Distance: 3.3 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 922m to 1113m. Gain: 219m. Loss: 124m . Gradient: 6 deg (Moderate)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Primary, unmapped (2/5)
Route not on maps, but is principal access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Occasional moderate climbs

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Tall, walkable scrub / large rocks, occasional waterfalls or gorges in rivers

Occasional scrambles (difficulty: 3/7)
Tramp with some scrambles and exposure to falls

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

From County Hut, drop to the County River via the track and follow the riverbed upstream, crossing as required. Above the 1000m contour, the valley becomes steeper and crossing can be tricky in high meltwater or rainfall - ensure you are on the true right (NE) side of the creek before reaching this section.

A tougher slow scramble up rocky riverbanks and low on scrubby valleysides follows for 1km to the forks below Smyth Saddle. This is the last of the 4 sidecreeks shown ont he southern bank.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From the forks below Smyth Saddle, cross to the TR (north) of the County and head downstream. Travel is mainly in the riverbed / riverbank - scrambling and rock-hopping, but some sections require detours onto steep / scrubby valleysides near the creek. If crossing the creek is not possible, a TL route can be achieved, but requires a 140m climb up the lowest of the four sidecreeks shown to sidle the base of the face above river bluffs. This section is very scrubby.

Once below the 1000m contour, the valley flattens and river crossings become easier. Follow the river down, crossing as required until you hit the forks with Bloomfield Creek. A good ford of the County is present just above the confluence.

County Stream Hut is reached via a very overgrown track as shown on maps, or by climbing a clean grassy slip 200m up Bloomfield Creek and sidling to intersect the cleaner, upper sections of the track. I found the latter approach better.