Overland Track
| The Overland Track | |
|---|---|
Track passing by Kitchen Hut west of Cradle Mountain
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| Length | 65 km (40 mi) |
| Location | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia |
| Trailheads | Ronny Creek (Cradle Mountain) 41°38′10″S 145°56′57″E / 41.63611°S 145.94917°E, Cynthia Bay (Lake St Clair) 42°7′1″S 146°10′22″E / 42.11694°S 146.17278°E |
| Use | Hiking |
| Elevation | |
| Highest point | Alpine plateau between Marions Lookout and Kitchen Hut, 1,250 m (4,100 ft) |
| Lowest point | Forth River crossing, 720 m (2,360 ft) |
| Hiking details | |
| Trail difficulty | Medium |
| Season | All |
| Sights | Mountains, Lakes, Rivers, Waterfalls, Wildlife |
| Hazards | Hypothermia, Snakebites, Cliffs |
The Overland Track is one of Australia's most famous hiking tracks, situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania. More than eight thousand walkers each year complete the track. Officially, the track runs for 65 kilometres (40 mi) from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. However, many choose to add the hike along Lake St Clair as a natural extension, bringing the length to 82 kilometres (51 mi). The track winds through terrain ranging from sheer mountains, temperate rainforest, wild rivers and alpine plains all in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Aside from the main track there are also several alternative side tracks, including to the summits of Cradle Mountain and Mount Ossa, the tallest mountain in Tasmania. Also within reach are a group of tarns called The Labyrinth and Lake St Clair (the deepest lake in Australia). World-renowned for its pristine environment and beauty, the walk has been compared with New Zealand's Milford Track (reference needed).
Walkers usually complete the track in five or six days. This is normally done from north to south, which is the mandatory direction between 1st October and 31st May. The record time is 7 hours and 25 minutes, achieved by Andy Kromar during the Cradle Mountain Run.
Europeans first explored Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair in the 1820s, and prospectors and hunters continued to explore the area well into the twentieth century. It was not until 1931 that fur trapper Bert Nichols blazed the Overland Track and by 1935 it was consolidated and used by independent walking parties.
The landscape was all carved by glaciers during the last ice age, and the prominent mountains are composed of dolerite columns. The climate is generally unstable, with temperatures ranging from hot (35+°C) in summer to below zero in winter. Snow can fall at any time and is common during the winter, especially on the Cradle Mountain Plateau and around Mount Ossa. Rain is very common, sometimes torrential though often settling to days of drizzle.
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Wikipedia