12/01/1985 – 15/01/1985   Mount Anne Circuit

                                                Southwest National Park, TASMANIA

Participants: Jenny Brunker, Peter Davies, Stephen Davies (Report, Photos)

Distance: 26km   Total Ascent: 2070m   Total Descent: 2090m   Time: 19 hours 

Day 1: Saturday 12/01/1985   Mount Anne Carpark – High Camp

This route was reconstructed from memory using Google Earth Pro and GPS Visualizer.

Download file: 1985-01-12.gpx                         Track Info

 

We had spent our morning completing our exit from our weatherbeaten attempt on the Western Arthurs, Eastern Arthurs, Picton Range traverse. Having walked out from the Huon campsite to Scotts Peak to catch the bus to Mount Anne carpark.

The bus dropped us off at the carpark from where we made excellent time up to High Camp (about 1,000m elevation gain in 3 hours). By now we were too tired and apprehensive to go any further until we could see for ourselves what tomorrows weather would bring. We had an easy escape possible from here but maybe not from any higher up.

Our boots were now starting to dry out properly with most of our other gear getting close as well. The poor old sprouts we are attempting to grow haven’t faired too well with all of the cool weather.

Dinner: Tomato noodle soup 7/10, Vesta beef stroganoff with rice 7/10, apricots & custard 8/10, milo 8/10.

It was starting to cool down at 8:00pm with the clouds slowing down.

 

Day 2: Sunday 13/01/1985   High Camp – Shelf Camp

This route was reconstructed from memory using Google Earth Pro and GPS Visualizer.

Download file: 1985-01-13.gpx                         Track Info

 

Woke to the sound of rain early in the morning. We were not very impressed but it had stopped by the time we got up at 8:30am. By this time a heavy mist shrouded everything around us.

A simple porridge only breakfast with fruit saline followed whilst the mist started breaking up. We were away at 10:20am with the mist gone and another very warm uphill boulder hopping climb of about 300m to Mount Eliza. After some time admiring the still misty Arthur’s Ranges and other views on the summit we headed off down the track and then around to view Lake Judd below. There was a lot of boulder hopping after the summits alpine grasses amongst which were very impressive, big lichen and moss covered boulders in various hues of yellow, white, grey and black. Our first decent day for photography for ages.

Lunched at about 1:00pm on the saddle above Shelf Camp. Salami, cheddar cheese, now stale rye bread, peanut butter and some sprouts. Then more boulder hopping up to Mount Anne’s summit. After a wrong turn up a narrow chimney we were back on course and more carefully following the rock cairns along the way. An easy climb with a little exposure in places but no call for using the safety rope. The summit logbook had no entries between 2/1/1985 and 12/1/1985. We returned to the saddle for afternoon tea after a 2 hour round trip.

From here we sidled around to Shelf Camp, arriving at 4:00pm feeling pretty tired from the 4 hours of very hot walking. It soon turned distinctly cold as the sun went down behind the mountains directly behind us.

Dinner consisted of miso soup, extra dried vegetables, the remaining spinach flavoured spaghetti and some real garlic along with all the dried meat followed by a plate of scrambled eggs, Deb potato and pine nuts. Apple and custard for dessert.

 

Day 3: Monday 14/01/1985   Shelf Camp – 519380

This route was reconstructed from memory using Google Earth Pro and GPS Visualizer.

Download file: 1985-01-14.gpx                         Track Info

 

Overnight we thought the next cold front had roared through as it had became very windy. After porridge and milo we were away by 8:45am, the earliest start of our entire trip. Shelf Camp proved to be a pleasant campsite with terraced “gardens” and a solid rock “BBQ setting” complementing the views nicely, however the tent pegs didn’t go into the rock very well so we secured it with rocks. Our second fire of the trip proved entertaining as it only went well when the wind blew briskly and quickly blown out.

We followed the route over the serrated ridge towards Mount Lot all morning. This was very spectacular walking with lots of scrambling.

“Exciting, rocky and exposed” Peter,

“Dangerous, left trails of blood, only to be done once” Jenny

We also had one exciting photographic side trip climbing along a ledge, with great views of Mount Anne in the background. It only proved that I still hadn’t got used to heights. Peter didn’t follow.

A scrub bash followed after we left the ridge track from Mount Lot, this eventually took us to the moraine between Lake Picone and Judds Charm where we snacked. Then on through Lovely Tarns and past Mount Sarah Jane before a classic decent of 480m through heavy scrub, which seemed to take forever. Here large numbers of trees lying prone and broken branches made it appear like the area had recently been hit by devastating cyclone force wind gusts.

We were all very tired walking along the mud flats to our campsite at 519380 and were stuffed when we arrived after walking for just short of 8 hours.

“I felt cactus coming down off the mountain, then I felt OK” Peter,

“Absolutely buggered, zero energy, two sore knees, one sore ankle and scratches all over my legs and hot and blisters” Jenny

The weather had held up well today but it was a bit windy at times making some of the rock hopping particularly exciting.

Dinner consisted of cream of chicken soup 8/10, cheese flavoured noodles 9/10, cheesecake 6/10, coffee mousse 9/10 all washed down with a milo 8/10.

Peter “I became accustomed to the Taswegian style of walking straight through the mud” conflicting in his technique on the first day! One gets used to the idea that once your boots and socks get soaked they won’t get any wetter and regardless of how much mud we walked through our feet always seemed to be clean at the end of the day when the boots and socks were removed.

Jenny “Peter always seems to find Steve a rock to sleep on, as Peter is always first to have have his sleeping mat in position after the tent goes up”

Just after setting the alarm for 8:00am and retiring for the night Peter yells out “Oh Oh Ah quick a torch” before descending with his torch into the inner depths of his sleeping bag chasing a bull ant that was biting him.

 

Day 4: Tuesday 15/01/1985   519380 – Red Tape Creek

This route was reconstructed from memory using Google Earth Pro and GPS Visualizer.

Download file: 1985-01-15.gpx                         Track Info

 

The tent got wet overnight. We had the last of our porridge with a double dose of sugar, also some scrambled eggs with butter and milo. We packed for the last time, which we found to be by far the worst chore of the day – getting everything organised, hopefully dried and packed.

After leaving camp just after 10:00am we arrived at Red Tape Creek after 2 hours walking where we waiting with four other people for the “Tag Along” bus to arrive at 1:00pm.

The bus stopped at Maydena for the traditional pig-out on junk food. I managed a plain hamburger, chips, Picnic bar, Toff-choc and some mint biscuits. We arrived back into Hobart at 4:30pm where we stayed with Kathy Fowler and her parents again. The first shower after 2 1/2 weeks out was sensational, as was a home cooked meal of steak, fresh vegetables, lemon pie and ice cream washed down with some beer and liqueurs.

Kathy’s 87 year old grandmother said it had been the worst January she could remember weather-wise. Two of their farmer acquaintances reckoned it was the worst in 25 years and crops would be 6 weeks behind normal.

 

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