Ronald Cross & Loddon Bluff

[stu]

Anyone been to Ronald Cross (& Loddon Bluff beyond) & have any info on the best place to start off the Lyell Highway -
GPS co-ordinates would be very handy

Eucryphia Lead is the obvious route to Ronald Cross, tho looking at it from Calders Lookout recently (on the other side of the Lyell Highway) it didn't look like much of a lead - just lots of deep, dark forest (which may be ok if it's the open variety). Any other info would be much appreciated (best spots to camp, water, scrub etc.).

Scoparia Lake looks like a likely camping spot on the maps, tho from memory, when I did Mt. Pitt, looking across it looked to be true to it's name (ie., scoparia riddled) & well below the ridge line. Are the Needle Rock Tarns any better for camping?

I know this is probably not a very oft visited area, but what better place to ask than this forum.

Cheers.
Stuart.

[Hingrock]

Hi Stuart,

I remember quite well going to Ronald Cross about 10 years ago, heading up Eucryphia Lead mostly after dropping in and checking out the sinkholes at the bottom of the hill. I do remember that Eucryphia Lead was far from open, although that may have just been our luck on the day. From my memory it was thick scoparia mostly (I remember this because I forgot my gaiters and ended up with lots of bloodshed from pretty serious gashes to shins. There was also lots of clambouring over and under trees and stuff all the way up.

I can't quite remember how close we camped to the lake but certainly didn't camp on the lake. We had to push some. tent spaces into the scoparia for our camp. I may have some photos of camp somewhere.

When we came out the next day we bashed straight down the hill to the river and bashed straight up the other side to the road.

Certainly isn't a place that a lot of people get to.

I'll trawl through the archives and see if I can come up with anymore info for you.

Damo

[stu]

Cheers Damo, if you have any photos would be great to see!
Certainly not 'selling' the walk there - sounds like what you always expect in an off-track mission, but never wish for - especially scoparia
Was the going any better across the top after the 'lead' or just more scoparia; the toughened, weather exposed ridge variety no doubt!
Any idea why it's called a 'lead' ? Does it generally follow an obvious (tho scrub & forest covered) spur?
Thanks for the reply & look forward to some photos if you have any!
Cheers.

Stuart.

[Hingrock]

Just telling it how I remember it. Although it may be better than that now with all the "missions" involved with the peak-bagging sensation since the time that I did it.

Photos are a way off. Don't seem to be able to find them atm. I'll PM some additional info to you.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hey has anyone been out to Lodden? Just wondering if its possible to get out there as an overnight mission??

[scrub boy]

I went there in june, didn't start walking until midday and arrived at Ronald Cross about 4:30. Bearing in mind that we did not progress beyond this point I reckon that in summer with a better start 2 days should get you out to Loddon Bluff and back but you will know you have done a walk. It struck me as feasible anyway. Water might be scarce in mid summer. Good luck

[ILUVSWTAS]

Cheers mate! Just did the King Williams, had its share of scrub probably be quite similar in places??

[scrub boy]

Can't say as I haven't been to the southern bit of KW, the foreground in the photo was pretty ordinary, maybe because I thought we had done the hard bit to get to the upper slopes and after floundering around realised we were loosing the light and morale suffered accordingly! Otherwise the climb to the edge of the foreground was really a matter of plodding through the usual stuff.
cheers

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hi Stu, I was up there over the weekend and found it to be quite easy on the ascent, the forest was quite open, some scrub was hit before the ridge, but it was only a shortish section. The range itself had a combination of open, scrubby, and quite diffucult rock towers to clamber over, but all in all it wasnt too sinister. We got out to Loddon Bluff on the same day, then descended back to the cars in about 3-4 hrs the second day.

Oh hang on, you were with me wernt you.....

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thanks Scrub boy, we got up there this weekend, found the forest delightfully open and easy, the range itself had a good mix of stuff, but it wasnt too bad....

[tasadam]

Just to advise, these two topics have been merged together.

[mjdalessa]

How long did this take?

[MJD]

14-15 hours walking all up. Had a long first day as we went all the way to Loddon Bluff and a bit further before returning to our campsite on the ridge between Ronald Cross and Church Peak. Nice short second day. I just posted some pictures in the gallery.

[Tortoise]

Anyone been to Ronald Cross (& Loddon Bluff beyond) & have any info on the best place to start off the Lyell Highway -
GPS co-ordinates would be very handy

Has anyone been out that way in the last year or so? I've heard a number of different versions of starting points, and given some time constraints, it'd be great not to spend too long stuffing around at the beginning. ILUVSWTAS' trace above is cut off just short of the road.
And if anyone has a trace that includes a slightly less scrubby route (as is often found on the way out), or other current info, I'd be keen to check that out as well. Thanks a lot.

[north-north-west]

I did it just over a year back (Nov 2015). Best way to find the ideal starting point is to drive past it, down to the bee site where you can turn around (this is assuming you're heading west). Then drive back up the hill slowly until you reach the largest of the turnouts on the left hand side of the road. Park there. Cross the road and walk further up the hill (it's not far) until you reach the largest of the culverted creek gullies. There is usually a bit of pink tape near it, a little down from the road. Even if not, there is a visible faint pad. More or less follow the gully down to the river. There is a bit of a drop down to the river's edge at the base of the spur, but the best crossing spot is easy enough to identify because it's where the bank you slip down is lowest.

This is the actual GPX file. I'll dig out a jpeg of my route shortly.

[north-north-west]

This is the whole walk, to the rise about half a km past Lodden Bluff. Not much use as you essentially just find the easiest route along the ridge. Some scrubby bits, some scrambling. Good campsite on the ridge in flat open area just north of the start of the scramble up to Church Peak although water isn't terribly reliable there. Might be better now than when I did it. Better camping at Needle Rock Tarn although that means climbing down and back up with the packs.

Now, this is the start. The lower (left hand) line is the way I went down, following an open line through the forest. The higher (right hand) line is the gully I mentioned, which I followed back up. Much easier going and you won't get off-line.

It can be a bit tricky picking up the route once across the river. There was tape marking a pad most of the way up to Ronald Cross when I did it. When I say 'most of the way', it stopped at the scrubbiest section, up above the forest and the ferns. Of course. Once through that (lot of scoparia) the pad up over Ronald Cross is easy to follow.

[Tortoise]

Thanks, NNW. That's excellent.