Mt Ossa
2022 has been a good year in many ways but also very damn busy. Getting the GC’s together was bloody hard, everyone had family , work and responsibilities that took priority when we were trying to plan a trip. However, that also meant that once everyone finally got their shit together it made for an amazing weekend. I hadn’t seen my brother for months and was pretty excited to catch up with him and the lads while taking some pictures and immersing myself in the beauty of Tassie’s wild places.
We walked in to New Pelion Hut along the Arm River track with the aim of summiting Mt Ossa, with a summit elevation of 1,617 metres (5,305 ft) it is the highest peak in Tasmania. Mt Ossa makes up part of the Pelion Range within Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in the Central Highlands of Tasmania. Mt Ossa was first surveyed by Europeans in the 1860s, and confirmed to be the state's high point in 1954. Like most peaks in the area it is capped with Jurrasic dolerite. The Mount Ossa highland area spans the boundary between the Big River and Northern Tasmanian Aboriginal nations. Several artifacts and campsites containing various stone types and tools have been discovered around Pelion to the north, and Lake St Clair to the south.
My brother Sam and I set a strong pace from the outset, there was good energy in the air and it rained most of the way. I was soaked and cold by the time I got to the hut but really enjoyed the experience. Everyone arrived in their own time and had similar happy experiences, the rain and walk had washed away the pressures and stress of modern life… it was time for a few bevvies and some lafs.
Many drinks and a sore head later we headed out and walked through the stunning myrtle and gum forests . The turn off to Ossa doesn’t seem too bad but when you get over the ridge and see its horns covered in snow the adrenalin and trepidation gets the balls tingling. I get vertigo pretty bad so looking up at the heights I knew today was going to test me. I have been running a lot lately and my head is in good place so I felt a sense of courage and determination that I hoped would get me to the top…fingers crossed.
As you can see in the pics, the conditions and surroundings were spectacular, it was surreal and exhilarating. Giant peaks covered in snow and ice, looking down on the trails way below and Pelion Easts nipple like cap off in the distance (that one is next I reckon). Hangovers were quickly forgotten and the adrenalin took over, we scaled the snow, ice and boulders that dared get in our way. There was laughter, quiet moments when people knew things were a little risky and then the buzz we all felt get when the top came into sight. We made it and did it in true GC style, hungover, happy and carefree…. loose but responsible
You probably picked it up, but i’ll put it down, I feel fortunate to have a group of blokes that I can do this stuff with. I value each of them in different ways, but most of all I feel lucky that they call me their mate and take time away from their responsibilities to go on adventures with me. We are all emotional and complex creatures with different ideals and personalities but a few times a year we get together, get blind, laugh our asses off and go on adventures together…after that we head back to normality to do what’s gotta be done. It’s a beautiful and precious thing, thanks to the boys for being a GC!
Here are the pics, I hope you enjoy them and feel motivated to get out there and have your own adventures with those close to you.
Get some.
