David Saddle Route

The David Saddle Route is a 7.4-mile (12 km) one-way backcountry crossing from East Matakitaki Hut to Upper D’Urville Hut. It follows the upper Matakitaki valley, climbs a steep alpine saddle and drops into the D’Urville headwaters. This is for experienced trampers comfortable with river fords and off-track route-finding, not a maintained day-walk trail. Published times vary from six hours between the huts to a much longer day in detailed route records; allow about 12 hours and do not treat the six-hour figure as a safe time budget.

The first stretch above East Matakitaki Hut follows open river flats on the true left bank (left when facing downstream), with repeated crossings. After the flats narrow, a rough track climbs through forest on the same side; it is overgrown in places and its markers are intermittent. Beyond it, the route alternates between clearings, boulders, creek bed and faint footpads. The wedge of David Saddle appears at the head of the valley.

From the forks, the recorded northbound line follows the creek to a bend near 1,340 m, then climbs a steep rock rib and cuts across into a narrow gut to reach the roughly 1,790 m saddle. The top stays hidden until late in the climb, and sharp-edged schist makes the ground slow. Beyond the saddle, descend tussock to about 1,400 m, sidle right toward a bush remnant, then follow intermittent orange triangles and a creek bed to a marked foot trail near 1,100 m. That track leads to Upper D’Urville Hut. Cairns and markers can be difficult to follow in cloud.