hits the confluence with the Windley 100m upriver from the hut. Upper Windley Hut is on the west bank of the river.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description