Overnight at Scott – Kilvert Memorial Hut.

While visiting Cradle Mountain National Park I couldn’t help but investigate an overnight hike to do. While most people will take the Overland trek while they are here, I didn’t have the time to embark on that journey and the booking for that trail had filled up months ago!

After doing so research both online and via a phone call to Tasmania National Parks, I discovered a way to enjoy a night right near the peak of Cradle Mountain, that I didn’t have to book and was graded 3 with a few grades of 4 thrown in. Sounded perfect to me as a solo walker with 2 days to spare!

History Of Scott -Kilvert Memorial Hut

The History and reason for this hut to be built on this particular site is a sad one. In 1965 while on a school multi day hiking trip student David Kilvert and Teacher Ewan Scott both become separated from the rest of the group and died while in a blizzard. While David perished on Hansons Peak from a broken back and exposure, Ewan continued to walk in an attempt to raise the alarm with the others of the group but died 200metres for them. It is thought that if the pair, and the rest of the school group who had taken shelter from the storm in a boat shed on Lake Rodway, had access to a hut, all would have been well. Within a year of the tragedy the hut had been build by the Launceston walking club as well as families and friends of the Riverside High School with funds raised by individuals and businesses within the community. This has provided a shelter in the area with the hope that another tragedy like this would not occur again.

Quick tips to hiking safely

I cannot go further on with this without giving some quick tips on how to hike as safely as possible!

Always have a topographic map and compass and know how to use them.
Always tell someone where you are going AND sign the walkers log book.
Always take a Personal Location Beacon (you can hire these if you don’t have one)
Always have a charged phone and back up battery pack.
Always take plenty of water and water purifying tablets.
Always take extra emergency food.
Always take warm fleece and rain jacket ( even if you start off in warm weather )
Always take a first aid and snake bite kit
Always stay to your hiking ability limits
Always stay put if you get lost and access help

Overnight Hiking to Scott – Kilvert Memorial Hut

While I had researched this hike online and via a phone call to Tasmania Parks and Wildlife my first and most important point of call when arriving was the Cradle Mountain Information Centre. The staff member I spoke to was very informative about the hike, showing me on a topographic map, the trail. Even though it seemed fairly straight forward I ditched the free map they give out and bought myself a topographic map (see point number one above!) This map was invaluable in the end and far exceeded the map they hand out freely, which is in my opinion, hopeless. The information centre is also the place to buy your shuttle bus pass and national parks pass if you don’t already have one.

The hike begins at the top of Dove Lake right at the end of the Shuttle bus stop. Here you will find toilets, fresh drinking water (point number 5!) and a viewing shelter which contains the walker logbook ( point number two!!). After taking the obligatory Cradle mountain pic the trail begins on the left, fairly flat at first, then along the way you come to a fork in the trail and you want to take the left trail. It is pretty well sign posted.. the trail to take is the Lake Rodway Track, this is the trail to follow all the way to the Scott – Kilvert Hut. The rocky trail is tricky in parts but the killer for me was when the trail went straight up (one of the grade 4 parts), so steep that they had a chain to help you! Crawling/ climbing on my hands and knees may have been a little extreme, but for me as a short person who has a fear of heights this was literally the only way I was getting my body up there to the top of what is called Hansons Peak! But man the view was very much worth it so it was the perfect spot for a snack and some water!

From here the trail follows along with the most magnificent views of the Cradle Mountain Peaks and Dove Lake, before moving away (still following Lake Rodway Track) till you find yourself on the other side! While this is my 3 time in my life coming to Cradle Mountain I cannot remember being on the “back side” of the peaks, it is such a different aspect and away from all the tourist crowds, which are mostly either doing the Dove lake circuit or heading to tackle the summit.

Within 4 hours of starting on the trail I find myself walking past Lake Rodway and into a little alcove in which the Scott – Kilvert Memorial Hut is the biggest feature. Here you will find tent platforms if you ave brought your own tent or you can sleep in the hut which is probably the biggest I have every seen! It is two story and can accomodate many. Also onsite they havethe best loo with a view! From one you can see Cradle Mountain from the other one you can see Lake Rodway! There is also a large tank with rain water to drink, although you must treat it first ( point number 5 again!)

I chose to set up on a tent platform and while apparently it had been super busy the night before I found myself onsite with only two other groups on platforms and one individual in the hut. Two other small groups passed by on their day hike through the area so all in all very quiet considering it was peak summer holiday season!

Waking up in the morning after an amazing sleep (apparently there was a search and rescue helicopter overhead for a bit that I did not hear!!) I ate breakfast and got prepared under the watchful eye of Cradle Mountain, before filling up my water bottles and heading off, continuing along the Lake Rodway track. While you can double back, the information centre staff member suggested that this way was great to catch more sights of the peaks and the lake. After another grade 4 section I reached the intersection of the Overland Track. If you don’t, know this Track is part of the very popular 6 day 65km trail which you have to book on during the Summer Season. Turning right on this trail I began to loop back towards where I began the day before.

After walking around the end of Cradle mountain I found myself at the junction of a couple of tracks and many many tourists on the trail! At this part of the trail you can head up to the summit of Cradle Mountain, head across the face of the mountain or continue to head back to the start of the trail to where the shuttle bus stop is. After a little break to check out Kitchen Hut I decided that with the amount of people heading up to the summit today that I would avoid it. The summit track is graded a level 4 and a bit of a one way up on one way down track and with my track record of fear of heights I decided today was not the day to give it go! Feeling happy with my decision I made my way continuing along the Overland Track till I came to Marions Lookout. Busy as it was with day hikers I took the chance to have some snacks while looking out over Dove Lake and towards Cradle Mountain. With a variety of ways to get back from this point, after consulting my trusty map, taking the Marions Lookout Link track back down to water level not only let me escape the crowds but also tested out my legs on another chain rail trail… but this time downwards! A short time later I found myself joining all the tourists taking photos of the famous Dove Lake Boat Shed.

Boarding the shuttle bus, I glanced out the window at Cradle Mountain vowing to be back again once day.. hopefully to take on the Overland Track.