Category: mountain

Posted on

Sentinels 2012 Dec

The Sentinels   8 Dec 2012



It had been a long drive down, and we were not in bed much before midnight. But for some reason, perhaps because I was excited to be there, I awoke nice and early, and decided to risk censure and dash up the Sentinels while the others slept. I had the excuse that I couldn’t wake them up to ask permission, and I couldn’t have known in advance that I was going to wake so early in order to ask in advance.

Off I set. I wondered if I would have got into trouble having a training run along the road without asking permission. As a six year old, I used to go and play in the bush without permission, so I am having trouble adapting to this level of supervision. I would not have made a good citizen in the former GDR and would have landed in jail, alas.


I didn’t actually set out to reach the summit (another excuse in my defence before the imaginary court later), but, well, one contour led to another, and suddenly there I was with the most amazing view spread out before me. When I saw the low sun making those glorious striations across the scene filling my purview, I suddenly didn’t care at all what my later punishment would be. Up there I was wild and free and as happy as it is possible to be.

It was only when I neared the campsite that I began to wonder what my reception would be. I was not late or anything. I had just gone down to the end of the town without consulting whomever. Anyway, there they all were around the barby, laughing happily, cooking up a treat – a merry, wonderful bunch. I was welcomed and began cooking my porridge. During the eating, the leader asked had I … er… been up the Sentinels by any chance? I confessed (I like her far too much to lie, and, besides, not being practised at lying, I believe myself to be lousy at it).

They said they thought so, and that was that. This leader was happy to trust me. How refreshing. She’s fantastic. I told them they’d find me much tamer as a result of my excursion, and they laughed.

I was utterly content, and didn’t care at all if they were a bit slow getting going, or a bit slow later. I had had the most glorious day imaginable before it had even struck 7a.m.

Posted on

Clear Hill 2012 Dec

Clear Hill  8 Dec 2012
There is a cairned track up Clear Hill from the Clear Hill Road, so there is nothing much to do other than follow it to the top. We had superb weather, and, as it was a club trip, the good fortune to have a terrific leader who let us climb at our own pace rather than demanding uniformity. As a result, three of us had a lovely long time on the top taking in the magnificent surroundings and the feeling of space and peace whilst waiting to be joined. I had gone up the Sentinels before breakfast while the others slept (see separate entry), so it was a terrific day for me.

Posted on

Hartz Peak and Mt Snowy 2012

Hartz Peak and Mt Snowy, 17 Nov 2012.


The view from Hartz Peak
This was not my happiest trip ever: The others in the group were dawdling while I wanted a workout. I can run up Hartz Peak, but knew I’d get into trouble for hurrying, so I walked along singing and dreaming and got into trouble for hurrying – ‘racing’ it was called.
The redeeming part of this venture was when four of us gained permission to be out of eyeshot and to climb Mt Snowy unaccompanied. We tallied up that we had well over a hundred years of capable bushwalking experience between us, and yet we needed permission to go down to the end of the town. Off we set before any minds changed.


View from Hartz Peak


Snowy from Hartz
I had already chosen my route – all my routes need to be “Bruceable”, in deference to my husband’s reduced coordination thanks to his Parkinson’s disease.. He is nonetheless highly capable. We slid down the vegetation on the slopes of Hartz, having fun swinging like orangutangs from the branches, eventually arriving at the Hartz-Snowy saddle in good time. There was a pad up Snowy, and no one to rebuke me for being too fast. I was allowed to go at my pace – oh the freedom of it all. When allowed to climb at my own pace, I am in a kind of trance when climbing a mountain. This semi-hypnotic state is wonderfully liberating. We all met up at the top, pleased with ourselves.

Three of the four miscreants.

The way down was superb fun. Of course the bit to the saddle was easy, as was the part to the tarns below Hartz. But then we decided to get fancy, contouring around (we thought) but being a bit distracted in our aims by the thick bush. In the end, the easiest way through was on hands and knees in the mud. Now we were wombats. I loved being a wombat. We all did. Eventually we intersected with the track that descends from Hartz and made faster progress to the finish. That was grand.

Posted on

Walls of Jerusalem 2012

 Walls of Jerusalem    10-11 November 2012

 This was a grand trip – one of my favourites ever. The weather was absolutely brilliant, which helped, of course. We camped up high, ate with our legs virtually dangling over the western wall, and had a superlative sunset.
The next day we climbed Mt Moriah, Solomon’s Throne and King David’s Peak with crisp air giving clarity to the scenes. The colours of the sky war part of the huge appeal for me, as my photos show.

 

 

 

Photos below are from day 2 (Sunday).