Hiking Cathedral Peak (Mount Wellington)

Srini and I braved the elements to climb Cathedral Rock while the girls explored Hobart and its markets and galleries.  Cathedral Rock is a towering dolerite rock formation located in the Mount Wellington Park.

The climb up to Cathedral Peak was extremely steep and slippery so we had to be very careful. We arrived at the top to find we were surrounded in mist with almost no view at all.  We waited 10 minutes and then, as if by magic, the mist lifted somewhat on the left side.  To our right, thick mist remained and it was eerie and scary to stand near the edge of the cliff and not know how far it was to the valley floor (a long way, that's for sure!)

From Cathedral Rock, Srini and I then climbed along a series of high ridges which required more careful treatment. The ridges culminated in the craggy pinnacle that is Montagu Thumbs.  Usually there is a an epic view from here back over Cathedral Peak but not today.  

We had the intention of navigating the Mount Wellington circuit, returning to civilisation via Wellington Falls. However, we missed the appallingly marked Wellington Falls Track and ended up on Mount Montagu with limited daylight to get back home. After conferring with the girls via phone, we decided to return the way we had come which required a lightning pace except in the tricky bits where we were very careful. Good thing we're both so fit!

After the navigation challenges in Victoria on my Xmas hike and this mishap, I've decided to invest in a good hiking GPS with detailed maps. It'll be worth every cent to avoid the stress!

The elation of getting back in daylight and the delicious pizza the girls brought us in the car made it all feel worth it in the end.  Not to mention the wonderful misty views we had from the high ridges.

Here we are, all pumped up and raring to go on our adventure.

First we did some forest walking up a steep zig zag path.  The climbing then began in earnest up a very steep path that required a fair amount of clambering.  All fun.

At the top of Cathedral Peak, at first all we could see was mist.  Here is Srini sitting on the edge of a very high cliff.

Gradually the mist lifted somewhat on the one side and we got a better lay of the land with some expansive views.

As you can see, the mist remained thick on the right side of the mountain. It created quite an eerie and beautiful effect.

Srini without arms.  A weird effect of the panorama function on my i-phone.  The pano function came in very handy many times during the hike.

Here we are, setting off from the top of Cathedral Peak along the ridges towards Montagu Thumbs.

Srini clambering down some boulders. It was a good day to get some GoPro footage.

Having a breather on the way.

Still looking pretty happy and fresh.

So beautiful.  To your right, you can see the steep pinnacle of Montagu Thumbs which we were heading towards.

Srini at the foot of Montagu Thumbs, about to clamber up it along a very steep path.

Yay, we reach the summit of Montagu Thumbs; the highest point of our walk.  Not much of a view today though.

Srini setting up the shot above. 

A beautiful spider's web adorned with droplets from the recent rain.

Beautiful bark patterns and colours.

Gorgeous vegetation we found up on the mountain.

Some stunning alpine flowers.

Srini and I having a "bromance" moment amongst the flowers.  Despite our navigation challenges and some stressful moments requiring difficult decisions, we bonded greatly up on the mountain.

However, after retracing our steps at a brutal pace to get back in time for daylight, we were absolutely bombed!  The delicious pizza that the girls brought us in the car pepped up our spirits though.

While we hiked the misty mountains, the girls were enjoying views of their own.  Of valleys, not mountains.  The local art gallery they visited in Hobart had a display of over 70 vaginas of all shapes and sizes, all made from plaster moulded from the real thing!!  What a novel exhibition.  Here are some of their pics!!

No two vaginas are ever the same!!

Next stop

• For our next adventure, we moved onto  The Tall Trees walk at the Mount Field National Park 

Places in Tasmania we visited

• Cradle Mountain National Park
• Lake St Clair National Park
• Mount Field National Park (The Tarn Shelf)
• Mount Field National Park (Tall Trees walk)
• Cathedral Peak (Mount Wellington)
• Freycinet
• Leaping in Tasmania
• Daily life on our trip
• Previous Tasmania visit (2008)

Photos by others in the group

• Lauren
• Liz
• Srini
• Zante