Distance: 8.8 km (9.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, clear - Moderate-hard terrain
Altitude: 1198m to 1476m. Gain: 832m. Loss: 1035m . Gradient: 12 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Prolonged scrambles (4/7)

Unmarked route, clear (7/9)
Unmarked route, follows obvious geography (river, spur, trail, etc)

Secondary, unmapped (4/5)
Route not on maps, an alternative recognised access to hut or along range / catchment

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Continuous moderate climbs

Moderate-hard (difficulty: 4/5)
Tall, walkable scrub / large rocks, occasional waterfalls or gorges in rivers

Prolonged scrambles (difficulty: 4/7)
Scramble, frequently on exposed ridges, spurs, faces

None (difficulty: 1/6)
No unbridged river crossings

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

No description

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

A difficult unmarked ridgeline route to Ada Flat, through frequent thick scrub and along a sometimes crumbling ridgeline. One steep, slippery descent down a loose gravel chute beyond pt1234. This is the hardest section of the Richmond Ranges due to thick scrub on the ridgeline. An alternative route would be to drop down the track to Top Valley, and follow the valley track climbing back to the ridge at Old Man. But then you wouldn’t have walked the ridgeline, eh?

It all starts easy: leave the track at Richmond Saddle and head WSW though mature beech then tussock to the 1st peak, pt 1393. The ridgeline continues west through tussock and occasional scree to Grassy Knob, before descending back to the bushline. From here things get tougher – the bush is thick and stunted beech, and it’s a case of picking your way SSW along the obvious rocky ridgeline towards pt1434. Where the beech gets even thicker! It’s a steep descent to reach the saddle between pt 1234 and 1331 – the loose gravel chute on the north side of the ridge is the only viable route I have found. Be careful.

The worst is now over. Cross pt 1331, then contour the north face of pt 1370 remaining in mature beech below bluffs and scrub to reach the saddle with pt1424. Again, stick to the north face of pt1424 below the ridgeline, climbing gently to keep below thick scrub (don’t drop too far or you’ll hit steep gullies). After about 1km the scrub higher up ends ends near a series of clearings, and you can regain the ridgeline and pick up a well traveled ridgeline route west to Ada Flat.

Heading SW over Ada Flat, pick up the poled route (‘The Alpine Route’).