Turrana Bluff - 8th December 2019

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Turrana Bluff - 8th December 2019

Postby headwerkn » Wed 09 Sep, 2020 5:16 pm

Full trip report and more photos -> http://www.benderandxing.com/2020/09/06/turrana-bluff/

We actually did this trip late last year, just never got around to doing the trip report until now :-p

This was the weekend where Cradle got a final wintery blast in the first week of summer, resulting in the protracted rescue of three OLT walkers bailed up in Kitchen Hut with hypothermia. Curiously enough conditions were far more mild a mere 30km east. The previous day we'd summit'd Mersey Crag in somewhat variable conditions, but this day had wonderfully warm weather on our way to Turrana Bluff and then walking back out to Dublin Road.

Route taken was pretty simple - follow the Little Fisher River track south to the saddle between the Mersey Crag and Turrana Bluff, then hook east and follow the ridgeline back north, dodging rock outcrops and tarns as best you can until the barren higher ground is reached. We ended up going a little too far south-east in search of non-existent cairns, but otherwise had few issues making our way along the ridgeline until the summit cairn(s) were reached. A great and a spectacular view.
Attachments
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Looking at Turrana Bluff from our campsite. Initial thoughts about doing a direct ascent up the boulder field were abandoned quickly... mostly because of the danger factor but also that scrub in front wouldn't have been fun to push through either.
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Morning breaking over the saddle at the southern end of the valley between Turrana Bluff and Mersey Crag
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Major cairn at the southern saddle, break west for Mersey Crag, break east for Turrana.
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Picking our way through some beautiful tarns as we tracked north.
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Basically the terrain to be covered for the first few kilometres. Pretty easy going in nice conditions like this.
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Wonderful large tarn/small lake we passed
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As the highest point is neared the terrain flattens and the vegetation lowers substantially. Very easy walking for the last bit.
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Summit "cairns" - the chock stone out in the middle is considered the true high point, though is pretty dangerous to stand on without gear.
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Cliffs!
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Looking out to Cradle/Pelion/Du Cane, hoping those poor guys were finally rescued.
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headwerkn
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