Walking trip from the Walls of Jerusalem to Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

This is a tale of adventure is told in sections by the protagonists: Stuart, Ray, Mike, Kim, John and Neil. On Saturday 21 Feb to Sat 28 Feb 1998, six intrepid explorers conquered the wilderness of Tasmania starting from the Walls of Jerusalem and finishing at Cradle Mountain. Their names were: Stuart , Ray , Mike , Kim , John and Neil.

Each of us had a splendid time and each has a story to tell with the experiences of the views; the animals, plants and insects; changing eco-systems, varying climates and personal endeavours. We covered a magnificent part of Tasmania, and we could easily see why it is a region listed for world heritage.

Our trip was a success due to the early planning and co-operation between each participant. We teamed as partners sharing tents, stoves and food and communicated via email. Various tasks were assigned to individuals to reduce the workload of the trip organiser (Stuart).

The trip consumed all of the eight days, each day is recounted by a different person below.

Day 1, Saturday 21/2 - by Stuart

Launceston to the Walls of Jerusalem 9:30am to 1:20pm bus. 1:30pm to 5:00pm campsite 9km.

Reference 1:25000 Walls of Jerusalem National Park Map & Notes

Friday night was spent in the Launceston backpackers. We suggest staying in the first backpackers, which is located off the main street, or bedroom one, as bedroom two is exposed to traffic and other night noises.

There must have been a message of things to come. I managed a navigational error in Launceston !

Don't trust man-made objects. The signpost on the road running from the back-packers is rotated 45 degrees, indicating that George St is a side street. Not realising that we were already on George St, I lead the party for a tour to the city border instead of the bus station, which was only 200 metres away.

The bus trip went quickly, even with the stops at the animal park and Mole Creek cave, as we were brimming with excitement over the walk.

The start of the walk was cool, so many of the party donned their Goretex (tm) gear, except me, who had done part of this walk two years ago. The registration booth is located about 2 minutes along the trail, in which we entered our trip intentions.

After 20 minutes of uphill walk, all of the Goretex shells were removed. After an hour, we stopped briefly at Trappers Hut. This is an interesting historical hut, inside of which there were noticeboards showing a detailed history of the trappers.

From Trappers Hut the terrain started to flatten and the environment changed from a forest of gums to alpine scrub. Many pools (tarns if you want) sided the track, with a major set starting the biblical references that make this area famous - "Solomons Jewels".

The little alpine flowers were very pretty, lilac and yellow being the predominant colours. Some of the bushes (somewhat prickly I might add) were adorned with little red or orange berries

These names of the following landscape features seem to match perfectly to the mountain or lake they refer. Herods Gate was half closed with cloud, and as we proceeded through its opening, we were blasted with a strong icy wind. Unfortunately the way was shrouded in cloud, but we were able to make out the beauty of Lake Salome, and the majesty of the West Wall and Damascas gate.

Our camp was nestled in a pencil pine grove below the West Wall. We admired the beauty of the pencil pines, their conical shape most gardeners would strive to match in pruning. We were even further appreciative of this area, when we discovered that some of these trees are over 1000 years old, and this area contains Tasmania's largest forests of pencil pine.

I forewarned everyone of the thieving nature of the possums in this area, so we tied up all our zippers on the rucksacks and stowed all the food deeply in the middle of the packs. One of the possums must have overheard me and stole my water bottle ! In the morning I discovered it a few metres away, with a tooth-hole in it. Nothing a bit of duct tape couldn't fix.

Ray and Mike decided to go for an evening stroll, and were able to sight many animals and get a good view of the sheerness of the "Walls". In the morning Ray and I walked back to Herods Gate to see where we had walked. The others decided that the icy winds deserved a sojourn in the sleeping bags.

Day 2, Sunday 22/2 - by Neil

Damascas Gate, Lake Ball, Lake Nugara, Lake Toorah, Lake Meston Hut .
9:30am to 5:30 pm
Reference 1:25000 Walls of Jerusalem National Park Map & Notes

Waking in the Walls
Biblical land, Holy Ground ?
God's help may well be needed
To safely traverse Stuart's intended route.
Fleeing from severe weather,
Though serene scenery,

Through Damascas Gate
Pass to the Unknown Land.
Pause to kneel at the Temple
Admire, walk through
The ancient Pencil Pine forest
And exit from the Kingdom's Hut

Take a bearing
South by Sou'-West
No more tracks
Serious Stuff !
Boggy ground
Snow and hail, sunshine - ever changing

Land of a thousand lakes - Ball, Nugara, Toorah (roo-la-lay)
Land of vision splendid.

