Kathryn Cerchez, a student ambulance officer from Devonport, drove with me to Deloraine to meet Robert Knight at 1030am. A quick coffee and a visit to the supermarket for last minute supplies and we left for the Mersey Forest Road near Lake Rowallan to the Walls of Jerusalem carpark.
We got there with an overcast sky, a bushwalkers alert and snow flakes coming down. The three of us headed up the steep track at about 1pm. Kathryn could only walk us to the top of the hill (it is a very long hill) as she had to go home that night. Robert and Kathryn are superfit and I am not only over 40, I have CF and am battling a bad infection, the difference in fitness was day and night. As they darted up the steep slope I stumbled step by step, cough by cough up the hill, spitting green phlegm left right and centre. We made it to Trappers Hut, which marks the halfway point of the climb. We stopped for a late lunch at the hut and battled on. The terrain was definitely snow covered by now and the white dolerite peaks were towering above us at this point. I coughed on, spitting more green fluorescent gunk.
It was now 330pm and we figured Kathryn needed to head back at 4pm. She continued on till we could see Cradle Mountain and Barnes Bluff in the distance, all covered with snow. Our snow cover got thicker too, but it had stopped snowing. In fact it was clearing up for us.
At 430pm Kathryn turned around and Robert and I were left to continue on our own. Soon the snow got deeper and deeper and finding the track became harder and harder. At 6pm we were making slow progress and I was still coughing. Light was failing and we had to put on our snow shoes which were kindly provided by Devonport’s Snowgum store (ex Backpacker's barn). We battled on, or should I say I battled on and Robert patiently walked with me. We had trouble locating the trail, but with the snow shoes we were able to pretty much walk in the right direction once we caught sight of a trail marker. We could see Herods Gate ahead in the distance, it is where our campsite is located. Finally at 7pm we arrived at Wild Dog Creek campsite. There was no one there. The tent platforms were covered with 25cms of fresh snow and we were very happy to finally be there. Not only had we left an hour too late, we also made worse progress because of the snow and because of my health, but we were beaming with joy on arrival, I was beat after the 6 hour struggle. My shoulders were cramping from the backpack, as my straight hips (refer to 2009 proposed calendar) barely hold the backpack’s belt up. I know the feeling well, this is not the first time I felt this pain!
First things first in camp; start hydrating the dehydrated meal I had made during the week, it will take an hour at least! We got the food soaking and set the tents up, one each. Rob has a fancy four-season tent that looks fit for the Antarctic, and mine is a trusty MacPac. We had dinner and flaked out shortly after. My two battery operated nebulisers did an admirable job delivering my pulmozyne and tobramycin in the tent, and a quick jab with Lantis to keep the blood sugar levels under control for the next day. Ten pee stops later (thank goodness for a pee-bottle) into my dream I woke up in a quickly warming up tent. The rays were a welcome sight after the cool night and it was a pleasure sitting there nebulising for another session while Robert caught up on some missed out zzzzs.
Blue sky and bright virgin snow was what greeted us in The Walls. Full of wallabies and wombats we tried hard to follow the trailmarkers towards Dixons Kingdom Hut, but eventually we just sat down in the snow and ate our lunch early, enjoyed the view, the sun, the snow-shoes, the solitude, the scenery of the frozen tarns and snow covered mountains. Mount Jerusalem (1459m) and Solomon’s Throne, all looking spectacular. On the way home to our camp we ran into one solitary skier enjoying the Walls.
We got back nice and early, lazed around the camp, caught a few more naps, enjoyed being out of phone and computer reach and just being there. A grand sunset, another dehydrated meal another cool night with millions of stars, and when we woke up after another frisky night we had a relaxing porridge breakfast before pulling the tents down. Walking down-hill with a totally refreshed mind and coughed clean lungs we made it back in no time to the cars where I had a home-brew waiting for us! Everyone needs to go out and about occasionally! In Tasmania this is all just so accessible, how can we stay at home!
Walter----
Slideshow <
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