The circuit ascending Mt Roland and then descending via Mt Vandyke exceeded my expectations. The excellent 360 degree views from the summit of Mt Roland take in the flat expanse of land to the north and east, and the other peaks in this range to the west. Further west there are distant and famous peaks in Cradle Mountain National Park. It’s an impressively rocky and quite prominent mountain range (from most angles), and the circuit taking in Mt Vandyke is varied: It starts in lush forest and then rises onto an alpine plateau, passes boulder fields, and visits two rocky peaks which both require a bit of a scramble. The return track is very steep but this adds a bit to the sense of adventure.
And it’s all very accessible, so get on up there! Track notes at the end.
Mt Roland & Mt Vandyke: The Scenery
Track Notes
Starting at Gowrie Park (see map below) take the left hand options on the way up to visit Mt Roland. Back track and continue roughly south west along the plateau to visit Mt Vandyke (the summit is a short side trip from the main track). The main track on the plateau is marked but sometimes easy to lose. Continue on to a junction: Continuing west takes you to Mt Claude, but turning right will take you steeply down the mountain back to the outward track. All of these options are on Google Maps, but we used track notes in Day Walks Tasmania. The whole circuit is at the hard end of moderate.
Good work Edward, nice pics! I;m moving to Gowrie Park in July, so this will be my terrain. I climbed Mt. Roland last year. I plan to climb every mountain in Tassie in 2022/23 so I’ll be your customer 😉
All the best,
Val
Whoa! Big project. Sounds fab though. 👍