Home > Experiences > Great Walks > Cradle Mountain Huts Walk
Cradle Mountain Huts Walk
Speak to a specialist 1300 720 443
Duration
Type
Max Group Size
AVAILABLE FROM
1 October through to 1 May 2022
INTERESTS
Walking, nature, wildlife
Enquire about this Journey
Tasmania’s Overland Track is famous worldwide, and this signature trip is the way to experience it in classic style. Across six days, our most popular Overland experience completes the entire journey from World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair.
The fully guided walk begins at Waldheim in Cradle Valley and journeys some 65 kilometres to Lake St Clair, Australia’s deepest natural lake. Our signature adventure does not include multiple side trips, but there is the opportunity on Day 4 to summit Mount Ossa.
Each person will carry their lunch, wet weather gear, spare clothes for the hut, thermals, and warm clothing, plus any extras, such as a camera, but main luggage is taken care of for you. You will need lace-up hiking boots that cover the ankle and have sturdy, treaded soles (full-grain leather or Gore-tex with Vibram soles recommended).
Each trip requires a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 12 guests. All accommodation is twin share.
As long as you exercise regularly, are capable of walking an average of 10 km for six consecutive days, and are comfortable with varied terrain, you’ll be fine! There are some steep sections, however this is part of the whole experience. Each day, there is plenty of time to sit and rest as well as explore, so you won’t feel rushed.
If you have any concerns about fitness, please call us and speak with one of our friendly staff members. We are more than happy to discuss additional information about what you can expect.
You will need lace-up hiking boots that cover the ankle and have sturdy, treaded soles (full-grain leather or Goretex with Vibram soles recommended).
We cannot over-emphasise the importance of appropriate footwear. Lower-profile hiking shoes, walking shoes, running shoes, approach shoes, sand shoes, elasticised boots and similar are not acceptable. Boots must be worn in to minimise the risk of blisters. The Overland Track is quite unique in the nature of its terrain. You will be unable to commence the walk without the appropriate footwear, so please feel free to contact us for more details. We are more than happy to discuss footwear with you.
Each person must carry their lunch, wet weather gear, spare clothes for the hut, thermals, and warm clothing, plus any extras, such as a camera.
The guides prepare scrumptious meals each night which are served with a selection of Tasmanian wines. We are quite happy to cater for special dietary requirements. We just need to know in advance.
For example, here is the dinner menu served at Kia Ora Hut on Day 4:
On arrival at hut: Grazing plate
Main course: Forest mushroom and pea risotto with parmesan
Dessert: Creme Brulee
The minimum age for guests walking with us is 12 years old. There are no upper age restrictions, however, for guests walking with us who are 69 or above we do require a GP to sign off on a letter we provide.
On the morning of your departure, the guides will carry out a thorough gear check to ensure you have suitable gear and help you reduce pack weight.
If you adhere to our gear list (to be supplied), your pack will likely weigh between 8.5 and 9.5 kg. With special attention to reducing pack weight, your pack and its contents can weigh as little as 7.5 kg.
The pack and Gore-tex jacket that are provided have a combined weight of 2.5 kg, leaving 5- 7 kg for your personal items.
Approximately 7 hours walking
On the summit of Cradle Mountain in 1910, Austrian-born Gustav Weindorfer proclaimed, “This must be a national park for the people for all time.” It’s fitting our journey begins at Waldheim in Cradle Valley, where Weindorfer’s story is told. We set off on the track, venturing through ancient temperate rainforest, passing the dramatic glacially-carved Crater Lake.
We climb the steepest section of the whole Overland Track today prior to lunch. Reaching Marion’s Lookout (1250m) takes about an hour, with steps leading through steeper sections. The reward, providing weather conditions allow, is staggering views of Cradle Mountain and Dove Lake. Every uphill step is worth it.
We continue around the base of Cradle Mountain along the edge of a spectacular glacial cirque before dropping into Waterfall Valley. Our private hut awaits, beneath towering Barn Bluff, having completed the steepest part of your journey (excluding side trips). It’s a welcome retreat after several hours walking over exposed alpine plateau where some days the wind howls – a reminder of nature’s power.
