Overland Track Jan 2000

Lake St Clair to Cradle Mountain


Well, after months and months of planning, the Purdam family finally got away for several weeks to tour Tasmania, including a 10½ day bushwalk on the Overland Track. We were blessed with perfect weather, despite it snowing two weeks before our trip, and four days after we’d finished. We’re still looking for the person who must have sold their soul to the devil for us to get such a great window in the weather. The 11 day trek was a wonderful challenge for the boys (then 9 and 12), who rose to the physical task admirably. We all became much fitter as we went on.

Rough calculations tell me that we walked about 120 kilometres and climbed over 5000 metres, over half of that height with packs on. Many people do the Cradle Mtn/Lake St Clair track in 4-5 days, and consequently miss a lot, often only climbing Mt Ossa and Cradle Mountain. Ascentaholics as we were, we saw this beautiful mountainous area from seven different peaks, including The Acropolis, The Labyrinth, Mt Ossa, Mt Pelion East, Mt Oakleigh, Barn Bluff and Cradle Mountain. Even though Mt Ossa (the highest peak in Tasmania) is not as high as Mt Kosciuszko, I think it should be considered Australia’s highest peak simply because it looks more like a mountain, the benefit of being in an area that was glacial during the last ice age.

1. Lake St Clair to Pine Valley
2. The Acropolis
3. The Labyrinth
4. Windy Ridge and Hartnett Falls
5. Falls to Pinestone Valley
6. Mt Ossa and Pelion East
7. Mt Oakleigh
8. Pineforest Moor and Lake Windermere
9. Lake Will and Waterfall Valley Hut
10. Barn Bluff and Lake Rodway
11. Cradle Mountain
    

As seen on Andrew Purdam's Bushwalking Treasure Box blog.