Is there a pad up 40 Lakes Peak?

[Tortoise]

Maybe my searches have missed it, but is there a pad up 40 Lakes Peak? Or do you just head up from behind Ironstone Hut? Minimal energy available.

Thanks for any info.

[whynotwalk]

I can't recall seeing a pad Tortoise, but it was pretty straightforward from the hut. Just walk uphill until there's no more Most of the going up there is okay, with just a few scoparia patches west of FL Peak (from memory). I hope you cope with the heat okay,

cheers

Peter

[Tortoise]

Thanks, Peter. Planning a little ahead, so it might have cooled down by then. Plenty of lakes to cool down in if needed, though. (Could be snowing of course. )

[eggs]

When we went through we were not following any pads, but we skirted around to the saddle on the east side of 40 Lakes Peak, then an easy climb to the shallow tarn to its south, dropped packs and ambled up to the top from there. ie basically next to the creek that flows via that path.
There is no scrub at all via that route.

[MrWalker]

When we went through we were not following any pads, but we skirted around to the saddle on the east side of 40 Lakes Peak, then an easy climb to the shallow tarn to its south, dropped packs and ambled up to the top from there. ie basically next to the creek that flows via that path.
There is no scrub at all via that route.

I used that route recently and it avoids any steep scrambles and scrub. I went to the peak following odd pads that disappeared, then went to the big cairn west of the peak (where the views are). From there I found a distinct pad that went south around the highest point before heading east to the saddle, but the pad was not obvious all the way.

[Tortoise]

Thanks, guys - very helpful.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

I went up from the saddle to the east - from memory a series of open grassy ramps interspersed with scrub and not remotely difficult. Towards the top I remember picking up some cairns which I later learned were part of a cairned route up from Ironstone Hut? That was a decade or so ago so things might've changed, and in any case it's probably much easier from the saddle than straight up from the hut.

[Son of a Beach]

It's quite easy to climb from anywhere near the hut. However, there is (or at least was) a cairned route from a little east of the hut which made it even easier.

[MrWalker]

It's quite easy to climb from anywhere near the hut. However, there is (or at least was) a cairned route from a little east of the hut which made it even easier.

I went up there today and since no-one else has clarified this any further I thought I should.

The cairns start about 10 m beyond the toilet (directly away from the hut) and continue all the way to the big cairn on the highest point. However, the best views are further west so you need to head roughly west until you see the big cairn that marks the viewpoint for all the lakes. I didn't notice any small cairns connecting the big cairns.