Distance: 3.7 km (2.5 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 538m to 610m. Gain: 27m. Loss: 95m . Gradient: 2 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Prolonged rivers (4/6)

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

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Gentle (difficulty: 2/5)
Gentle slopes

Moderate (difficulty: 3/5)
Low scrub in open or bush / river rocks

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 reasonable riverbed route runs down the Maropea River from Otukota Hut to Iron Bark Hut. The valley is gorged in places, and travel was mainly on the flat rocky riverbed. Crossings were knee to waist deep in moderate flows (winter meltwater conditions).

Iron Bark Hut is on the western bank, 150m below the 2nd swingbridge, and is obvious from the river. A marked track runs from the 2nd swingbridge to the hut on the western bank.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A reasonable riverbed route runs up the Maropea River from Iron Bark Hut to Otukota Hut. The valley is gorged in places, and travel was mainly on the flat rocky riverbed. Crossings were knee to waist deep in moderate flows (winter meltwater conditions).

Otukota Hut is on the southern/western bank, upriver of the forks shown on the map. The track up to the hut was marked with small triangles (2012)