By Roger Parkyn, originally published in Craglets

Ragged Jack is a peak off the north west of Ben Lomond. There are many more routes than are listed here, but this is a sampler of the routes at the easy to find Gaba Tepe area, in particular the high quality routes on the ANZAC Cove buttress. The climbing is typical of this region - dolerite columns. The columns at Ragged Jack are very pure, and not more than 50m in height. The route descriptions are fairly brief, but the lines speak for themselves and should be able to be found by referring to the topo (supplied by Bob McMahon).

Head to the hamlet of Deddington, and turn onto English Town Road. Follow this for 13km (it becomes Ragged Jack Rd at some point), until you reach unmarked RJ7 turn off on the right. This is roughly 700m past big u bend in the road where it crosses River O'Plain Creek. There is a pull out and possible camping site (but no water) a few hundred metres in near a locked gate. It is a 2 hr mostly uphill walk to the crag from here.

OLD ACCESS (Left in case bridge is repaired some day): Head towards the Northern Escarpment of Ben Lomond. Turn off the highway from Launceston onto Ben Lomond Rd (as if heading towards the ski-field and usual climbing areas), but after about 1km turn right onto Ragged Jack Rd (this is the first right from the highway). Follow this for about 8km until you reach a road named RJ7, turn left into this and drive as far as you dare (not that far in 2WD, but further in 4WD).

Follow the road uphill, crossing River O'Plain Creek after about 40 minutes. After the creek crossing the track bends to the left and heads uphill. Shortly after it flattens out (about 25 mins walk from the creek) there is a bushwalkers track on the right marked with cairns and red/white tin lid tags. Head easily up this to an open grassy area (15 mins) - the crag is now visible up and to the right, just below the northern summit. From here head across the scree, planning your route so as to avoid the bands of scrub (pass them on the left). After the track flattens out head through the maze of animal tracks through the bush until just below the northern summit (about 30 mins from the open grassy area to the top of the crag).

A few hundred meters past the bushwalkers cairns/tags on the 4WD track is a climbers cairn marked with an X. Just past this is a nice campsite on the left in a grassy meadow - if your car makes it up this far, this is the best place to camp. This cairn marks the start of a track which is supposedly a better way to walk up if starting from the upper campsite. The 4WD track continues on for several km, passing several major cliffs, both on the left and right. Some of these have routes on them apparently, but there is major potential for new routes out there if you are prepared to walk for hours and hours.