Distance: 6.8 km (4.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 557m to 744m. Gain: 102m. Loss: 282m . Gradient: 3 deg (Flat)
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

Flat (difficulty: 1/5)
Flat

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

A route runs downriver to Barlow from Upper Makaroro Hut. Though good shingle has at times made this easy travel with a few deep pools, it is currently (2015) deeply scoured out and requires much scrambling and crossing of deep pools.

The first 1km below the hut are on moderate-sized river rocks mainly and travel is in the riverbed. The first of a 4km long sequence gorges then commences. Frequent crossings are required, and several more gorged sections follow. 4 deep pools must be passed - all either requiring a swim or a rock-hugging traverse of the cliff-face at river height.

After the final slot-gorge and pool, the valley opens suddenly to broad shingle flats, and an easy walk with several crossings takes you down the last 1km to Barlow Hut.

Barlow Hut is not visible from the riverbed, though a single DOC triangle on the western bank marks the start of the track leading to the hut.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A tough route runs upriver from Barlow to Upper Makaroro Hut. Though good shingle has at times made this easy travel with a few deep pools, it is currently (2015) deeply scoured out and requires much scrambling and crossing of deep pools.

The first 1km are good on shingle flats to the start of the first gorge. A narrow slot with deep pool follows - belly-deep in normal flows on my last visit. From here the shingle bed gives out to river rocks of varying sizes and progress slows. Frequent crossings are required, and several more gorged sections follow. 3 more deep pools must be passed - all either requiring a swim or a rock-hugging traverse of the cliff-face at river height. Things improve slightly for the last 1km to Upper Makaroro hut, but ypu'll probably be too cold and tired to notice by this point!

Upper Makaroro hut is visible from the river. A triangle on the bank 20m downriver (opposite the base of the track descending from the east) marks the start of the track to the hut.