Realistic times for summit climb

[carols]

Hi,

I'm trying to determine realistically how long and hard the summit climb is likely to be? I know it can be weather dependent, but am just trying to gauge as best I can.
The Parks site suggests 8 hours return whereas other sites say between 5 to 5.5 hours. I also read somewhere that kids were doing the climb.
I'd appreciate any feedback anyone can provide as to how long it took and how hard people found it.

Ta

[stu]

Hi carols,
I assume you are talking about the summit climb to Cradle Mountain from Dove Lake?
ie. to the summit & return?
This is a pretty difficult question as it depends on your experience / fitness / familiarity with this type of terrain etc.
The Parks times on these sort of walks would cater for most ability levels, ie. 8 hours should be at the upper end of time required for slower qroups.
Most people would take less than this, some alot less than this; obviously be prepared and allow the maximum time just in case.
The hike (not climb) to the summit is not difficult & could be attempted by anyone with a base level of fitness. Some people find the rock scrambling (ie. boulder hopping) slower than others, again, this is an individual thing. I think I was maybe 8 or so the first time I did it tho I am sure there are many, many who have done it at a much younger age than this, it really is not at all difficult.
Having said all this, the most important aspect of any alpine ascent is to be prepared. Don't attempt in bad wether if you are not familiar with the terrain or experienced enough to navigate in foul conditions. Carry enough clothing, especially wet weather gear & spare warm-wear (thermals / fleece etc.). Carry enough water / food for a full day. Take a first aid kit. Fill out the registration book & let others know of your intentions. If the weather starts to grizzle, turn around, the mountain will always be there for more favourable conditions. Just remember, Tasmanian weather can change at any time & yes, you really can experience all 4 seasons in 1 day, sometimes less. Snow in summer is a common occurance!
It is a great mountain & the views from the top are spectacular! Enjoy & take care.

Stuart.

[tas-man]

My brother-in-law and myself first took our young sons at age 9 to the top of Cradle Mountain one Christmas, and I did note the times on that occasion in my diary as follows. Ascent from Dove lake carpark via Dove Lake/Marions steep track took 4 hours 10 minutes, including a 30 minute lunch break. Descent back the same way took 3 hours, with a 15 minute stop at Kitchen Hut. The two boys were always in front on the rock scree, leaping ahead like mountain goats! I recall the frequent calls from them on the way up - "come on you old fogeys!"

[flyfisher]

Wouldn't have thought you were an old fogey back then mate.
But now.....

FF

[tasadam]

My advice is to get an idea for yourself based on your times compared to Chapmans book, Parks signs or recommendations, and the Abels book.
I will say that I have always found the Abels times way too underdone, that is from memory I always need more time.
Once you have a feel for what the books say compared to how you go on some walks, you will get a better idea on times that you can expect to be able to do a summit in.

Stuart's post is good.
Where he said

depends on your experience / fitness / familiarity with this type of terrain etc

Etc can include so many other things, not least of which is weather (as he covered later in his post).
So, in short, times vary greatly between people. As Chapman says in the notes in (at least) one of his books, it is one area he gets most criticism from on his books. If you get the chance, find that section in his book and have a read - he covers it well.

Happy trails!

[eggs]

Hi
I assume re your reference to children you may be thinking of taking some young ones on the climb.

I took the family up in April 1998, that was my wife & I and 4 children aged 11, 9, 7 & 3.
They all started at about 9:30 am while I returned a key to the ranger back up the road. Our 3 year old went all the way up to Marion's lookout without help.
I had the pack and basically caught up with them at the top - so their ascent was quite slow.
The rangers weather report was "take plenty of film" and there were reasonable number of people doing the climb. It was very windy but clear and sunny.
We played a bit in patches of snow on the plateau before heading further up. I was carrying our 3 year old now in a special child carrier while my wife took our pack.

My wife had 'romantic memories' of our climb on our honeymoon, thinking it was not difficult. I thought the weather was acting very strange with cloud rising up from the valleys, but with everyone active - including rangers in shorts & short sleeves doing track building work, my wife talked me into continuing on.

