Red Ridge

Height Gain
930m

Time to Reach Summit
2.5 - 4.5 hours

Degree of Difficulty
2.5 of 5; route finding helpful

Scenery
3 of 5

Date of Most-recent Ascent
August 10, 1997

From the parking lot walk across the road and find a creek to the right.  On the north bank of the creek, head into the forest and scout around for snippets of trail. In many places the trail is narrow and overgrown.  Bushwhacking, anyone?  Long pants will help keep your legs from getting shredded by the deadfall.   The objective is to stay parallel with the creek going up valley.  The separation between the trail and creek increases as you proceed.  In 45 minutes or so the trail swings left into the forest.  Shortly, the trail emerges on the bottom of a boulder slope.

There are no more trails to follow at this point, but you won't need any.  Pick your line and head for the ridge.  The terrain is coarse and steep but relatively stable.  Nevertheless the sustained angle will take its toll.

As you crest the ridge Sparrowhawk springs into view to the north.  To the east the ridge rises in saw tooth fashion, with minor summits jutting out over cliffs.  The going is relatively easy from here on, as you traverse across open slopes to reach one summit after another.  A large intervening notch will force you to scramble down to rubble before you can regain the ridge to the last two summits.

From the summit you can check out the final stretch up Sparrowhawk via the southeast gully.  Sharp eyes will pick out the two radio transmitters - one at the saddle leading to the southeast approach and the other on the summit.  Below the cliffs flanking the south side is a small green lake.  Mt. Bogart towers up to the east, while Mt. Buller lies directly south.  Across Spray Lake are Mt. Nestor and Old Goat Mt.

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Mt. Bogart
From near Red Ridge high point

Spray Lake
From Red Ridge high point

Access Map