"Undefined Trail" between Bluff hut and Richies Hut

[ErichFromm]

Trying to decide whether to take the "undefined trail" marked between Bluff hut and Richies hut near Mt Hotham (Buller-Howitt Alpine area map).

I hate walking for hours only to realise I've lost the way and have to retrace. Has anyone taken it? It seems a much shorter route than the sixteen mile spur...

Any feedback appreciated.

[bernieq]

Do you mean the spur running SE to NW ? Yes, I've done that in 2008 - straight-forward.

We left Bluff Hut on Bluff Track for 1.25km to where it turns to the right. We then dropped directly down to Bluff Link Rd (off-track and steep but easy and it saves nearly a km). From there we descended the obvious spur all the way to Richies Hut.

A funny story with this short cut - we'd met a couple of 'ultralight' walkers at Bluff Hut (ultralight = no map, no compass, GPS but limited knowledge of how to use it). In the morning, they left about an hour before us, also heading to Richies. We took the short cut to the spur. When they asked how we'd arrived before them, I took great delight in explaining that we had a map !

[stry]

Pretty straightforward to follow the spur down, once you are on the right spur.
The regen in some places might mean that you will need to be particularly vigilant to make sure you don't drop off the spur, or get side tracked onto a different spur. Usual deal but when the vegetation is thick, it can be a bit harder.

[ErichFromm]

Thanks for the responses.

Not sure no map and no compass means = ultralight. Seems to more equal stupid to me....