High Dome

Date: 20th January 2023 - Summit: 1366m

Photo credits: Ben Wells, Tracey Orr, Simon Kendrick, Jess McDonald

Day 7 of our trip begins now. Find the previous days adventures here.

High Dome’s two rounded summits had been visible every single day of our trip thus far but we wouldn’t actually climb it until towards the end of our trip. Our plans were to climb it when returning from Lake Ewart to Five Duck Tarn on Day 6 of our trip. Day 6 had all the makings of a very long day - and it was - but High Dome’s summit was both much easier and a little trickier than I had predicted!

We set off around 7:30am from our tarn camp at the base of Castle Mountain knowing we had a lengthy day ahead of us. We would first need to get over the small, scrubby climb out from the tarns, wander the sometimes a little scrubby, sometimes more open plains to the base of the more substantial and unnamed high point that sat between us and the High Dome Ridge. A well formed pad led us up onto that and then straight down the otherside. All up it took us a little under 4.5 hours to reach the High Dome saddle and we were happy with the time it took and the path we chose as we weaved our way along.

It was a fine weather day with the sun promising to be strong and so we used a few minutes to snack, discuss a possible route up to High Domes summit and to pitch the tents and lay out some gear to dry whilst we were away. We wouldn’t be camping here but it made sense to dry our our wet gear if possible whilst we were off day walking.

Leaving the tents behind we headed off in a north easterly direction though the low alpine scrub that covers the saddle. It was very pleasant walking. Our rough plan was to hit the scree that borders High Dome’s westerly face. We would then use that to gain some height (scree is easier than scrub) before turning a little north around the first high point and heading east to the true summit.

The low vegetation gradually increased in height but a lovely and distinct pad led us upwards. In some small sections the pad was grown over but it took only seconds of scouting to refind it and we would be off again. All of us were looking forward to the scree. It looked from lower down to be a lovely manageable size, dry and easy to traverse and well it would be nice to be out of scrub!

I found a cairn at the base of the scree field and a few more past it so we began rock hopping only to find that the scree was more like loose rock and shale! It slipped when you put too much weight on it. Even the bigger chunks of dolerite would move! Given the risk of rocks sliding out we spaced ourselves so that none of us were underneath the other least a rock go tumbling down.

Our plan altered to start contouring around the first high point a little earlier than we had planned to get us off the worst of the loose rock. It was a fine line between dropping to low into the scrub or climbing too high and hitting rock but it wasn’t difficult walking. Just that annoying sort of angled walking. Sighting quite a few little white lipped snakes was a definite highlight!

Once around the first high point we continued our sideways slanted walking heading east over a small rise. We could see the summit dome in the distance and knew we would sort of skirt behind it a little to get ontop of it. Once we reached the second dome it was simply a matter of enjoying the views whilst we climbed gradually towards the summit area. The vegetation was ankle height at best and the rock was now gravel or rock slabs making for faster progress. Our rate slowed though - the views opening up were exquisite!

What a great day to be up high. It was a perfect temperature to walk, the views were 360-degrees and we were all stocked up with water! Aside from the insane amount of flies and ants our lunch on the summit was a most enjoyable experience. As it had only taken us about 1.5 hours to the summit from the saddle we even got a few extra minutes up there to soak it in.

From this-five star mountain top restaurant that we were enjoying our crackers and dip at we could see The Amphitheatre a large cirque east of High Dome. Far in the distance we could see the Du Cane Range and Mount Ossa. Camp Hill and Frenchmans Cap waved a hello as did the imposing cliffs of Eldon Bluff and the scruffy walls of Castle Mountain. Pretty damn fine indeed!

Alas it was time to finish our lunch, put our shoes and socks back on and head back to the saddle where our now dry gear would be waiting. Camp tonight would be back at Five Duck Tarn where our food drops were waiting. Yay! I had a few treats stashed in mine but the biggest treat of all would be there - Becca and Tim!

When originally planning our Eldons trip we had hoped that if we included Tramontane at the end of the trip that Becca and Tim could join us. The stars aligned and they were able to get the time off work and schedule it in before flying off to Lord Howe Island and we had planned our itinerary to hit Five Duck Tarn again the same day they would arrive there.

Becca and Tim are the best type of humans and it would be a very special day tomorrow for it would be the last Abel for Becca to summit. I’ve followed Becca aka RockMonkey Adventures and been in awe of her since I started bushwalking and have been lucky enough to walk with her in the past. To see her complete such a momentous achievement is and was a great honour.

As we packed up our gear in preparation for the final stage of the days journey we chatted about how good it was going to be to see Becca and Tim. We even yelled a few cooeee’s in their direction. None of us could believe that they were walking all the way from the car to Five Duck Tarn in one hit. Legends!

Dropping off into the now all too familiar scrub that dominates the southern face of the High Dome ridge we took turns out front. Apparently there is supposed to be a historic “track” through here but none of us could find it! Occasional waterways, pads or open sections lessened the torture. In one section I found what looked like a small mud cliff. Initially we vetoed the idea of sliding down it but it became more tempting when we saw how thick the vegetation was either side.

It actually wasn’t too bad, certainly turned out easier than it looked to be and it deposited us under some lovely small cliffs and caves. A bit more scrub followed and then the “open” (insert waist to shoulder height) tea tree mixed in with button grass that surrounds Five Duck Tarn and could hear their calls.

There was hugs all round as we reached the camp and saw their smiling faces. And bless them they had carried treats in for us. Becca held in her outstretched hands four of the plumpest, fattest, most gloriously orange apricots I have even seen in my life. Picked from her very own tree. It is so hard to put into words what this meant.

It was not just an apricot - not to me anyway. Here were two people (Becca and Tim) that had thought and cared about us and had gone out of their way to bring us a treat. They understood how exhausted we would all be by Day 7 of our trip. They wanted to brighten our world and brighten it they did. As I bit into that sweet piece of fresh fruit and the juices ran down my face I had a tear in my eye - literally. It was love and friendship and home all wrapped up in every precious bite. I sat and savoured every minute of my apricot. I didn’t want to waste the moment by greedily guzzling it. I felt like the luckiest of all humans. Surrounded by friends and mountains in a place not many people get to see.

Tomorrow we would walk together and witness Becca put a little stamp in history. Yep very lucky indeed.

Find the next day’s adventures here.