A traverse of these three peaks starts at Echo Col. The traverse can be continued to the Mottram Peaks and a scree descent made into the Waimakariri Valley.

This traverse can be completed by a fit party based at Barker Hut, via White Col and Mt Harper’s South West Ridge. The very craggy Harper-Speight ridge is then followed: this traverse involves a steep buttress descent to the col at the head of the Speight snowfield. An alternative route, which avoids the buttress, descends the eastern snowfield of Harper and joins the usual route up the Speight snowfields.

A grand traverse of the Black Range, including ascents of Mts Harper, Speight, Damfool, Cow Peak and Mt Gizeh, and descending Hut Spur back to Highway 73, is an experience that a light, efficient party could tackle given four consecutive good-weather days. Good camp sites (with water or snow melt) can be found just below Greenlaw Col, Echo Col, near the tarns above Jordan Creek, and finally at Bealey Spur Hut. The ridge traverse tends to be quite exposed in places, combined with rotten rock, however in most cases obstacles can be avoided on snow slopes below the ridge lines.