The Fractal Island Horseshoe

A Virtual Trip Report

Fractal Island from Chapman Hill Grey Peak and Reid's Ridge
I begin by setting up camp on Chapman Hill. There's an excellent viewpoint near the summit where I pitch my virtual tent. I use a extra wide angle lens for this shot. A telephoto shot of the ascent to Grey Peak along Reid's Ridge, tomorrow's main objective. Today I'll just laze around the tent and look at the scenery.
Sunrise over Fractal Island Adny Straits
Rising early I enjoy a beautiful sunrise with a cup of Earl Grey. It's a bit chilly at the moment but there's an excellent day in prospect.

After a 9:30 start, I make my way down to the shallow straits at Adny Bay. It's possible to wade across here at low tide. Long wellies are desirable but I didn't bring any with me.
Chapman Hill Forest Approach

After crossing the straits I stop to dry off. This is the view looking back to Chapman Hill. Adny Point can be seen on the left. The distorted trees show that I took this with an ultra wide angle lens.

Warming up now with a bit of a slog through some rather rough grass and light woodland, with a tantalising view of the peaks ahead.
A Steep Ascent Reid's Ridge
Finally the serious part of the walk is reached. It's tricky to decide on the best route to take here. It's an energetic scramble up to the top of the ridge. The sun is high in the sky now.

After a long hard slog, the first summit is reached. Grey Peak looks pretty daunting, whilst Simon's Gully drops precipitously away to the right. It's getting rather cold up here.
Graham's Pike Grey Peak
Since I've stopped for a rest and a cup of Earl Grey, I may as well put on my telephoto lens to get a closer shot of Graham's Pike in the distance. An extra fleece would be a good idea too.

It was such hard going over Grey Peak I forgot to take any photos while I was there. I'm now on top of Graham's Pike. This is the view looking back to Grey Peak. The sky is really clear now.
Simon's Gully Tupper Hill

After the very steep descent from Graham's Pike, I stop to take a shot of Simon's Gully. I had considered this as a possible descent route but changed my mind when I saw it from the top!

Tupper Hill looks a lot steeper than I originally expected. I thought it would be a gentle stroll from here on but it seems I've got a lot more scrambling to come.
The Main Ridge from Tupper Hill Richardson Lake
Late afternoon now and the sun is getting low in the sky. It's also starting to cloud over but it's a great view from here nonethess. My feet are starting to ache after that last climb. It's all downhill from here. Next stop is Richardson Lake. Chapman Hill can be seen in the distance on the left. The precipitous slopes of Reid's Ridge are visible on the right.
The Ridge from the Lake Sunset from Adny Point
Early evening now and it's a great view of the ridge from the lake. I'm tempted to camp here but I've got other plans. The clouds continue to roll in. Looks like I had the best of the changing weather.

After being ferried back by one of the natives, I stop at Adny Point to set up camp for the night. This is the last view of the island as the sun sets. A great virtual day out.

Would you like to visit Fractal Island?
If you've got a copy of Vista Pro, or any other program that can load DEM files, the file is provided for download below. You can also download the associated .pcx file.
island.dem island.pcx
All the above pics are sized 1024x768, ideal for desktops.