The top of Frenchman's Cap had cloud touching it as we started the main ascent.
Halfway up the cloud descended onto us - and our daughter with glasses was having a hard time seeing as her glasses were dewing up.
Still we struggled on to the top in hopes that it would lift. The rocks were a lot bigger and more difficult than the wife had remembered, and the kids were a lot smaller than us. We got to the top in a complete whiteout to find stacks of people there.

After a lolly break next to the cairn, we packed up and noticed we were the only ones left - everyone else had gone.
So off we went and now the rocks on descent were a lot wetter and slippery. There was some sliding and the kids started to cry not wanting to go any further. I had to drive them on, motivated by the fear of exposure and the fact that the sun goes down before 6pm. I found it emotionally draining - especially as our dear little 3 year old was screaming into my ear the whole way down. She was my greatest concern - as just sitting on my back, she was not generating heat from exercise.
So I decided to get out of the wind by heading down the face track rather than the plateau. [It would have been wiser to get to Kitchen Hut and have a bite and rug up a bit better - and it would have been quicker getting down.] Well the face track took us out of the driving wind and misty rain, but we had a short descent over a dramatic rock surface towards Lake Wilks. The basin was funnelling the wind from the plateau through this gap like a hurricane, battering us on the slippery rock and all the way across the Lake edge.
I felt much better once into the protection of the forest, but it was getting quite dark by now and I had to keep marching and pressing the kids on as time was short.
We finally got back to the Dove Lake carpark (and the car) walking in the last dregs of twilight. [The trip was recorded as 8 hours and 23 minutes with no stop for lunch.]
Once driving we pulled out our packed lunch for that day and ate it - we had been living on the odd lollies coming down, as I wanted to keep moving.

Hopefully we learned something through all of that. It was one of my closest calls and I am very thankful we got out OK.
- Don't climb the mountain in cloud
- The climb has some big rocks to negotiate
- Don't just follow a crowd
- don't believe the weather report - but be alert to what is actually happening in the distance.
- start early & if you have little kids - go back the quick way (plateau & Marion's Lookout)
- have good full body wet weather gear (which we did have) and food and gear as others have mentioned.

Enjoy, but be careful
Brian

[tasadam]

Thanks for telling us about your day.
Accounts such as these are interesting to read, I think there is something we can all learn by sharing experiences such as these. Not least of which is the fickle beast that our weather is - especially when on a mountain.
Good on you for sharing your story.
I have alluded to a certain trip I had on Moonlight Ridge a long time ago here and here.
Maybe I should tell the whole tale one day.

[Son of a Beach]

Sounds like quite an episode. I'm glad you all made it back safe and sound. I think most walkers have had some sort of nasty stretch of their emotional or physical abilities while walking for various reasons.

our dear little 3 year old was screaming into my ear the whole way down. She was my greatest concern - as just sitting on my back, she was not generating heat from exercise.

I've had the 2 year old screaming in the cold on my back on a bushwalk in the snow. Thankfully it was only a short walk for us. But I'm with you there. My main concern for our entire trip was how to keep the kids warm and dry in the rain and snow (both of ours were being carried, and not walking).

It would have been wiser to get to Kitchen Hut and have a bite and rug up a bit better

Three times I've stopped at Kitchen Hut for a quick break to try and rest and get out of the weather while very cold, hoping to get warm while having a bite to eat. On all three occasions I've only got colder and colder and colder while at Kitchen Hut. Even when adding more clothes as soon as I got in. There's something very (literally) chilling about the place which seems to defy all physics. It seems to stop (most of) the wind, and yet the chill factor is still there. Now when I stop at Kitchen Hut, I make an effort to get walking again as soon as possible. I warm up much better that way.

[tasadam]

Three times I've stopped at Kitchen Hut for a quick break <snip> something very (literally) chilling about the place which seems to defy all physics.

I've noticed that at Kitchen Hut too - I have never "warmed" there. Maybe we should rename it to Kitchen Fridge