Marian Harradine
31st January 2002.
Mt Anne 1425m
10 hours 35 minutes including long stops on Mt Anne and Mt Eliza.
Its about an hour and a half drive from Hobart to the start of the walk along Scotts Peak Road and the Mt Anne carpark . It was a lovely clear morning and 3 degs; but some misty cloud soon developed around Mt Ann and Eliza.
We started walking at 7.15 and the first 400 meters was mostly duckboard, and then the climbing began, getting to the first knoll after 15 minutes and the shoulder that descends slightly before ascending to Mt Eliza at 7.52. The track up to the high camp hut is well formed with stone steps built and duckboards and other boards.
The views of Lake Pedder and the Western Arthurs were just lovely once we started climbing, We were happy about the cloud cover as it kept us cool for the steep walk up. We got to High Camp Hut at 8.45 after climbing 700 meters over 3.6km. Another 240 meter climb over mostly boulders and rocks bought us to the trig on top of Mt Eliza at 9.15. When we got to the trig on Mt Eliza there were great views as the clouds had lifted near us, although Mt Anne was still shrouded in cloud.
We caught up with two young fellows at the trig and they went on the track to Mt Anne and we went to look at Lake Judd going east to the edge of the plateau
There was running water there too, going over the cliff down to Lake Judd, as they had a heavy fall of rain overnight in the hut and around the whole area
We headed off north and joined the track to Mt Ann on the open plateau at about 9.48 and headed north east, passing little tarns and negotiating muddy sections and rocky sections on the relatively flat track. After about 40 minutes (10.30), the last 15 minutes of which was going downwards over another boulder field we reached the circuit track junction.
We pressed on towards Mt Anne and got to the start of the last ascent at about 11.15. We found the two young fellows there looking a bit perplexed as they were sure that the cairns were not going to the top as it looked impossible to follow without high risks. This was a bit offputting so we waited a while for another group to arrive as they could be seen on their way up too.
After about 10 minutes two girls arrived and assured us that it was the way up. One of them had done the ascent only 6 months earlier.
They scrambled up the rocks on the right very quickly and disappeared so I quickly followed before I had second thoughts. We had to climb up that first scramble with hands, knees and feet. Then we walked, keeping low, to our left along the down sloping rock to another scramble up, with which I had some difficulty until I discovered a good hand hold just behind my left shoulder which gave me good leverage up. After that we followed the cairns through to the other side (north) of the rocky ascent where we had to sidle across some more down sloping rock with long drops below. It was not really difficult if eyes were kept on the solid rock rather than the drop. That led to a path, which seemed to go round the rocks and then stopped, but it was a false trail. We decided to try another scramble up a hand, knees and feet section that had a cairn on top and saw then that someone had scratched an arrow onto the rock and another one further along which was most helpful. After that it was easy to the top. The last section up took about twenty five minutes - it seemed a lot less. It was lovely up there. Good views but not perfect visibility.
We signed the logbook and stayed for nearly 2 hours as the views were improving by the hour. The Western Arthurs and Federation Peak and Precipitous Bluff were all visible. We could see nothing much east, too hazy. Lake Pedder below looked lovely, as did the mountains to the west and north of us.
Eventually, at about 1.45 we left. There had been seven others up there and gone in the time we were up there . Three more had decided not to try it to the top as they felt uncomfortable with the rocky heights The views improved as we walked back along the plateau.
We got back to the trig on Mt Eliza at 3.50 and stayed there for a snack and to admire the view for another 25 minutes, rather reluctant to leave. Fenchmans Cap was in the haze until we came back to the trig on Mt Eliza and then it cleared looking great with Sharlands Peak and Philps Peak and Barons Pass quite easy to see.
We left Mt Eliza at 4.15, back to High Camp hut at 4.45, arriving at the car park at 5.50.
Time taken:
4 hours 40 minutes up
4 hours 5 minutes return
