Lawrence Bivouac

Lawrence Bivouac (sleeps 2 on floor, matresses, stream water) is a small but weatherproof bivouac in the upper Lawrence Valley. It sits on river flats to the north of the river, 1km east of the waterfalls at Hells Gates. Water is hard to find: wander 50m east of the biv and listen for it - there's a small stream in a narrow channel obscured below the tussock.

2km upstream of the biv, an unnamed side-creek leads north to Butler Saddle, from where it is possible to descend into the Reischek stream and thus the Raikaia, coming out just west of Reischek Hut. At 1870m it's a high saddle, and on the Lawrence side is scree for the last 600m to the top.

The Lawrence Glacier, and falls at Hells gates, and the unnamed glacier above them can all be reached from the biv as short day walks. Numerous tracks across scree towards Butler Saddle suggest the presence of tahr in the area.