Climbing up from Home Hills Runs Road, this narrow, rough track winds steeply onto the Hawkdun Range in the high country, topping out around 1620 metres. The views are 360 degrees up there, right over the Ida Valley and beyond. On a clear day you can see for miles. It connects through to the Mt Buster track and down towards St Bathans.

It's a genuinely tough route. The ascent is steep and shaley with long undulating sections, deep washouts, sharp rocks, tight going and steep drop-offs, plus sharp switchbacks on the descents. There are a few river crossings, one of them often quite deep, so be ready to turn back if water levels are too high. The shaley undulations work a vehicle hard, so treat it as a hard track, not medium, and don't expect it to be mechanically sympathetic.

You'll pass the Ida Railway Hut, a good spot to spend the night on your way through, and plenty of side tracks branch off up top if you've got time to explore. Allow 3-4 hours, it's slow going. Check the weather before heading in, conditions change quickly up in these exposed ranges.