I'd never been to the Frankland Range having always been put off by reports of horrendous scrub at either end. So when my friend Andy hatched the cunning plan to kayak in to the middle and access the range via an exposed spur, it seemed like a great idea. We put in at Gabion Shore which was the closest we could get to our destination. The 15km paddle to near Crumbledown Island took about 2.5hrs in good conditions. Then the climb up on to the range which went well until one of the last peaks before Murphys Bluff where we spent a lot of time detouring down through the scrub. The range itself was very open with only low vegetation - a sign of the ferocious weather it is exposed to. It was very late by the time we found a place to camp near the Citadel.
The following day we climbed the Citadel (which was quite exposed), the Lion and the Cupola. Water was relatively scarce on the range and we had to resort to sucking it out of small pools. Sunset on the range that evening was spectacular.
The Citadel
The next day we ventured out to Remote Peak and had a swim in Croaking Lake which was freezing. Back at the tents we decided to move camp down to the sheltered shelf above The Moat and it was fortunate we did. That night wind and rain buffeted our tents, while up high gusts tore across the exposed ground where we had been. I'd read stories of tent being blown away even when securely tied down and full of gear, and now I believed them.
The following day the bad weather continued but between us we managed to visit The Moat and Cleft Peak. On the last day we retraced our route through the cloud, before finding a slightly better route over the rocky obstacle from the trip in. The rain continued as we packed the boats and headed off and a stiff headwind made for slower going. Conditions improved though, and by the time we reached the car it was fine again. A fitting ending to a great trip.
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