Routeburn-Mid caples

Howden hut to McKellar Saddle is 2 hours. From the saddle it would be about 4-5 hours to Caples hut so the 7 hour estimate is a good one. I would say it's 3 hours from the hut to the road end.

for someone with reasonable fitness who doesnt stop much.

Thanks I could find lots of info on greenstone route but not so much capels. Hope I can do it in a day. Will take a tent in case.

Yeah, you should be fine. The Caples is a Great Walk level track now and isn't as prone to flooding as the Greenstone so it's easy to blitz along at a good pace. Be careful where you choose to camp (if you do). The lower valley is private land so you can't camp on the flats, and the wardens, if they're roaming, won't be happy with you camping beside the track. There's good camping beside the swing bridge to the Fraser and Kay valleys but that's well before the hut when you're coming from the Routeburn.

Thanks - great information..