Distance: 6.4 km (4.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 394m to 670m. Gain: 207m. Loss: 422m . Gradient: 6 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Easy-moderate (difficulty: 2/5)
Tussock / river-gravel / open bush / cut track

None (difficulty: 1/7)
No alpine skills required

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

Returning upriver 100m to the swingbridge, the track crosses and climbs briefly to meet the main vale track on the eastern valleyside.

The track climbs and sidles down the valley, cut and well marked and not prone to the slumps/slips encountered downstream. Sidling through old mossed over slips and boulderfields in the bush.the track drops to the sidecreek above the NZFS Prices Flat Hut and crosses it to the hut. The historic Hut is 500m downriver along the track.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Follow the good cut track upriver from Prices Flat, crossing the side creek and climbing before sidling through old mossed over slips and boulderfields in the bush. The track continues to sidle most of the way to the Wilkinson Swingbridge, where tracks lead over the river to Prices Basin Hut and Wilkinson Hut - 100m downriver on the opposite bank.

Sidestreams in this section are either small streams or shingle fans. Not even wet feet in normal flows, but several could cause problems after extreme rainfall.