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DOC Land
Altitude: 477m to 1537m. Gain: 1726m. Loss: 1237m . Gradient: 13 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7)
A string of corries and head basins along the eastern face of the main Eyre Mountain range provides a physically challenging but rewarding high-level route between Iron Spur and Ross Hut.
40m east down the 4WD track from The Bowels of the Earth, a gate leads to a bulldozed fenceline climbing up Iron Spur, Climb the bulldozed line on the DOC side (west) of the fenceline. This is a long steep climb gaining 800m in 2.5km. The bulldozed line ends at around 900m but by now the scub is quite open and deer trails provide route upwards for 100m until you reach good tussock. I climbed near to the fenceline all the way to the saddle between pts 1375 and 1478.
Follow the good ridgeline north over pt1478, pt1510, pt1555 and pt1519. For the most part the ridgeline is broad and easy, solid walking. A couple of the highpoints are rocky and narrow, requiring brief scrambles.
From pt1519, seek out a good route through brief bluffs to tussock faces below to the east - a steep tussock chute 100m north of the highpoint was the only route I found down. Once below the bluffs, sidle north, keeping at around 1460m. The lake shown on maps, is at the base of tall bluffs in the valley below. Swinging east round the head of the lake, aim to the highest terrace below bluffs to the north, and follow the sloping tussock ledge east onto the main spur.
Beyond the spur, a broad tussock basin. A few exposed campspots exist near streams in this basin. Dropping to about 1300m gave a good route round the head of the next valley on gentle tussock slopes. Head up the creek shown on maps draining from the north, and climb to the saddle NW of pt1494. Two routes up exist, one on a steep clay&gravel slip and the other on rock-scree.
From the saddle NW of pt1494, drop NE into the scree basin beyond, losing about 150m of height and aiming for the steep, broad scree chute visible climbing through bluffs to the next ridgeline. Climb the chute into a scree basin above the first bluffs, and sidling right find a second chute leading through the next set of bluffs to the ridgeline. Scree is steep and loose, but the climbs are safe and not exposed to falls.
Once above bluffs you are treated to what appears to be 2km of tussock flats leading to the next pass. However, a steep, deep valley lies hidden between you and the pass. Aiming just west of the corona of rocks at pt1480, drop just north of the creek shown, heading down tussock faces into a scree basin below. A simple walking climb up stable grassy scree follows, gaining 200m to the saddle into Ross Creek.
At the saddle between pt1672 and Symmetry Peaks, swing east and drop into the tussock-lined head of Ross Creek. An easy 1km drops to muddy tarns NE of pt1672. Below the tarns, cross to the southern side of the creek. The creek drops north down a series of waterfalls, but you can sidle east out onto the face until you reach the first side-spur and then follow that steeply down into the basin 200m below. I kept cutting right (east) each time I could to keep on scree and short grass on the face, avoiding tall tussock and scrub in Ross Creek below. Once int he valley, follow flats / terraces on the southern bank down to the start of bush, winding as appropriate to avoid patches of scrub. Do not drop into the bush straight away - sidle the southern valleyside for 100m to reach a minor spur and drop north down that to reach open bush. Ross Hut is 20m into the bush in the basin to your left, and is shown correctly on topomaps.