Mt Elephant and more (Dial, Gnomon, Montgomery)

[naturelover]

I had made an attempt to get some information about routes up this mountain (what I really wanted was tips on any really thick bush that could be skirted), but hadn't received anything from this forum that helped. Nonetheless, on the weekend we decided to do it anyway. I had heard that the bush was pretty thick, and that was about all I knew, apart from a description of the walk done by a club group. I decided to go up the ridge that joins the main road to the coast opposite the pancake parlour.
Yes, it was pretty thick, and no, we didn't find a particularly nice way of skirting it. But we did get there, and I'm happy to have done so.
For a photo of the summit cairn you'll be aiming for if you go there, and fuller details, see natureloverswalks,blogspot.com

The best view was had when i needed to go to the toilet about a third of the way up. Lucky nature called or we wouldn't have stopped and would have noticed it. From the actual top we could only see trees and cutting grass. If my best friend asked me to take her up this mountain, I'd give her a picture of my route and say: "Go for it. I'm climbing something else." Nice type. It's a mountain that does not convincingly beg you to repeat an ascent. I have my tick and my point and my sense of successfully completed adventure. That will do me.

On New Year's Day we did a circuit that had a trail, and climbed Mts Gnomon, Dial and Montgomery. That report can be found on the same site.

[Doonish]

Yeah, hell of a oncer is Mt. Elephant.