Sat 4/7 Dove Lake to Waterfall Valley Hut
Sun5/7 Waterfall Valley Hut to Lake Will turnoff, to Scott Kilvert Hut
Mon 6/7 Scott Kilvert Hut across Face Track of Cradle Mountain to Dove Lake
We were hoping to test our gear out for its snow capability so we headed off for a couple of days of winter hiking at Cradle Mountain.
Departing Launceston, we noted the snow line visible on the heights Ben Lomond. We thought about changing our plans and hiking up there, but the lure of Cradle Mountain was too strong.
We loaded up our backpacks and set off from Dove Lake heading up the steep Marion's Lookout track. We were able to manage that ascent quite easily despite the weight we were carrying. Damien has mapped each day of our Nepal trek and has identified that the steepest part of that trip (the day walking up to Namche Bazaar) has a similar gradient (albeit at higher altitude) to the gradient at Marion's Lookout. It's helpful being able to relate aspects of the Base Camp trek to other hikes we've done. It starts to give us some idea of the rises and falls of each day - the x factor of course will be the effect of walking at altitude.
It was as spectacular as ever up on the plateau. We feel so privileged to be able to spend time in this pristine Tasmanian wilderness. The undulations of valleys and mountain ranges stretch out as far as the eye can see in every direction. Everyone thinks of Tasmania as a small island (you can drive it from top to bottom in three hours) and yet that vast expanse of wilderness surrounding us up there could take a lifetime to explore.
We encountered a little snow and ice as we crossed the Cirque, not much, but enough for us to discover that we're not very practiced at walking across sheet ice (and not that keen on it either). Some other hikers we spoke with about it said that walking poles are a great help on ice. So we're going to try some out on Ben Lomond in the next couple of weeks to see for ourselves. We're also looking into using lightweight crampons attached to our boots to really be safe on the ice. It's all a learning exercise that we're happy to be undertaking here at home before we get over to Nepal.
The temperatures ranged between 6 degrees and 0 during our three days and we were both totally comfortable in our hiking gear throughout the three days. I find the handiest things are gloves and a fleece headband which go on and off as I cool down and heat up. We need to get some down sleeping bags so we don't get cold at night. The huts have some heating, but not enough to get through the night.
We met some really great people at Scott Kilvert Hut - a bunch of uni students out of Hobart. After dinner we all sat around the blazing coal stove and talked for hours, sharing our chocolate as we rested our tired muscles. One of the funny aspects of hut hiking is that you get to learn quite a lot about the people you are sharing the hut with in no time at all. It's communal living - there are no private bedrooms. So you know what they wear to bed, when they are going to the toilet, what they read in bed, whether they snore or make other noises in the dark.... all of these intimacies you get to share within just a couple of hours of meeting them. It's quite the departure from the typically slow and steady unfolding into friendship that takes place in polite society.
The area around Scott Kilvert Hut beside Lake Rodway was a joy to discover. The sun came out on our final morning and there wasn't a breath of wind. So we found a spot beside the lake where we could sit and soak up the rays and the view for a while.
Our hike back to the car took us past Flynn's Tarn and the rapids which run from it into Lake Rodway. We climbed up on to the Face Track and traversed across Cradle Mountain with its craggy pinnacles rising.
There was such a great variety to the terrain, the views and the hiking challenges presented on that three day circuit. It has become a new favourite - one that the girls will really enjoy. We plan to take them on that journey very soon. It's a really accessible hike we hope we can share with our friends and family.
Sun5/7 Waterfall Valley Hut to Lake Will turnoff, to Scott Kilvert Hut
Mon 6/7 Scott Kilvert Hut across Face Track of Cradle Mountain to Dove Lake
We were hoping to test our gear out for its snow capability so we headed off for a couple of days of winter hiking at Cradle Mountain.
Departing Launceston, we noted the snow line visible on the heights Ben Lomond. We thought about changing our plans and hiking up there, but the lure of Cradle Mountain was too strong.
We loaded up our backpacks and set off from Dove Lake heading up the steep Marion's Lookout track. We were able to manage that ascent quite easily despite the weight we were carrying. Damien has mapped each day of our Nepal trek and has identified that the steepest part of that trip (the day walking up to Namche Bazaar) has a similar gradient (albeit at higher altitude) to the gradient at Marion's Lookout. It's helpful being able to relate aspects of the Base Camp trek to other hikes we've done. It starts to give us some idea of the rises and falls of each day - the x factor of course will be the effect of walking at altitude.
It was as spectacular as ever up on the plateau. We feel so privileged to be able to spend time in this pristine Tasmanian wilderness. The undulations of valleys and mountain ranges stretch out as far as the eye can see in every direction. Everyone thinks of Tasmania as a small island (you can drive it from top to bottom in three hours) and yet that vast expanse of wilderness surrounding us up there could take a lifetime to explore.
We encountered a little snow and ice as we crossed the Cirque, not much, but enough for us to discover that we're not very practiced at walking across sheet ice (and not that keen on it either). Some other hikers we spoke with about it said that walking poles are a great help on ice. So we're going to try some out on Ben Lomond in the next couple of weeks to see for ourselves. We're also looking into using lightweight crampons attached to our boots to really be safe on the ice. It's all a learning exercise that we're happy to be undertaking here at home before we get over to Nepal.
The temperatures ranged between 6 degrees and 0 during our three days and we were both totally comfortable in our hiking gear throughout the three days. I find the handiest things are gloves and a fleece headband which go on and off as I cool down and heat up. We need to get some down sleeping bags so we don't get cold at night. The huts have some heating, but not enough to get through the night.
We met some really great people at Scott Kilvert Hut - a bunch of uni students out of Hobart. After dinner we all sat around the blazing coal stove and talked for hours, sharing our chocolate as we rested our tired muscles. One of the funny aspects of hut hiking is that you get to learn quite a lot about the people you are sharing the hut with in no time at all. It's communal living - there are no private bedrooms. So you know what they wear to bed, when they are going to the toilet, what they read in bed, whether they snore or make other noises in the dark.... all of these intimacies you get to share within just a couple of hours of meeting them. It's quite the departure from the typically slow and steady unfolding into friendship that takes place in polite society.
The area around Scott Kilvert Hut beside Lake Rodway was a joy to discover. The sun came out on our final morning and there wasn't a breath of wind. So we found a spot beside the lake where we could sit and soak up the rays and the view for a while.
Our hike back to the car took us past Flynn's Tarn and the rapids which run from it into Lake Rodway. We climbed up on to the Face Track and traversed across Cradle Mountain with its craggy pinnacles rising.
There was such a great variety to the terrain, the views and the hiking challenges presented on that three day circuit. It has become a new favourite - one that the girls will really enjoy. We plan to take them on that journey very soon. It's a really accessible hike we hope we can share with our friends and family.