Bushwalk Australia

Hi all,

I'm heading to the Cradle Mountain area for a day mid-December this year (limited to a day)

I want to head to Barn Bluff & capture an image with Barn Bluff & scoparia similar to this image by Peter Dombrovskis https://wildislandtas.com.au/products/dombrovskis-barnbluff

I was wondering if it's possible to do the trip there & back within a day leaving from the Dove Lake carpark & if you've done it how long it took

Cheers,

I would expect most groups would take 8-10 hours to summit Barn Bluff and return to Dove Lake/Ronny Creek/Waldheim. I have done this trip before and can’t specifically remember the times but it was a longish but comfortable day.

It’s worth noting that the picture you reference looks to have been taken from a southern perspective. Perhaps from an area around Lake Holmes? If so then this is an hour or so past Waterfall Valley I’d take that into consideration of walk duration.

Dee.

There are some nice clumps of scoparia near the track junction between OLT and the Barn Bluff turnoff. You may be able to get a nice image of Barn Bluff with flowering scoparia in the foreground from that point (I did, with a bonus pic of an eagle). From memory it took around 8.5 hours from Dove lake going up via the goat track to Marions.

Edit: I meant return trip to Barn Bluff summit and back

Dove Lake to the base of Barn Bluff is my training walk. Depending on my fitness I can go from Dove Lake (via Marions Lookout)to the base of Barn Bluff in about two and a half hours. Last time I did was a couple of months ago took 2hrs 50min but I am not fit and in my mid 70s. So should have plenty of time to take photos especially if you don't climb the peak itself.

That Dombrovskis shot will have been taken near the track to climb Barn Bluff - not far after the turn off. About where Rai is suggesting.

dalegphoto wrote:I was wondering if it's possible to do the trip there & back within a day leaving from the Dove Lake carpark & if you've done it how long it took

Very achievable, depending obviously on the ability to walk at a decent pace, and get away early enough. In December you'll have no lack of daylight hours, just remember that access to Dove Lake is bus only now and they don't start until 8am or so, which is kinda late. Get in at 6am (or earlier), drive and park at Ronny Creek... it's only an extra 2km along the road to Dove Lake. Or alternatively take the start of the actual track from Ronny Creek via Crater Lake, bit longer distance to cover but the climb up to Marions is less intense.

As a guide... YMMW of course... I've been able to get out to the Barn Bluff track turn off in around an hour or so, but admittedly that involved a bit of running. Managed to get to Waterfall Bay in 2hrs15min with a fairly heavy pack once, but that was in a minor blizzard, on my own, so I wasn't mucking around Maybe 2-3 hrs would be a realistic allowance to the turn off for most capable walkers, then maybe another 1.5-2hrs to summit and return.

If you're going to go on further south to get that particular angle, we managed Dove Lake to Lake Will in a shade under 4 hrs at a more sensible pace (doing Mt Inglis in a day - 16 hrs) with daypacks. Most of the track from Cradle Cirque down past Lake Holmes is boardwalk/stairs, so expect to manage a comfortably good pace.

Good luck with it. Scoparia in December is one of life's simple pleasures.

Last week I left Ronny Creek for Barn bluff at 7.30 ,returned by 3.30pm.
Fast walking, cool weather,
Great to do Barn Bluff ( never have despite wandering around the area on several occasions)
The acsent is a little challenging, I was surprised how small and rocky the top plateau is