Meston is nigh,
An end in sight.
There is a God
But one little fight.
How to descend this scrubby scarp?
Pushing, stumbling, falling
Down through scratchy thicket.
How do we leave the promised land ?

Persistence,
Down,
Exhausted, wet
But not defeated.
Burst through, 300 metre in over an hour.

How far to the hut ?
Two things - Food, warmth
Nothing else matters.
Shangri-La

This hut's almost too perfect.
Looks, form and function.
Fire's lit !
Groan ! Only room for four.

Sob, trudge, two were exited.
Trudge, trudge, trudge.
Getting Dark.
Junction Lake
Heaven's rest .
Peace at Last
Good Night.

Day 3, Monday 23/2 - by Stuart

Lake Meston Hut, Junction Lake to Chapter Lake 9:30am to 11:00 am, 1:30pm to 5:30pm campsite.
Reference 1:25000 Cathedral 4236

After two very wet days, we awoke to some very welcome beams of sunlight. This the initiate of shine for the next four days !

We somewhat envied the fact that John and Neil are able to sleep in today, given their onward march last night to Junction Lake Hut yesterday. However, we jollied with the thought of a nice dry day enjoyed the morning's walk to Junction Lake.

Waterfalls and cliffs rose on both sides of the lake and track. The birds were twittering, and the streams were flowing, all enhancing the overall beauty of this area. What a transition from the alpine areas we had just left.

The Lake Meston track worked its way through Tea-Tree forest, then opened to a shallow button grass river valley. The many streams proved an interesting exercise in negotiation.

At Junction Lake hut we paused to meet Neil & John and dry some of our gear. We lunched, peeled off the leeches.

Mike, Ray, Kim & I ventured down to the Clarke falls. I showed the place at which I crossed the Mersey River two years ago to traverse the Never Never, and we admired the sheerness, volume and depth of the waterfall.

Magnificent views of the Cathedral mountain, Feather Falls and the surround of Junction Lake shone in the brilliant sunshine and clear sky.

We left Junction Lake after a good rest, and for the first time referred to the track notes in the Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair and Walls of Jerusalem National Parks book by John Chapman and John Siseman. We found this to be handy as we had a void in the map overlaps, and the ground being of low undulation made navigation questionable in the 1:100000 map of the Cradle Mt Lake St Clair National Park.

We found the the old fence, and had a relatively easy stroll through the river gully grass. The terrain then changed to Myrtle forest, which was pleasant, once we got inside & past the scratchy bushes. The myrtle forest is characterised by mosses and open interior due to the lack of undergrowth.

Fungi of many shapes and colours also abound. Some were like huge dollops of plaster, others dark brown and wood-like and others bright yellow

We rested and snacked at Cloister Lagoon, and wondered about the book's wording "From here to Chapter Lake, the track takes a tortuous route...." A wedgetail eagle flew closely by and winged its way swiftly to the forest beyond.

Our thoughts of an easy run to Chapter Lake were promptly dismissed, as we met the "tortuous route" early , ascending rapidly up the side of Cloister Lagoon. The track then opened to a pleasant valley at the northern end of the Lagoon.

After about a kilometre we met the "tortuous route", but found it to be now worse than that previously envisaged. But, yes, the track down to Chapter Lake was very steep. But, marvel, the views of the Grail Falls. Tricky to get a good photo, but who cares, this place is special; some of us meditated and the rest just reveled in the sounds and sense of the area.

Anyone who can get to see these waterfalls will be well rewarded, stay at least a night to fully appreciate them.

The campsite was dry and cool being well secreted within the tea tree and myrtle forest. The drone of falling water afforded a pleasant night's rest.

Day 4, Tuesday 24/2 - By Ray

Chapter Lake to Lees Hut 9:30am to 5:00pm campsite.
Reference 1:25000 Cathedral 4236

We awoke to the roar of the Grail Falls, which kept us company throughout the night. The possums at this campsite were friendly (one sat with me on a large rock platform below the falls last night).

The walk today started with a steep climb and scramble over rocks and through fallen timber, followed by an equally steep and longer descent on the other side of the ridge. We headed for Jackson's creek and the Mersey Forest Road.

On the way we passed through Myrtle forest, which changed to eucalypt. It is interesting how each forest zone is distinct, the transition being quite abrupt. Then we were halted by a wide expanse of fallen trees - almost as if a mighty explosion had blasted them down (apparently bush fire). It was remarkable that we were able to traverse the log jam, to find the track almost immediately on the other side.

