Eldon Range

[tastrekker]

Following on from my West Coast Wandering post, here's some notes on the Eldon Range in the SW corner of the Cradle Mt Lake St Clair NP. I should start by saying I have not been to the Eldons myself. These comments are based on map reading and 2nd hand reports from other people who have been there.

To the south and west, the Eldon Range is closely guarded by the deep ravines of the twin Eldon Rivers. To the north and east, long ridges extend towards the wildly remote upper Murchison River.

There are 3 main access routes: Cardigan Flats to the South; Lake Burbury to the west; and the Cuvier Valley to the east. The entire area is essentially trackless so my descriptions will be suitably vague. There are some remnants of explorer tracks from the 1800s but I don't think these are much help. Most walks I've read or heard about in the Eldons are in the order of 7 to 10 days.

A boat trip up Lake Burbury offers the closest access to the Range itself by motorised transport (excluding helicopter of course). From here you are faced with a serious vertical climb of 1,200 metres through fairly inhospitable scrub. I've read about people walking down from Eldon Peak this way but I have not read about anyone going UP this way. I expect it could be quite similar to the side of Precipitous Bluff that rises out of New River Lagoon on the South Coast Track.

The southern and eastern accesses both hinge on Five Duck Tarn which perches precasiously on a ridge above the source of the South Eldon and Murchison Rivers.

From the Lyell Highway, the Collingwood River needs to be crossed and the ridge is climbed from Pigeon House Hill to the much higher Rocky Hill. From here, serious peak baggers will detour west to nab Camp Hill and Last Hill before continuing east to a point midway between Rocky Hill and Pyramid Mountain where you can pick up the ridge leading north to Five Duck Tarn.

From the Cuvier Valley or Narcissus, the rather lengthy approach involves a traverse from Byron Gap over Mt Byron, Mt Cuvier (where peak bagging nuts will detour north to get Mt Manfred), Little Sugarloaf (where Goulds Sugarloaf is a short detour away) and Pyramid Mt. Much of this traverse is very well described in The Abels Volume 1. At the end of this traverse, the aim is to head north to Five Duck Tarn.

From Five Duck Tarn, the ridge is followed north-west past High Dome and Castle Mountain (more peak bagging points) to Lake Ewart at the foot of Eldon Bluff. If you have made it this far, you have survived several days of fairly grueling high altitude traverse. If you have a week or less at your disposal, this is as far as you are likely to get before having to head back. If more time is available, the even higher altitude traverse of the Eldon Range itself lies aheadto the west. This is a long high dolerite ridge leading From Eldon Bluff to Eldon Peak. From Lake Ewart, there is also Dome Hill a few kms north.

This area has some historical significance as early track cut by explorers in the 1800s traversed these mountains. The names Camp, Rocky and Last Hill date from these times. Ewarts track headed north from what is now called Lake Ewart through the depths of the Murchison Valley and over the saddle between Mts Ossa and Thetis to join the Innes Track at Pelion Plains. The northern section of this track can still be followed south from the Overland Track up to old coal mines on the western slopes of Ossa.

Hopefully this entry may prompt someone who has actually been to the Eldons to write in and share their experience.

P.S. I believe Volume Two of the Abels will be released soon. This will cover the Eldon Range and surrounding peaks. Most if the peaks in Volume Two will be in trackless terrain. It will be very interesting to see how the authors approach this.

[walkinTas]

Thanks TasTrekker,

This link describes the approach Ewart himself took.

[PeterJ]

From the Lyell Highway, an old vehicular track heads north between the Cardigan River and Bills Creek. The track crosses the Collingwood River, follows the Ballaclava River for a while then climbs a ridge. This ridge can then be followed beyond the end of the track onto Camp Hill.

I hadn't heard of this way in and can see from the map the route you describe.

I have been in there three times using Pigeon House Hill and used the Pyramid way to go out twice. The route is getting harder to follow as vegetation grows up. It is quite a hard trip. My last visit was with Dave Harris where he climbed Castle Mt as part of his quest to climb all the mountains in the "peak-baggers guide".

