Distance: 8.3 km (4.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 640m to 783m. Gain: 488m. Loss: 628m . Gradient: 8 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)

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

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

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

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

Prolonged rivers (difficulty: 4/6)
Frequent river travel - impassible after rain, risk of getting trapped

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

The river below Leon Kinvig is initially quite open with flats and slips on the side. After 1.7km an impassable gorge is reached. There is a steep bypass track on the true left marked by orange triangles, alternatively a pack float/swim through the gorge which is deep, but short and has very little current in normal flows.

Much of the travel after this is over/around large rocks/ boulders and requires frequent knee to mid-thigh deep crossings. It is possible to do a lot of rock hopping (if they're dry) and the rocks under the water weren't too slippery (as of mid Jan 2018).

You know you are in the vicinity of Ngamoko when pine trees appear on the banks and a large flat grassy area is reached on the true left. Crossing to the true right here, a sign for the hut is partially obscured by toi toi, but is directly across from the large slip face on the left bank.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

Above Ngamoko the river is notably smaller, but the crossings are no easier on slippery river rocks - knee to thigh deep in normal flows. The vegetation changes from thick bush-scrub to frequent scars and slips on the valley sides. The tracks to both huts are clearly marked.