Day 1: Via Hanson's Peak rather than Marions Look-out
Posted: Wed 12 Apr, 2017 8:32 am
Hi all - We (a family of 4) are heading off on the Overland Track in a week or so for our very first (altogether) multi-day hike. I feel like I have done little but plan for this for about 6 months! That said, the rest of my group are super-fit whereas despite hill-walking every day for months & months, I am not in their league + have awful knees, so will be the slowest link. I'll be the one sitting at the intersections reading and waiting for them to return from Barn Bluff and Mt Ossa!! Our itinerary is fairly straightforward - 6 full days, 5 nights - BUT I do have a question about a possible alternate day one that I am hoping this forum can help me with: my main concern with the hike overall is that my knees hold out on the climb up - and down - Cradle Mountain. Is the track around the eastern side of Dove Lake, via Hansons Peak and Little Horn any less steep/easier to hike? The map(or my reading of it) indicates that it passes at a lower elevation, albeit the track looks slightly longer. On the same tangent - what is the advisability of hiking the track around the eastern side of Cradle Mountain via Rodway Lake and camping at Scott Culvert Memorial Hut rather than Waterfall Valley? Any advice much appreciated.