Karangarua-Douglas-Harpers Biv-Landsborough

I went through there in about 2003, so things may well have changed since then. It was pretty straightforward to stroll from the rock biv down to the beach at the foot of the Douglas Glacier and then climb up easy slabs to traverse across bluffs to about a third of the way around the lake. Then it was simple enough to thread a way through to eventually end up down at lake level. The Topo50 contours are a pretty accurate representation of the actual route. Definitely easier than carrying a packraft over the Regina creek route out!

Thanks, Morris. Yes, was on a trip last week with an old friend who had also been through there, his comments were much the same as yours, though he said one bit was a bit tricky with eroding scree above a bluff. That environment is quite dynamic, lots can change for better or worse over quite a short period. Just gathering data on possible trips for the summer at the moment, that one appeals as it covers a lot of new country and is doable using public transport at both ends. I might take the packraft in any case, I have a pretty light set-up and it would speed things a lot from Kea or possibly Hinds Flat out. In the right conditions I'd consider floating right down to the Haast river mouth as that would link into a continuous line through the South Island I'm trying for.

Have been doing a little more research on this trip, and refreshing my memory of kayaking the Landsborough in my youth. The Landsborough is only sensibly packraftable from about Kea Flat down to the bottom end of Creswicke Flat, then from below Harper Bluff. Memories of going end over end in my kayak in a big recirculating wave in the Gates Gorge came back to me... Still, it would be an interesting variation to head up onto the Solution Range from the top end of Toetoe Flat and traverse the length of the Solution Range if the weather was co-operative. Taking the lightweight river crossing packraft set-up would make that possible as you'd have to get across the Landsborough near it's confluence with the Clarke. All dreams for now of course... Hoping the summer won't be blown away by lockdowns.

Solution Range was nice with easy travel in the mid sections for a crossing between Davis Flat & Golden Point. With no notable scrublayer. Not followed it down to the confluence though to know how the tops transition to bush further down.

Thanks, a few people have done the full Solution Range from above Marks Flat all the way along to Clarke Mound and down to near the Landsborough Clarke confluence (or vice versa). The bush/scrub over Clarke Mound and down doesn't sound too bad, just lack of water if you camp in the bush around Clarke Mound. [Lots of beautiful tarns](https://ninadickerhof.smugmug.com/TrampingandmountaineeringinNew/Haast-Pass-to-Mount-Cook/Solution-Range-Marks-Flat-Jack-Creek-Mt-Millington-Otoko-18/i-jK62DkN) once you're out on the tops. The ugly bit seems to be around pt 1522 NW of Mt Solution where you have to sidle steep scree/eroding rock on the Clarke side. [Nina Dickerhof has been along there and has pictures on her site](https://ninadickerhof.smugmug.com/TrampingandmountaineeringinNew/Haast-Pass-to-Mount-Cook/Solution-Range-Marks-Flat-Jack-Creek-Mt-Millington-Otoko-18/i-5p7fF9c) Also [Stan Mulvany has a write-up and pictures](http://mulvanyadventures.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-journey-to-mt-hooker.html) of a trip right along the solution range, including a couple of [pictures of that section around Pt 1522](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9zhlXVvfX0Y/UVqmUPBNctI/AAAAAAAABUI/U8DXAal3n80/s1600/P1000434.jpg).