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NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0) · OpenStreetMap · Official page · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).

7-day forecast

Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)

Best time to hike

Best months: Sep–May · highs 11–19 °C (52–66 °F)

  1. J19°10°101
  2. F19°10°96
  3. M17°8°104
  4. A14°6°107
  5. M11°4°112
  6. J8°2°139
  7. J8°2°148
  8. A9°2°126
  9. S11°3°124
  10. O13°5°116
  11. N15°6°100
  12. D18°9°118

Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.

How we pick months

Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.

About this trail

An excellent but strenuous trip in the remote north western Ruahine Forest Park renowned for its scenery and ecological values. Fly in by helicopter and walk out.

NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0).

Trail facts

Length
14 km · 9 mi (DOC route geometry)
Source
NZ Department of Conservation (CC BY 4.0)
Difficulty
Hard (7/10) (Advanced · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0))
Typical time (DOC)
4 days
Official page
doc.govt.nz/link/4d7cbbf90edc43c098b7e919cbc
Mountain
Rangitane (mountain; GeoNames)
Mountain range
Ruahine Range (North Island Mountain Spine; GMBA)
Nearest town
23 km SE of Moawhango (Rangitikei District, Manawatu-Wanganui) · GeoNames
Park or forest
Ruahine Forest Park
Connects to
Rangitane Road to Crow Hut Loop Track (at its start or end)
Best months
Sep–May
Country
New Zealand
Region
Manawatū-Whanganui
Continent
Oceania
Route centre
-39.6821, 176.0927
How it’s scored

Hard (7/10). Official rating: Advanced · NZ Department of Conservation difficulty (CC BY 4.0).

A score is omitted when we do not have an official rating or enough measured length and elevation gain to compute one. Nothing is guessed. Read the NPS method: https://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/how-to-determine-hiking-difficulty.htm

Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.

Nearest trails

distance from the trail centre

All trails in Manawatū-Whanganui → · All 1,167 trails in New Zealand →