Distance: 2.6 km (3.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, hard - Moderate terrain
Altitude: 641m to 1088m. Gain: 130m. Loss: 506m . Gradient: 14 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7) - Streams (2/6)

Unmarked route, hard (8/9)
Unmarked route, no clear geographic features to follow

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

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous moderate climbs

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

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

Streams (difficulty: 2/6)
Small streams, danger only in extreme weather

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

An initially challenging route. From the outlet of Lake Boomerang, head up the clear slip to the south. As well as the creek draining the slip, a second creek runs down the west side of the slip draining a small hanging tarn shown on maps just west of the head of slip. The objective is to climb the spur immediately west of this creek.

Leave the slip where the creek joins it from the west. I crossed the creek immediately and climbed onto the spur west of it _below_ the first waterfall (which is at ~800m) and then nosed up the spur sticking close to the creek. The ascent to past the first waterfall involved two very steep challenging sections. It may be possible to continue up the open slip _past_ the first waterfall and then cross the creek above the fall and access the spur from there.

Once above the waterfall, continue up the spur, sticking within 100m of the creek, nosing through various bluffs on faint deer trails. At around 900m, make a steep sidle west, keeping below the last line of bluffs in the bush, to enter the hanging valley draining Fowler Pass (if you mistakenly climb past this last line of bluffs you leave tall bush and enter shorter scrub with views, of the peaks & open faces above but will not be able to descend into the hanging valley as the bluffs become impassable further along).

Once in the hanging valley, travel is simple up the valley floor. Very good campspots exist at the lower limits of the valley, becoming marshier as you head upstream. The final 100m climb to the pass is moderately steep but easy on rock and tussock.

The broad flat pass of Tuaraki Stream with the Freeman Burn is 100m below on the western side of the initial pass.

2-3 hrs

See also: Moir's p122 - Lake Boomerang to Fowler Pass