OK – so I failed at staying in bed all day.
Does it count that I didn’t get out of my nightie?
As expected, I am sore all over but still pretty thrilled we got to the summit of Cradle.
Jeff was more than happy to be up hiking mountains rather than up on ladders painting!
It was really hot work at times. I didn’t get the camera out until we reached Marions Lookout. I was struggling until we reached Crater Lake (above) where I took my shoes and socks off and went for a wonderful dip fully clothed. Fiona had the good sense to do likewise and it really gave us the energy boost we needed. To be honest I could have stayed there the rest of the day swimming!
We felt like we were really high here… which in comparison to the summit of Cradle, it wasn’t that high at all !!
I love heading across the plains
You can see the tracks faintly scarring the mountainside
The red shows you the approximate ‘path’ and the arrow is the top point we reached (1545mt/5068ft)
Its such a rugged path. Slabs of dolerite from the Jurassic period litter the surface and create a wonderful challenge of making your way up to the top.
Fiona and I stopped fairly regularly and the views were always stunning
At this point it seemed like we were at the top. The rocks levelled out somewhat and we could see views over the other side
However… at the top we were not.
Just over this little rise we were confronted with the final challenge:
Down we had to go for a short distance before a final climb that seemed almost vertical. This is where a walking buddy was essential for people with short legs and heavier bottoms backpacks.
Time to put the camera back in my backpack and tackle that climb
It was so great to make it to the top.
A few people enjoying the moment and the view.
We climbed 665mt/2181ft to make it to this point.
Rock-hopping terrain
To me it seemed like a giants game of Jenga gone mad…
As I mentioned yesterday, coming down was almost as hard a work as going up… although I prefer gravity on my side so I was definitely faster!
After 14km/8.7miles hiking it was bliss to get back down to Dove Lake and splash around in the cold water before the drive home!
Fabulous way to spend a day!
Cheers
Nice summary of our hike Lisa. We live in a beautiful place. 🙂
Thanks for the wonderful company Fiona!! We really do live in a gorgeous place! Lucky us!!
Stunning photos… a wonderful adventure for you!
Thank-you! Was such a great day!
A great accomplishment for all of you!
Thanks Judy! We were so pleased to have finally done this!