Distance: 4.8 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 558m to 738m. Gain: 17m. Loss: 196m . Gradient: 3 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)

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

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

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

The route down the Mataura from Beech Hut s well used but unmarked. Cross to the true left (east) at the hat and follow good ground trails down beech-dotted flats. The valley narrows and several creek crossings are required (shin deep and easy in normal flows). The valley opens to broad flats, of what has clearly until-recently been farmland, 1.5km above Cowshed Hut at the forks. A faint 4WD track commences, crossing the river twice before reaching Cowshed Hut on a terrace on the southern bank.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

From Cowshed Hut follow the 4WD track upstream, crossing twice before it ends at the first forks from the north. The route from here is unmarked, but well travelled. Initially the valley is tight and several crossings are required to avoid steep scrubby faces. The valley opens up again 1.5km below Beech Hut to flats of tussock and patches of beech. Pleasant walking follows on the northern bank, skirting right of a patch of beech before crossing to the hut on the opposite bank.