Tracks
Punga Hut / Miro Valley Hut
Route guide: Scotts Road to North Mangahao Biv
Track
• 1 day. Medium/hard. Return by the same track.
The northern Tararuas get little of the traffic of the rest of the range. There's an image of an uninterrupted sea of leatherleaf - but this is unfair. Down off the tops there's some great open bus...
Track grades
- Easy
- Unusually smooth, well-marked track, easy gradients. Up to about 4 hours per day.
- Easy-medium
- Typical lowland track. Generally easy walking and well marked. Ascents of up to 1000m. Some easy river crossings, unmarked travel along rivers.
- Medium
- Typical tops track. Experienced trampers only. Rough, muddy and poorly marked or unmarked. Ascents of up to 2000m. River crossings, open tops, passes. Up to about 8 hours per day.
- Medium-hard
- Navigation and snow skills (use of ice axe and crampons) required. Glaciers, exposure to falls.
- Hard
- Rough or non-existent tracks. Following ridges, bush spurs, and rivers. Steep ascents, arduous travel, hazardous conditions, snow and navigation skills essential.