#3 - Dalton Peaks Loop
Grampians National ParkLength: 6.7 mi • Est. 4 h 36 m
A loop up to Dalton Peaks. The walk starts and ends at Borough Huts Campground. Cross the creek at the 4wd crossing. Head up the track, but don't turn towards Mount Rosea keep heading up the 4wd track until you hit the Ingleton Track. Then find the overgrown 4wd track. Its about 5 meters to the right of the track intersection. Follow this overgrown track crossing the Middleton Creek, and keep heading west up the range. Make your way around to Middleton Gap. There is a small unofficial camp site there. Then head north up through the rocks and vegetation until you get to a large balancing rock near the cliff edge. Follow the edge more or less past another small outcrop then up a small hill until a more open rocky area. Head up and check out the rock arch (of sorts) on top of the small peak. From the arch head north down the valley, crossing the creek just after a large boulder. Then head east gaining height along the south slope of Dalton Peak south. You come to a small outcrop near the edge with views back to the rock arch and along the range. Then head north through thicker vegetation and some rock working your way up, until finally you emerge near rock stacks and an open area that are Dalton Peaks south summit. Keep heading north over rocky areas up to the cliff edge to another small summit. Look north to Dalton Peaks north. You will see a major and more minor cliff line on the side of the slope. These will need to be dodged. Head down the valley aiming for a large boulder on the valley floor. Just behind it is a rock, a good place to cross the creek. Then head up and work your way around south, keep heading south to avoid the cliff line. You will pass a small waterfall (possibly dry). Eventually you will find the point up. Climb up, and keep heading up, past another smaller point to climb up. After this climbing, you will see some rock stacks to the north east. Head towards them and walk past them keeping them on your left. Soon after this, you hit a more open area with a small creek in the centre (probably the source of the waterfall you past a while back). Cross the open area and keep heading up heading north east. Landscape begins to get easier with less vegetation and more rock in spots. Finally you come to Dalton Peaks north cliff face. Just north of this you will see the summit. Once you have climbed the summit, head north east again down towards the cliff line, then follow it around to a gully. Descend the gully carefully and begin to work your way down the eastern slope of Dalton Peaks north. Keep walking through more open terrain with large trees until you find a large boulder. Keep heading east and you will hit an old 4wd track. Follow this back until you find the Mount Rosea walking track. Then follow that back to the campsite.
Here are some worthy tips for this walk. Don't attempt this if its too hot. On a wet or windy day, this walk would be pretty miserable also. The old 4wd track up towards Middleton Gap does become easier to follow the higher you get, but its a slog. Expect to take about 2 hours from the camp site to Middleton Gap. Although this is a long hard walk, if you only ever plan on being up here the once, we would suggest a small detour. At Middleton Gap, just to the south maybe 100 meters is the Boars Head and Camel Rock with views over to Castle Rock. The climb up the south slope of Dalton Peaks south is a bit think in spots with plants, more so after you leave the cliff edge outcrop and head towards the summit. Don't stay too close to the edge descending the valley between the peaks. just keep an eye on that large boulder at the creek and work your way down which ever way you feel best for you.
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