If you would like to see some photos from that walk (Feb 2007) go to http://picasaweb.google.com/PeterJFranklin/CastleMt

[Bodysurfer]

I did this walk xmas 1975, in the company of three HBWC members We started from the Lyell Highway, immediately crossed the Collingwood river and thence up a very steep spur to above the tree line. Our first camp was just below Camp Hill. The next day we proceeded to the saddle between the S. Eldon and Inkermann Rvs. The map shows only one "knob" here, but I recall there were two or three, with unbelievable scrub (at least to my mainland eyes) in the notches. Eventually we picked up the pole line marking the boundary of the NP, and again fairly easy walking to Lake Ewart. I think we must have camped somewhere on the way, as we climbed Eldon Bluff the afternoon we arrived at Lake Ewart. [Edit - I now think we may have camped at Lake Dorothy]

I have heard it said that the pole line was something other than the park boundary, but I'm convinced that it was that marked by the bushman Charlie Spencer (refer Keith Lancaster's diaries). Back in 1975 the poles were of some assistance, but from more recent correspondence I understand they are mostly gone. Also I believe the scrub is much worse today.

I didn't climb Eldon peak, due to being buggered. I was told there was a log in a glass jar in the cairn left by Keith in 1958 (I think), but he wasn't the first to climb the peak, as he says in his diaries that the cairn was already there. Apparently there were 15 names in the log in 1975.

We spent a day at Lake Ewart tent-bound due to rain, and returned the way we came, climbing High Dome on the way. Apart from the one day of rain we had fine, if hot weather for the 8-9 days we were out. It was pretty well trackless the whole way, and I imagine the navigation would be incredibly difficult in bad weather. I didn't fare so well on the way out, mainly because I had inadequate food (I was a callow youth of 15). But it was a stunning adventure.

[Bodysurfer]

Correction, Lancaster ascended Eldon peak in 1947.

[paulpeakbagger]

Tastrekker,

I've had two trips to the Eldons area. The first one was a 9 day full traverse from Lake Burbury to the Cuvier Valley in January 2000 which i will decribe below. The second was to High Dome via Pigeon House Hill in the Xmas New Year break last year.

The first trip we were boated up Lake Burbury to near the Eldon South Eldon Junction. We followed an old road to the South Eldon River and crossed over to start climbing. The early going up towards Eldon Peak was mostly in open rainforest and we camped in the forest first day due to a late start. Second day we climbed to the top of Eldon Pak and camped at the small pools near the summit. Some of the going was fairly scrubby but became more open higher up as it became rockier. From Eldon Peak it is a day's boulder hopping along the ridge to Low Col where there is reasonable camping before climbing back up onto the main part of the Range. We went to the Abel above Lake Dorothy as a side trip before climbing Eldon Bluff and dropping off through the large gully and descending towards Lake Ewart. You need to stay high on the Southern side of the gully and negotiate the steep shelves until you can descend into the gully proper. We packhauled here. An alternative is to drop packs and climb Eldon Bluff and return to the packs and descend around the northern end of Eldon Bluff. probably slower and scrubbier but much safer. Dome Hill is a fairly easy sidetrip if time permits. From Lake Ewart through to Five Duck Tarn involves a few bands of scrub. Castle Mountain is a fairly easy side trip as is High Dome. From memory there is a bit of a cut track through the last band of scub to get you on to the ridge that runs towards High Dome.

There is a cut track which is somewhat overgrown which runs from the south eastern end of the plain near Five Duck Tarn across the valley and up onto the ridge opposite. It disappears soon after you leave the treeline on this Hill but head to the top of the Hill as best you can (scrubby going) and then follow the ridges to Pyramid Mountain. Some of the old Ewart Track poles are still standing on the ridgetop. If you head west instead of east from the top of the Hill you will find the Pigeon House Hill Route. There is a cut track but a bit overgrown. You can follow this track as far as Rocky Hill if you want to get to Camp Hill and Last Hill.

From Pyramid Mountain drop to the next open area east and sidle through forest to another open area (fairly scrubby) before climbing on to the ridge near Little Sugarloaf and from here you can follow open going to Coal Hill before dropping through scrubby forest to the Cuvier Valley.

Paul

[PeterJ]

I've had two trips to the Eldons area. The first one was a 9 day full traverse from Lake Burbury to the Cuvier Valley in January 2000 ..........Paul

I have heard of a Paul who peakbags and also that he is getting close to completing the list.

[paulpeakbagger]

Peter,

Yes that would be me. Three peaks to go - hopefully done in February.

Paul

[Son of a Beach]

Peter,

Yes that would be me. Three peaks to go - hopefully done in February.

Paul

I'm not a peak bagger, but I'd be very interested to hear a summary of your peak bagging experience once you've completed the lot (eg, how long from first peak to last peak, and some of the experiences along the way). I bet there are some good stories to be told!