This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.
Castle Rock Trail from McMurdo Station
The longest of McMurdo's recreational routes, climbing the central ridge of Hut Point Peninsula to Castle Rock, a 415 m rock crag north-east of Hut Point. Castle Rock was named by Scott's Discovery Expedition for its shape and served as a landmark for sledging parties returning from the south. The route follows station roads and flagged ridge paths.
Trail Map
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Trail Profile
General Instructions
About 7.4 km one way on the mapped route, so allow 4–5 hours for the round trip. Austral summer only. You must sign out with the station, carry a radio and survival gear as required by the programme, and stay on the flagged route: crevasses lie off-route on the snow slopes.
Weather check
Sampling Micro-Climate...
-77.8475, 166.6700
Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: -77.8475, 166.6700 @ 45m
Quick Stats
Highlights
- Scramble the short summit trail on Castle Rock
- View Mount Erebus and Mount Terror
- Look south over the Ross Ice Shelf
- See the sledging landmark used by Scott's expeditions
- Return past the station's ridge-top facilities
Field Radio Protocol
VHF-UHF Communication
Propagation Telemetry
Ridge Line
92%Gorge Floor
18%Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range
Regulatory Compliance
VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.
Technical Analysis
Total Ascent
+232 m
Total Descent
-0 m
Ruggedness Index
Terrain Roughness Index
Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).
31.6
Tortuosity Index
Route Curviness Index
Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).
1.26
Gradient Distribution
Surface & Hydrology
Surface Spectrum Analysis
Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.
Difficulty Analysis
Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.
Bounding Box (WGS84)
Point Spacing: 54.9 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0
Reviews & Discussion0
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Plan this trip
Before you go: Castle Rock Trail from McMurdo Station
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