For the first time in two days we met other people. A school group heading for Chapter Lake and Lees Hut via the mountain escarpment. They were lead by an old hand, who had blazed a trail (somewhat illegal nowadays and probably 'thenadays'). After a brief discussion and some tips for future adventures, we continued on.

The Mersey Forest road was our first touch with civilisation in four days. We felt somewhat deflated whilst on the brief stretch of road to the start of the Lees Track. A lift in spirit occurred as we crossed the Mersey River by wading across it. No Log bridge was available due to a wash away from previous floods. Boots remained on to ensure good grip on the river bed, and a strong stance was required to resist the current.

We lunched on the river bank, on a carpet of lush grass. Bright sunshine dried our boots, skin and gaiters. Idle time was spent a few leaches and snapping photos of this idyllic spot.

Following Lees track, we were trying to determine the animal footprints cow or horse, perhaps both ? They were somewhat old, but indelible in the muddy track. The walk was pleasant through a cool sun broken forest, which opened into the "paddocks". Lees Paddocks were difficult to navigate due to the tussocky grass. we missed the log bridge, necessitating another crossing (Wurragurrra Creek) and further wetting of our boots.

Lees hut is still used by the Lee family, being a cattleman hut, but it is available for use by bush walkers. Given the fact it was covered in cobwebs, and the weather so pleasant, we elected to camp out. The Cathedral Mountain and associated peaks provided a wonderful backdrop.

We all decided that it was time to remove some body odour, so an icy dip in the creek provided the necessary cleansing agent, and the warm sun made the task bearable.
After dinner, we convened in the hut, discussing tomorrow's route, and laughed at the entries in the log book by candle light. The spider in the kerosene lamp provided entertainment as peeked out from within the canister.

Day 5, Wednesday 25/2, By Mike

. Lees Hut to Pelion Hut. Pelion Hut to Windemere Hut. (A long long way !)
9:00am to 7:30pm
Reference 1:25000 Cathedral 4236, 1:100000 Cradle Mt Lake St Clair National Park

Got up to a sunny morning, and to a glorious view of Deans Bluff, Bishop Peak and the other peaks working their way to Cathedral Mt. The mist filled the valley, but the sun was breaking through in full bloom.

The trip started immediately with a 300 metre climb through rainforest. This was a continuation of Lees track into the Cradle Mt - Lake St Clair National Park. The track followed Wurragarra Ck, differing to the location shown on the Cathedral map.

At the top, the track was a challenge to follow, as it was obscured by a new terrain of prickly waist high bushes. There was also a seemingly innumerable set of leeches lying in wait ready to pounce on some of the juicier members of the party.

Also we began to sight a few snakes, the Tasmanian whip snake and the odd Tiger snake. But not of any frequency nor closeness to give any great fear.

The rest of the walk to Pelion Hut was reasonably flat, and on the way we passed Reedy Lake (aptly named) and Lake Ayr. We underestimated the time to get to the hut, due to the soft and boggy nature of the ground.

The views around Lake Ayr were superb, with very clear views of Mt Oakleigh, Mt Pelion east, Mt Ossa and Mt Pelion West.

We lunched for an hour , at a creek that runs past Pelion Hut and espied an echidna crossing the river via a fallen log across to the other side. At 2pm it's time to move on, this is a long day, as our destination is Windermere Hut, 5 1/2 hrs on.

The walk progressed through a forest to a place called frog Flats. This section was rather chopped up with heavy foot traffic of the overland trekkers. Until it opened up this part of the walk was a bit of a let down. Beyond Frog Flats we were greeted with the open moors, and a surround view of mountains. Mount Oakleigh, ever present to the right, Barn Bluff ahead, Pelion East in the rear, and the golden glow of the moors. This area has to be one of the most spectacular parts of the Overland Track.

Along the way, Stuart was starting to feel a great deal of pain in his left knee. We had been walking long distances, and the prolonged exertion took its toll. After some discussion, we decided to split his pack amongst the group and continue. The area was unsuitable for camp, and the risk of not getting to the finish on the morrow too great.

The reduction in weight did the trick and we were able to reach Windermere around 7:30 pm. We decided that this part of the walk was well in excess of generally accepted distance, and that Pelion should have been the stopping point. We have learned a lot about taking more care about understanding maps and underestimating times of trips due to terrain variances eg. flat ground speed can be impeded by boggy ground or vegetation.

The toll was also showing on myself and Kim, our feet was blistering quite badly. Some careful taping and dosing with antiseptic tonight! Wet boots and continued walking produced some whopper blisters.

