Lake Rodway with kids

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Lake Rodway with kids

Postby WestcoastPete » Mon 10 Aug, 2020 11:22 am

Hi

My nearly 5yo walked over to Wineglass Bay and back a couple of weeks ago carrying a small pack and had a great time. He's keen on an overnighter and I was thinking of heading to Steve Scott Kilbert Hut. I've never been that side of the lake before, and I was wondering about the track, particularly the Mt Campbell - Hanson's Peak saddle. I was thinking of taking the Twisted Lakes track rather than going over Hanson's Peak.

The plan in my mind was for it to just be the two of us, but my wife rightly points out that we did the Wineglass Bay walk with our 2yo on my back, and soon she'll be in that in-between phase where she's too heavy to carry and not big enough to walk, so maybe we should all go. So it'll be me with the 2yo + gear in a backpack, my wife with the loaded regular pack, and the nearly 5yo with a tiny amount in his little pack. My wife really doesn't like precarious chain assisted sections, and I believe there are some on this trip, but with the research I've attempted I can't be sure what they're like at the saddle. I'm pretty sure we've been to Marion's Lookout years ago, and there are chains there which we don't remember, so they can't have been that bad.

Thanks for your thoughts
Last edited by WestcoastPete on Mon 10 Aug, 2020 3:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Lake Rodway with kids

Postby Son of a Beach » Mon 10 Aug, 2020 2:56 pm

I think you mean Scott Kilvert Hut?

The chained section over Hansons Peak starts after the saddle and after the Twisted Lakes turn off. So if you go via Twisted Lakes and Lake Hanson, then there are no steep/chained sections at the saddle.

There is a moderately steep section when coming back up out of the lakes to rejoin the track on the other side of Hansons Peak. But it's not as steep as the Hansons Peak track itself and from memory (a long time since I've done that route), there are no chains on the Twisted Lake track.

My kids were fine with a walk into Scott Kilvert over Hansons Peak at ages ~8 & ~10. I was fine going via Hansons Peak when I was about 5yo. Twisted Lakes would be even easier, but a little longer.

However, it depends on weather conditions, and track conditions. One of my kids did not like the ice-covered track up Marions Lookout yesterday, even with the chain to cling onto (this is very similar to the chained track over Hansons). But she coped with it OK.
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Re: Lake Rodway with kids

Postby WestcoastPete » Mon 10 Aug, 2020 3:58 pm

Son of a Beach wrote:I think you mean Scott Kilvert Hut?


Whoops! Lol. Corrected

And thanks for the other info. It's been very helpful
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