Distance: 3.0 km (1.5 DOC hours) - Tramping track - Easy-moderate terrain
Altitude: 923m to 1137m. Gain: 7m. Loss: 220m . Gradient: 4 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6) Winter - Snow/ice underfoot (2/7)

Tramping track (4/9)
Cut, marked tramping track: natural, rough ground surface

Primary, mapped (1/5)
Formal route, on maps, 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

Snow/ice underfoot (difficulty: 2/7)
Snow/ice likely on track

From the A frame hut a sidle track continues down the eastern valley face, avoiding gorged sections in the upper valley. After about 1km the track drops to the riverbed, and from there progress is a mixture of unmarked riverbed walking on good gravel flats with brief sections of marked track. Ideally a few crossings of the small stream are involved, but the trip to the confluence could be done entirely on the true left. The stream is small, less then knee deep, in normal flows.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

It is easy to miss the Long Gully / Harper confluence and end up heading up Long Gully, as Long Gully is the larger valley and bigger stream. The Harper is the smaller stream entering from the true left (north) at the forks.

From the confluence you can either head up the riverbed of the Harper, or take the wet weather track which starts 50m downstream. The first 1.5km are a mixture of riverbed and short track sections, and a few crossings are recommended, but not essential. The stream is small, less then knee deep, in normal flows. After 1.5km the sidle track climbs out of the valley on the eastern face and avoids gorges in the river. The A-Frame hut is 1km beyond, adjacent to the track. The older Lagoon Hut is in beech 20m up the opposite valleyside (western.