Distance: 5.5 km (2.0 DOC hours) - Unmarked route, hard - Hard terrain
Altitude: 835m to 1491m. Gain: 241m. Loss: 733m . Gradient: 10 deg (Moderate-hard)
Skills: Occasional scrambles (3/7) - Occasional rivers (3/6)

Unmarked route, hard (8/9)
Unmarked route, no clear geographic features to follow

minor (5/5)
A viable route, not widely used

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

Hard (difficulty: 5/5)
Thick scrub-bash / continuous river boulders, waterfalls, or gorges

Occasional scrambles (difficulty: 3/7)
Tramp with some scrambles and exposure to falls

Occasional rivers (difficulty: 3/6)
Occasional rivers - impassible after heavy rain

Unknown (difficulty: 0/7)
Not specified

It is possible to descend directly from the Sylvester Lakes to the Cobb roadend at Trilobite Hut. However, the descent is steep and scrubby in places and is only recommended for those keen on some scrub bashing.

From Sylvester Hut, follow the marked track to the Sylvester Lakes. Cut east of Little Sylvester Lake and climb the obvious spur climbing east to join the southern end of the Iron Hill ridgeline at around 1500m.

The spur between the two close creeks indicated on topomaps is viable but steep, as probably are many others. The initial 150m is thick stunted beech and is a painful bushbash. Layers of bluffs exist - particularly on the spurs - at this height and you need to work your way between them - the gullies seem easier for this initial section. Further layers of bluffs are present at around 1100m and required steep scrambles to bypass.

The Cobb was crossable - ankle-knee deep in normal flows at the eastern end of the first main clearing upstream of Trilobite Hut. The track was obvious and marked beyond.

Note: Described in the reverse direction to your journey

No description