Route: Cradle Skyline Traverse

Submitted by Lincoln Quilliam on Mon, 08/17/2020 - 12:09am
Location
Tasmania, AU
Distance
16 km
Vertical Gain
1,450 m
Description

An historic and classic mountaineering style route with first recorded climbed in 1914. There is one mandatory 12m abseil off Weindorfers tower and some exposed scrambling which has resulted in some epics for those not confident with exposure or route finding. For those that are, this route is absolutely full of epic views and full to the brim stoke!

Start/finish at Dove Lake car park, up over Hanson's peak, take the unmarked bushwalking pad off the Face Track up to the summit of Little Horn. Head WNW off the summit scrambling down towards the saddle on obvious pads. Follow pads and skyline rock generally along the ridgeline. Abseil tatt anchor off Weindorfers tower and a little further on is an exposed step around with not much in the way of hands. Is relatively straight forward following pads and skyline rock after that to the summit of Cradle joining the popular Summit Track as it gains the skyline. The documented climbing route then just finishes by heading down on the Summit Track... But for the full traverse and full value - from the summit, head back east on the track for 100m or so then go SE maintaining the skyline curving back to SW - no track. Scramble down and then head south over Benson's Peak then join the Lake Rodway track near the Overland Track. Then back to Dove Lake carpark on the Overland and Dove Lake Circuit Tracks.

NOTE: Weather can change very quickly even with a reasonable forecast and retreat down a gully is not necessarily possible down every gully.

For the climbing guide notes, look for "Skyline Traverse" on Thesarvo: http://www.thesarvo.com/confluence/display/thesarvo/Cradle+Mountain+-+Lake+St+Clair

GPS Track
Images