Day 6, Thursday 26/2 - by Kim Sherlock, Sidetrip by John

Windermere Hut to Waterfall Valley Hut 3 hours, 8km
1:100000 Cradle Mt Lake St Clair National Park

The previous days walk was very taxing on the remainder of the skin on my feet. Somehow I had pushed myself grudgingly to Windermere hut, where we slept last night. I thought we were all going to recover together along the Overland Track to the next point - Waterfall Valley Hut. But in the morning, Ray, John and Neil left before I even contemplated having breakfast in order to make the ascent of Barn Bluff.

The walking wounded, myself, Mike and Stuart rested a while before making the comparatively short walk to Waterfall Valley Hut.

I am now sitting here in Waterfall Valley Hut listening to the big blow flies banging their heads against the glass and the cold wind, blowing in a change. We're in for some wild stuff.

Barn Bluff Side trip
Barn Bluff stood alone in the distance. That monolith was begging to be climbed, and the closer we got to it the more attractive it became. Myself - John, Neil and Ray took off early to gain advantage of the the fine weather.

We decided that while the weather was good, we would conquer the mountain before a predicted storm would hit in the afternoon. We reached Waterfall Valley Hut by 10:30 am and left for the bluff at 11:30 am. the track started off gently up the Overland Track steps,until we saw the Bluff track and headed off south towards it. The climb started flat and began to gradually climb for about 30 minutes until we hit the rocky outcrops at the bottom of the steep section.

After a brief stop, we decided to hit the climb, which was a mixture of climb and rock hopping, with the last section climbing about 200 metres of sheer rock in tall pillars stacked against each other. The wind was starting to rise from the north, but the weather was still fine for the last rush to the summit. (1559m, which is 15m higher than Cradle Mt)

Upon reaching the summit, we proceeded to the eastern side of the Bluff, where the views down the valley were superb. It was clear enough to see the Walls of Jerusalem, along with all the peaks we had traversed or skirted around over the previous six days. We could see all the way across to Frenchman's Cap on the edge of the South West National Park.

The views were spectacular to say the least, but the wind was beginning to pick up, and we decided to head down again. It took 2 hours to reach the summit and 1hr 15min to descend back to Waterfall Valley Hut. A spectacular days walking with the best views of the whole trip so far.

Day 7, Friday 27/2 - by Kim

Waterfall Valley Hut to Scott Kilvert Memorial Hut
1:100000 Cradle Mt Lake St Clair National Park

I awoke in morning to a hive of activity. The morning was very cold and the temperature continued to drop, until a gusty wind blew in with sleet and icy snow. The crew was up and about. they decide that 10 o'clock would be a good time to reach a hut at the base of Cradle Mt - Scott Kilvert Memorial Hut.

The trek up and down to it was refreshingly wild. The wind attempted to blast us off the planet, and all elements were fired at us - wind, sleet, rain and hail. I just about flew off the high track with the strong gusts. Our short trek took a bit more than 2 hrs.

I took two pain killers so I could walk and enjoy the same beauty I have come to love in all its stark and bleak glory.

Scott Kilvert Hut was a haven for us to relax for the rest of the day, situated in a very quite and picturesque area below Cradle Mt. It was built for a very sad reason, reminding us of the respect required when traveling in this area.

Day 8, Saturday 28/2 - by Stuart

Our last day was as interesting as the previous days. I had never walked Hanson's Peak preferring Marion's Lookout for its spectacular three way views - Crater Lake, Lake Dove and Cradle Mountain. Cloud obscured this track so we opted for the Hanson's Peak track. We were not disappointed, as it offered a refreshingly different perspective of Lake Dove (couldn't see Cradle Mt) and elevated views of the Twisted Lakes and Lake Hanson.

Not for the faint-hearted, this walk takes us over quite a steep ridge, and one part has a chain rail to assist in stability on some steep slippery shale rock.

Neil & John couldn't wait for a shower & ducked over to Waldheim chalets for one. The remainder of the party elected to wait until Launceston. Boy did we need one, and what a comfort to get into some fresh clothes !

We were glad to find out that the bus was leaving directly for Launceston, cutting 2 hours off the scheduled time. This gave us plenty of time to shower and settle down for a pleasant dinner at a coffee bar restaurant close to the bus depot.

There is a saying that you know you have had a good party when you are ready to leave. It's hard to believe we have covered so much, yet we have and we are now temporarily sated ! I am sure it won't be long before another trip will be in the offing and indeed snapped up quickly.