Approximately 6 hours walking
Today we’ll be walking across plains where glaciers once rested, slowly moving and scouring out shallow tarns. Although an undulating trek with a few sections of exposed moorland, there are no significant climbs today.
We take our time venturing across vast button grass plains where ancient pencil pines fringe alpine tarns. Rising from the moors, the peaks of Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff are behind us. Look ahead, and the stately Mt Pelion West comes into view.
Those looking for additional challenge today can take a side trip to Lake Will. Hugged by pencil pines and with its narrow quartzite sand rim, Lake Will is striking. Keep an eye out for gravel mounds along the way, remnants of Joseph Will’s coal mining efforts in the 1890s.
This evening, at Pine Forest Moor Hut, enjoy our outdoor dining setting with views out to Mt. Oakleigh in fine weather.
Approximately 5 hours walking
This morning we venture through gorgeous myrtle-beech rainforest as we descend around the base of Mt Pelion West, down to the Forth River before it plunges into Lemonthyme Valley. We’ll take a break at Frog Flats beside the Forth River, which happens to be the Overland Track’s lowest point.
From here, it’s a gentle ascent back out of the valley. We leave thick Eucalypt forest behind as the trees part to reveal Pelion Plains. Uninterrupted views of Mt Oakleigh’s dolerite spires now come into play.
The Pelion Plains area offers a host of side trips, hugged by mountainous terrain. There are excellent swimming holes, peaceful nooks to rest and abandoned copper mines to explore. Come nightfall, we’ll be nestled amongst dry sclerophyll forest at Pelion Hut.
Approximately 4-9 hours walking
(Optional 5hr side trip to Mt Ossa)
Today begins with a climb of almost 300m to Pelion Gap through beautiful rainforest. Pelion Gap is a plateau stretching between Mt Pelion East and Mt Ossa, affording fantastic views to the south as well as back to the north.
There’s plenty of time for side trips from Pelion Gap including the option to summit Mt Ossa. At 1617m, it is Tasmania’s highest peak. There are other less challenging climbs, including Mt Doris.
From Pelion Gap it’s a further two hours of gentle downhill to the hut. Today, choose to keep things relaxed or challenge yourself to stand atop the island’s highest point. Once we arrive at Kia Ora Hut, enjoy a Tasmanian drop with spectacular views out to Cathedral Mountain.
Approximately 4 hours walking
Day five is about icy-flowing waterfalls. We depart Kia Ora hut and walk about an hour to Du Cane, where a 1910-built hut remains from the long-gone days of animal trapping. Du Cane Hut is a fine spot to rest, surounded by native gardens and overlooked by the spectacular Du Cane Range.
From here, we wander through some of the oldest forest in the National Park, with King Billy pines as much as 2000 years old. Now, we are above the Mersey River, which descends deeply northward towards Bass Strait, spilling down cliff faces.
There are three major sets of waterfalls in the area. We aim to visit one or more of these, choosing the best to have lunch beside depending on conditions. During the afternoon, we make our way over Du Cane Gap, then descend beside the spectacular Falling Mountain to Windy Ridge Hut. Tonight is a celebratory one, our last evening on the track.
Approximately 3 hours walking
Our destination today is Australia’s deepest natural lake – Lake St Clair – shaped by glaciations over two million years. Birdsong helps us along this final day as we walk mainly through flowering dry sclerophyll forests.
We arrive at Narcissus at the northern end of Lake St Clair in time for lunch, before boarding the Idaclair cruise boat for a spectacular 17km cruise back to Cynthia Bay. There’s typically around half an hour to look around the Visitor Centre here.
The return trip to Entally Lodge is through the trout fishing mecca of the highland lakes, descending the rugged Western Tiers. We’ll cross the broad plains of the Northern Midlands, passing through the rural townships of Cressy and Longford.
Your walk will conclude at Entally Lodge at 6.00pm with airport drop offs at 6.15pm and Launceston drop offs at 6.30pm. (Accommodation this night is NOT included)
Enquire about this Journey
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis
View Similar Antipodes Journeys