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Mt Roland/Mt Van Dyke
Sun 27 May, 2012 11:11 am
Some spare time this weekend for both of us meant the chance to do a bit more abeling! It was Mt Roland this weekend, but we also managed to get (almost all the way) up Mt Van Dyke as well. Mt Claude will have to wait for next time. It was an extremely windy day, but nice to actually get some views this time!
The walk starts on fairly easy firetrails for the first hour or so, after which you enter a lovely patch of rainforest, often walking besides a delightful little creek.
After heading through the forest for another hour or so, we found ourselves out on the plateau behind Mt Roland
We decided that must have been the Great Western Tierns on the horizon directly in front of us, and we thought we could just about spot Ben Lomond off to the east. As the weather changed during the day, BL became more obvious.
Another hour or so from the emergence on to the plateau had us climbing the summit of MR, which gave beautiful panoramic views. Bass Strait to the north, BL to the east, Black Bluff (with snow) to the west and the GWT and central plateau mountains to the south. There was a little bit of bouldering required to reach the trig point, but the only reason this was difficult was on account of the gusting wind!
We then headed down the face track for a little while, just to get a different view, but didn't actually make it all the way to the face, as it was very very windy, plus we wanted to get going on our way to VD!
So it was time to head back down to the plateau, with the track splitting to MR and VD when you emerge from the rainforest. The mountain you can see above Nitya's head is Mt Claude, which was the only one we didn't have time for today. I guess the chockstone of death will have to wait until another time
.
It took us around 2 hours to make it from MR to VD, but we didn't get all the way up to the VD summit, as the bouldering was a little trickier, neither of us are comfortable with heights and the wind was even more ferocious!
Finally found a little bit of scrub too, after very civil tracks the rest of the way. Eventually got to around Nitya's head height, but was easily negotiated as it was just overgrowing the already established path.
We decided then that we'd keep on walking along the range to find the track heading back to the original firetrail, which sits in the saddle between VD and MC. It took us longer than we expected, but we were glad to find it when we did, thinking that we might have to either turn back and go the way we had come, or else head along MC and walk back along the road!
It was a lovely day in the end, 7.5hrs well spent! And we even managed to just catch the last light on MR as we were headed home
Highly recommended walk, and one more off the list! Cheers for looking guys, and you can find the rest of the photos on my flickr if you're curious (link in my sig).
The walk starts on fairly easy firetrails for the first hour or so, after which you enter a lovely patch of rainforest, often walking besides a delightful little creek.
After heading through the forest for another hour or so, we found ourselves out on the plateau behind Mt Roland
We decided that must have been the Great Western Tierns on the horizon directly in front of us, and we thought we could just about spot Ben Lomond off to the east. As the weather changed during the day, BL became more obvious.
Another hour or so from the emergence on to the plateau had us climbing the summit of MR, which gave beautiful panoramic views. Bass Strait to the north, BL to the east, Black Bluff (with snow) to the west and the GWT and central plateau mountains to the south. There was a little bit of bouldering required to reach the trig point, but the only reason this was difficult was on account of the gusting wind!
We then headed down the face track for a little while, just to get a different view, but didn't actually make it all the way to the face, as it was very very windy, plus we wanted to get going on our way to VD!
So it was time to head back down to the plateau, with the track splitting to MR and VD when you emerge from the rainforest. The mountain you can see above Nitya's head is Mt Claude, which was the only one we didn't have time for today. I guess the chockstone of death will have to wait until another time
.It took us around 2 hours to make it from MR to VD, but we didn't get all the way up to the VD summit, as the bouldering was a little trickier, neither of us are comfortable with heights and the wind was even more ferocious!
Finally found a little bit of scrub too, after very civil tracks the rest of the way. Eventually got to around Nitya's head height, but was easily negotiated as it was just overgrowing the already established path.
We decided then that we'd keep on walking along the range to find the track heading back to the original firetrail, which sits in the saddle between VD and MC. It took us longer than we expected, but we were glad to find it when we did, thinking that we might have to either turn back and go the way we had come, or else head along MC and walk back along the road!
It was a lovely day in the end, 7.5hrs well spent! And we even managed to just catch the last light on MR as we were headed home
Highly recommended walk, and one more off the list! Cheers for looking guys, and you can find the rest of the photos on my flickr if you're curious (link in my sig).
Re: Mt Roland/Mt Van Dyke
Sun 27 May, 2012 12:02 pm
Nice report thanks.
I was on Mt Claude while you were doing this, LOL.
Did the walk across the button grass to Minnow falls last week.
It's a great little mountain range with lots to see. It deserves more attention (and not a chairlift).
I was on Mt Claude while you were doing this, LOL.
Did the walk across the button grass to Minnow falls last week.
It's a great little mountain range with lots to see. It deserves more attention (and not a chairlift).
Re: Mt Roland/Mt Van Dyke
Sun 27 May, 2012 6:29 pm
So you got to enjoy the wind too then? Hope it wasn't quite so bad that far along the range 
Did you manage to get all the way to the top of MC? Via the chockstone, or via the cave+rope?
Definitely does NOT need a chairlift to the top, MR was quite a pleasant and easy walk!
Did you manage to get all the way to the top of MC? Via the chockstone, or via the cave+rope?
Definitely does NOT need a chairlift to the top, MR was quite a pleasant and easy walk!
Re: Mt Roland/Mt Van Dyke
Sun 27 May, 2012 10:26 pm
biggbird wrote:
Definitely does NOT need a chairlift to the top, MR was quite a pleasant and easy walk!
The local opinion seems to be divided along body shape lines ..... those who are relatively fit and regard MR as akin to a Sunday stroll are in the no chairlift camp. The other group is made up of those who have never been up MR and would probably keel over with a coronary if they attempted it due in large part to the amount of excess adipose tissue they are carrying.
Re: Mt Roland/Mt Van Dyke
Sun 27 May, 2012 11:45 pm
Unfortunately, the latter group are starting to far outnumber the former group just about everywhere in the world, meaning I hold out little hope for a lot of our wild places 
If only they'd do these sorts of things more often, they would find them much easier
If only they'd do these sorts of things more often, they would find them much easier
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