Feb

Bushman Bud Climbs Cradle Mountain in Adventure Scramble

Dove Lake & Cradle Mtn

G’day all, this was one sensational adventure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJMmfSBbw-Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adZAqCL7d4A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52yvzWKpcmo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poAO1_JE6_8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHqN39DD-04

We arrived at the Cradle Mtn-Lake St Clair National Park about 10:30am and it took half an hour to work out, firstly where we could drive in the park (for anyone who doesn’t know, you can’t just drive up to the car park, there are boom gates in the way to monitor traffic. If the traffic is too heavy in the park, you need to get bus tickets to take you where you are going?? The trick is to drive up to the boom gates, if they open, great you are in! If not take a bus!) and secondly you would think you could find an information board which says “Cradle Mtn – that way!” I suppose that’s why they encourage you to buy a map for $8.50 plus your National Pass – that is tourism for you, hey.

What you need to figure out is that there are several ways to get to Cradle Mtn summit. Overland Track to Marions Lookout to Summit Track or Dove Lake Track to Face Track to Summit Track or Dove Lake Track to Marions Track to Overland Track to Summit Track. That is just to get there!

We took the latter track and set off around Dove Lake which is just beautiful. About 500m doen this track we turned on to Marions Lookout Track and started the steep ascent to about 1,000m. This track is so steep that you need chains to assist you.

At the top of Marions Lookout the vista is spectacular and you really have to just sit there for a while (how long that is, I don’t know – you make your mind up – it is just one of those delightful spots you just contemplate life for a while (or for those who know me – just Buddha).

Leaving Marions Lookout we headed up the Overland Track for another 2 klm before coming to the emergency weather hut – Kitcheners Hut. The walk to Kitcheners Hut meanders up and down over gentle undulations with a great view over the National Park (NP) and you find yourself arriving at the summit track fairly quickly.

Up, up and then very, very steeply up the summit track you go. There is nothing gentle about this track. You start on a goat track, which quickly turns to small boulders which just as quickly turns into giant boulders and a real rock climb to the summit. Once you hit the big boulders you really need your wits about you…place a foot or hand in the wrong place and the fall could be disasterous. There are a couple of places up the climb and worse still on the way down that are very tricky to negotiate and really require care. If you don’t like heights and the nervous pumping of the heart don’t do this one, you will be a bucket of nerves!! You go straight up rock face of Cradle Mtn, down a small valley and then directly up again to the summit. When on the climb…and it is a climb…you realise just how steep the climb is. Breath taking in parts, sometimes because of the scenery and other times because you are scared stiff – especially with your 7 year old daughter in tow. Just got to say how remarkable Joey Jess was to firstly give the climb a go and secondly to reach the summit – she’s a machine…that’s my girl!!

Climbing up Cradle Mtn you really get to appreciate the beauty of this monalith. It has raw jagged edges and really looks as though someone got a giant bucket of great big boulders and dropped them out. It is an awesome sight and one I will treasure for years to come. A place of breath taking beauty is one way of describing it!

On the climb you get to appreciate the beauty of the NP as a whole from up above. It is one of the prettiest and awe inspiring places I have visited and I am certainly looking forward to getting back there and doing more walks. Everything about the park is amazing, a must see and do for any trip to Tassie.

Making the summit was a challenge made all the more worth while by the awe inspiring vista. There was some cloud around half of the surrounding countryside but the other half was blazing in clear blue skies. At the summit there is also a bronze disc which marks the many other mountain peaks in the NP. On the disc was Mt Ossa (Tasmania’s highest peak), some 30 klm off in the distance. I look forward to meeting that mountain peak someday soon.

The descent is every bit as tricky as going up. Real, and I mean real care needs to be taken here, it is very steep!!!!!!

Back at the bottom we turned right along the Face Track which follows Cradle Mtn in its hinterland. You are still way up high and the vista is still very amazing. This track is a little up and down, steep in places and really rough. Watch out for falling rocks off Cradle Mtn here and soak up the great monalith and views doen to Dove Lake. Once at the end of Cradle Mtn you can continue around the far side of Dove Lake up and over some lower mtn peaks or head straight down (literally) following the Face Track to Dove Lake. We went down, again using chains due to the steepness and roughness of the track. On the way down to Dove Lake we passed another lake (countless many of them) which was a pretty back drop with Cradle Mtn looming in the near distance. You also pass a mtn creek flowing down from this lake to Dove Lake below. Finally hitting Dove Lake we were happy to be walking on flat ground once more and some nice board walks. I don’t remember too much of the walk around Dove Lake other than I kept thinking that I must come back and do the walk around the Lake again to appreciate it beauty. Joey Jess and I were just too tired.

Half an hour later we were back at the car park. Joey Jess had been telling me that she wanted to swim in the lake all day long. Ok Jess off you go! Somehow she managed to trick me into having a swim whilst only dangling her feet in the water – good on ya Jess, I guess you got me, huh. The water was FREEZING, I kid you not, however I must say, extremely refreshing after a long days walk. Enjoy the whole experience and brave the cold for a swim, it is refreshing and inspiring when you look back across the lake at Cradle Mtn and revisit your days achievement.

Awesome day, awesome climb, get into it. We will visit the NP again and bring you more of the things to do and places to see.

Bushman Bud…Enjoying Australia