I woke at 5:45am and walked a bit outside, chasing paddymelons as they crashed through the brush. After getting cleaned up, Wally made pancakes while we all prepped for breakfast and lunch. The students really moved and we were out by 7:45am.
We drove to Cradle Mountain, one of the most famous sites in Tasmania, a popular tourist destination and a World Heritage site. To be honest, it is difficult to begin to summarize the day. Beautiful, challenging, breath-taking, scary as hell, empowering....these barely cover it.
The kick off included the standard group photo with the Elon flag, then we began the long walk at Dove Lake. The terrain was rocky and quickly ascended into white boulders with chain fences to help you up. Wooden boardwalks with chain link coverings were the other main passage, designed to protect the fauna. We scrambled up over several kilometers, with our path framed by low scrubby brush, bushes and the occasional stubborn daisy-like flower. We even saw a small wallaby!
Our first stop was Marion's lookout, a high overlook to the lakes below. A quick snack, some photos and we were back at it again, coming up onto a large plain with descending steps and a grassy landscape with lots of rocks. It looked somewhat like a lunar landscape. We stopped and ate lunch at the Kitchen Hut, a tiny two level wooden building that our guide Andy once slept in with 11 students and 3 backpackers during a blizzard. Also at Kitchen Hut is the lone bathroom, a frightening smelling room with a toilet, sink and no tp. The human waste is actually flown out by helicopter.
Then the rough stuff started. By then we could see the path up the mountain face, with people dotting it. The path eventually ceased and gave way to small boulders and large rocks, outcropping with little grass or greenery. Then the greenery stopped entirely and we bagn walking or scrambling up with large boulders, some of which were the size of a VW. The rocks were not the issue. The challenge was the sheer drop off below and the possibility of slipping into a crevice. I made the mistake of stopping to help one of the students, primarily in carrying her pack. That and waiting while Andy looked for first aid supplies for a student, left me with far too much time to think. By the time I got started again, I was almost sick with fear of the heights and the challenge.
The two of us started up again and within 15 minutes, W had come back down to find us. He took the student's pack and concentrated on helping guide both of us up the steepest climb to the false summit. This consisted of giant to fist sized rocks, many at odd angles leading to sharp drop offs and many deep crevices. At one point two young girls bounded past us like Billy goats, talking me through a couple of maneuvers. I was thinking that I couldn't get over my fear at a large rock that I had to lean back to get around, when W said 'you will kick yourself in the morning if you don't get to the top of this." That was what I needed to stop thinking and start climbing. We reached the false summit, a small crest before a dip and the real summit, when W made the tough decision to ask the student to wait there. We simply wouldn't make it in time and would have to turn back early at the pace she was going. She agreed and we pressed on through the rock valley and up again the other side. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel when the crevices ended and grass grew in small patches between the rocks. While limited, these made me feel safer. We finally reached the top where I got a rousing 'yeah, Mrs. B!' from the students.
We ate some food at the summit while the kids caught some sun. Then we took some photos and prepared ourselves for the Longblock back. W had to talk one of the students through a panic attack and then we set off. It was a crabwalk scramble down the mountainside, helping each other to find our footing down the steep rocks.
Instead of returning the way we came, we headed to the left around wombat lake, looking at the large lakes below. It took us over two hours to return back, and we reached Dove lake and the car park around 4 PM in the afternoon. While the way up was a mental challenge, the way down was just physical. With our tired legs, it was easy to trip and stumble around the loose rocks. I really enjoyed it however, due to the variations in vegetation and topography. By this point, many of the students were just talking about wanting a cold beverage.
Our next accommodation was the Cradle Mountain Hotel, about as far different from the Gowrie Park campground as could be. Two level hotel rooms with jacuzzi tubs, sliders to outside and a very welcoming lobby and bar greeted us. A quick change, 3 minute drive and we were figuring out the ordering and seating process at Pepper's Restaurant at Cradle Mountain Lodge. Most of the students had dressed for a 70 degree night on what was closer to 55 and outside seating was all that was available to start. The guys sent the students in to order 10 at a time, and they staked out indoor tables. The guides, Craig, W and I found a small bar around the corner of the restaurant and settled in with ciders and beers. About two hours later we got our food, all served with fries as is standard. Off the bed! Another active day in the morning.
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