Choose a diary entry31/03/2004 - Retrenched! 02/04/2004 - Farewell Lunch 03/04/2004 - Preparation 1 04/04/2004 - Preparation 2 05/04/2004 - Packing 06/04/2004 - Sydney to Hobart to Mt. Field NP 07/04/2004 - Tarn Shelf, then into the Southwest 08/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 1 - Up Alpha Moraine 09/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 2 - Lake Cygnus 10/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 3 - Lake Oberon & Square Lake 11/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 4 - Lake Oberon to Lake Cygnus 12/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 5 - Lake Cygnus to Junction Creek 13/04/2004 - Western Arthurs Hike - Day 6 - out to Mt Field NP 14/04/2004 - Back to Hobart for resupply and on to Southport 15/04/2004 - Southport, Hastings springs, Cockle Creek 16/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 1 - Cockle Creek to South Cape Rivulet 17/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 2 - South Cape Rivulet 18/04/2004 - South Coast Track - Day 3 - back to Cockle Creek, then Hobart 19/04/2004 - Hobart to Lake St. Clair 20/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 1 - to Vera Hut 21/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 2 - Tahune Hut and the Summit 22/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 3 - Tahune Hut to Vera Hut 23/04/2004 - Frenchmans Cap Hike - Day 4 - out to Derwent Bridge 24/04/2004 - Derwent Bridge / Lake St. Clair to Hobart 25/04/2004 - R&R in Hobart 26/04/2004 - Hobart, buying a new Camera 27/04/2004 - Hobart to Port Arthur 28/04/2004 - Port Arthur Historic site, then to Fortescue Bay 29/04/2004 - Tasman Trail Hike - Fortescue Bay to Eaglehawk Neck 30/04/2004 - Eaglehawk Neck to Hobart, Targa 01/05/2004 - Hobart R&R, Salamanca Markets 02/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 1 - to Wombat Flat 03/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 2 - to Mt. Ramsay 04/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 3 - Mt. Ramsay to Huskisson River 05/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 4 - Camped at Huskisson River 06/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 5 - Across the Huskisson 07/05/2004 - Tiger Trails Tarkine Hike - Day 6 - Out, then to Strahan 08/05/2004 - R&R in Strahan 09/05/2004 - Dissapointing Gordon River Cruise 10/05/2004 - Strahan, R&R, Preparation for Overland Track 11/05/2004 - Strahan to Lake St. Clair 12/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 1 - Lake St. Clair to Pine Valley Hut 13/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 2 - the Labyrinth and Acropolis 14/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 3 - Pine Valley Hut to Kia-Ora Hut 15/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 4 - Kia-Ora Hut to Mt. Ossa to Pelion Hut 16/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 5 - Pelion Hut to Windermere Hut 17/05/2004 - Overland Track - Day 6 - Windamere Hut to Cradle Mountain Village 18/05/2004 - Sick!, Cradle Mountain to Launceston 19/05/2004 - Recovery 1 20/05/2004 - Recovery 2 - Doctor, and Cataract Gorge 21/05/2004 - Recovery 3 22/05/2004 - Recovery 4 23/05/2004 - Recovery 5 24/05/2004 - Launceston to Bicheno 25/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 1 - the Hazards to Cooks Beach 26/05/2004 - Freycinet Hike - Day 2 - back to Bicheno 27/05/2004 - Exploring Bicheno 28/05/2004 - Bicheno to Launceston 29/05/2004 - Exploring Further in Launcestion 30/05/2004 - Cataract Gorge 2 31/05/2004 - Launceston to Liffey Falls to Deloraine 01/06/2004 - Trowunna, Devils Gullet, Walls of Jerusalem National Park 02/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem Hike - Day 1 03/06/2004 - Walls of Jerusalem - Day 2 - Out, then to Hobart 04/06/2004 - Mt. Field NP, Styx Valley & on to Triabunna 05/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 1 06/06/2004 - Maria Island - Day 2 07/06/2004 - R&R in Launceston 08/06/2004 - Flying Back Home

Tasmania Diary

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Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Walls of Jerusalem Hike - Day 1

When I woke, it was sprinkling rain, and didn't look good for the hike. I decided that since I could clime to the plateau in about an hour, that I would go up, and check out the conditions, and if there were no views, and bad weather, then I'd just come back down. I packed my gear and set off about 8:30.

The climb up the mountain was fairly long, but not too steep, and after about an hour, I reached Trappers Hut, which is a "rustic" heritage hut, which would be good in really foul weather, but was just split timber with a shingle roof, and a little damp. As I climbed, it stopped raining, and although the nearby mountains had been shrouded in low cloud, as I reached the plateau, I could see it had lifted a fair bit, and I could see a nearby tarn.


The track split with the Lake Adelaide track, and continued on through sparse snowgum, and low alpine plants, with many beautiful tarns. Crossing several streams, and travelling past many tarns, the track was mostly flat, and after a while the cliffs of Herods Gate came into view. I could now see why it was called a gate - it was a narrow gap between two mountains. Just before the gate, the track descended to cross a creek, then passed the Wild Dog Creek campsite as I climbed to the gate.

As I neared the narrowest part of the gate, the wind became very strong, starting to blow me around a little, and was very cold. Proceeding through the gate, an awesome vista of the Walls of Jerusalem opened up in front of me - a valley surrounded with awesome mountains all around, including the rock cliffs of the West Wall, sprinkled with snow. The valley contained a beautiful lake (Lake Salome), and lots of low alpine herbs, cushion plants and moss. There were also some small groves of pencil pines.
I walked further into the valley, and the views of the West Wall got better and better. As I neared the Damascus Gate, there was a turnoff for the Pool of Bethesda. The pool was hidden behind a small hill and surrounded by old pencil pines. Since it was only about 12:30, I decided to continue on through the Damascus Gate to see the Wailing Wall.

The Damascus gate was higher than the valley, and as I passed through it, the cliffs of Solomons Throne loomed large to the right. The Wailing Wall was visible from the southern side of the gate, but it was a fair way away. I decided to head on toward Dixons Kingdom Hut, and soon discovered that there was some snow on the ground in this area. There was a fair bit of boardwalk (2 parallel planks) , and the snow made it unbelievably slick. I nearly fell several times, dispite inching carefully through it.

Nearing Dixons Kingdom Hut, there were many old pencil pines (these grow up to 2500years old), and as I reached the hut, the sun came out briefly. The hut is very low - just head hight at the centre, and much lower at the sides. It is also a heritage hut, but its setting is quite picturesque. I thought I might camp near the hut. I dumped my pack and walked up toward Jaffa Gate, intending to see the other side of it, and possibly climb mount Jerusalem.

I made it a little way through Jaffa gate, and saw more jagged, rocky, cliff lined mountains, as well as more bad weather coming in. I returned to Dixons Kingdom Hut, and after reading the logbook, I found that hikers are requested not to camp near the hut. I decided to return to the Pool of Bethesda, and camp there. As I neared the Pool of Bethesda, it started raining lightly, then as I was making camp, some of the rain turned to light snow.
The rain continued throughout the night.

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