Approach notes

Access to the mountain is via the Sheffield-Gowrie Park – Cradle Mountain Road (C136). 2.2 km west of the Claude Road village, heading towards Gowrie Park and Cradle Mountain, turn L up Rysavy Road (signpost for the Silver Ridge Wilderness Retreat). Veer L at the top and continue to the farm. Steve Brown, one of the first ascensionists of the Ridge, now owns the farm and climbers are asked to phone him first for permission to cross his paddocks to the base of the cliffs (0408441945). Climbers are asked to park outside the farm gates, and to restrict their climbing, if at all possible, to between 8am and 8pm, to minimise disruption to the tenants living in the farm. Walk up a track past the L of the farmhouse and head up and across the paddocks to the far R corner, past the saffron fields, and up to a large cairn of rocks. A line of orange tape (present in February 2012) and small cairns mark a path from here up through the bush to the bottom of Rysavy Ridge on a bearing of 144° Mag if you have a compass. (Note: There seems to be various routes up to the crags. Others have gone up to Silver Ridge Wilderness Retreat, parked at the top, located the line from the topo and thus a bearing, and then headed up through the thick bush. It's up to you to decide which route to follow - all part of the experience). Time to the cliff from the farm is about three quarters of an hour. Bush camping is available a couple of kilometres further along Claude Road on the L at the O'Neills Picnic Area or you can try the Budget Backpackers (64 911385), about another 500m down the road in the old hydro township, or what is left of it.