Walled Mountain

Date: 20th March 2021 Summit: 1431m

Our plans of completing the entire Du Cane Range traverse were canned the day before we set off, due to a partial tear in my right knee cartilage. Instead of cancelling the trip outright, we decided to summit whatever Abels I could physically manage in the five days we'd organised off work. If that was zero, at least we would spend the five days in the bush rather than in the city!

First up was Walled Mountain. To reach Walled Mountain we needed to ferry ourselves to Narcissus Hut, then walk via Pine Valley to make camp just north of Lake Ophion. Walled Mountain was the only Abel we summited on Day 2. In hindsight, we are pleased it was a one-Abel kinda day. Why? Not because of my painful knee, although that did prevent us covering enough ground to reach Lake Elysia, but because Walled Mountain deserves quality time. The combination of its delightful climb and views make it one of favourite mountains in the Labyrinth.

The route we would take to Walled Mountain began at the junction between the Walled Mountain and Lake Elysia Tracks. The Lake Elysia Track appears on most maps but not so for the Walled Mountain track. Our research indicated there would be a pad of sorts leaving Lake Elysia, and perhaps some cairns, but we weren't too sure how up-to-date the available information was. Upon reaching Lake Ophion we continued along its eastern shores. This section of the Lake Elysia Track clung close to Lake Ophion and although rooty and somewhat muddy in places it was easy enough to follow.

Don't go too far!

Crossing a small creek at the northernmost tip of Lake Ophion was our cue to leave the Lake Elysia Track and hunt around for any sign of the Walled Mountain pad. As it turned out, it was a fantastically simple affair. No sooner had we crossed the creek and the Lake Elysia Track turned north, we spotted a semi-substantial cairn placed on a slab of rock to our west. The cairn was the first of many along a faint pad that skirted very close to the edge of Lake Ophion. After briefly walking in a south westerly direction for about 300m, the track turned 90 degrees to the north west. If you go past the western tip of Lake Ophion, you have gone too far!

The route was well cairned as it worked its way over and around numerous small rocky outcrops. The pad would disappear when it hit sections of slabby rock, but when it did, a line of small, well placed cairns would take over, guiding our way. It was nice to not have to concentrate too much on navigation and just enjoy the scenery. And boy was the scenery pretty. Dew still glistened in the vegetation, slightly dampening our pants as we brushed it.

A misty Mt. Geryon.

The morning was misty which gave a surreal feel to the landscape we were walking through. Low vegetation meant the walking was easy enough, and despite the mist the sections of rocks we were walking over were dry. We were having a mighty pleasant time indeed. Our next change of direction would not come until we reached the tarns past Lake Eurynome. Walled Mountain rose high in the distance ahead, but for now the walking was rather flat with only minor changes in elevation.

Passing Lake Eurynome, it took only minutes to reach the twin water bodies that were the cue for our next direction change. Dombrovskis Tarns and Lake Aeacus lie at the northern end of Lake Eurynome and were just spectacular. Fringed by Pencil pines and fagus, with Mt Geryon as a backdrop... it doesn't get much better. Filling our water bottles with icy cold water was a treat as the morning was now warming up. We could have spent all day sitting in the shade by the tarns, but were mindful of not letting the day get away from us. Plus we needed to do as much walking as possible while the Nurofen was still taking the edge off my protesting knee.

Time to climb - sort of.

Staring ahead, we could see that our climbing legs were about to get a look in. The small rocky outcrops were now more substantial, but still walkable with no actual scrambling required. Moving upwards, the views opening up all around us were very agreeable. Pencil pines, fagus and eucalypt forest fashioned frames for the views towards The Acropolis and Mt. Geryon. We could even see as far as Lake St. Clair and Perrins Bluff. If we could see this much before the summit, imagine what we would see at the top.

Cresting the minor ridge we had been climbing, we saw that the track descended down to a short-lived but boggy marsh. Squelchy, soggy green moss gave way under our feet with deepish pools of stagnant water we could jump over. Now, the real climb began. With the elevation increasing rapidly, so too was the height of the scrub in some areas. Pushing through modest sections of waist high scrub did require a little more exertion, but these sections were not lengthy. The pad was still noticeable through the scrub and marked with cairns.

Cold, crisp water.

Stepping out of the higher scrub we spied the track heading directly up a chute lined with lovely pineapple grass and rock. Although not far, it was proper steep! The camping on top of Walled Mountain is rumoured to be lovely, but I was pretty happy I didn't have a heavy backpack on my back! Finding a small tarn at the top of the chute was marvellous. It was teeny-tiny but the water was plentiful enough to fill our drink containers. We sat for a few minutes just admiring the views to The Guardians directly south, enjoying a generous drink of cold water.

Big green cushion plants.

The tarn was only minutes below the summit plateau. Given its tiny size, it is likely not there all year round especially in the drier months, but ample water can be found up on the summit plateau of Walled Mountain. The other plentiful thing we noticed on the plateau were cushion plants. Lovely, green cushion plants in abundance! Thankfully the pad skirted them all and most of the walking from here would be over slabs of rock. Excitedly, the summit cairn was visible in the distance.

Making the way across the summit plateau to the high point.

Covering the flat expanse that makes up Walled Mountain's summit plateau was quick and effortless, as it is almost completely level. With the sun warming our backs and clear skies above us we touched the summit cairn in well under two hours from Lake Ophion. Now lets talk about those views... wow!

The views.

I can't describe just how lovely the views are from the summit of Walled Mountain. The day's clear blue skies allowed 360-degree views of Tasmania's mountainous central west. To the east, the view was dominated by Mt. Geryon and The Acropolis which were now free of the morning's misty blanket. Mt. Gould and The Guardians blessed us with their company across the deep valley to the south, whilst to our north the massive bulk of Mt. Ossa was visible, as well as Barn Bluff. We could also see Mt. Hyperion and the Du Cane High Point, which would be tomorrow's adventures. Life doesn't get much better than sitting on a mountain in the sun, looking across at other mountains!

All good things.

So perfect was the weather that we spent a goodly amount of time just wandering its delightful plateau. Checking out campsites for a future mission to Macs Mountain and Mt. Nereus, topping up from the tarns and soaking in the pleasant sun. But alas we had to leave eventually. I knew the descent would be harder than the upwards climb with a dodgy knee, so we expected it to take a while longer to get back to camp. In hindsight we could have spent more time up there, as we were back at camp in a bit over an hour after leaving the summit. A hot cup of coffee, a restful afternoon and sunset over Lake Ophion was a pretty splendid way to end Day Two of my Du Cane adventure.

The stats.

The stats.

Distance: Approximately 14km from Narcissus Hut to Lake Ophion, from there it is around 6km return to Walled Mountain (20km all up). If leaving from Pine Valley Hut, it would be about 14km return.

Time taken: From the beginning of the Walled Mountain pad to the summit and return was under 4 hours, including breaks for photography, filming and to soak in the views! On top of this we spent about an hour exploring the summit area.

Difficulty: Easy to moderate once on the Walled Mountain pad. Navigation to the summit is simple with only one steepish climb, no boulder scrambling or serious exposure.

Type of track: From Pine Valley to the northern end of Lake Ophion the Lake Elysia Track is well defined marked. The informal Walled Mountain pad/track branches off the Lake Elysia Track. It is less defined but in clear weather, navigation is straightforward for competent walkers.

Access from: The Lake Elysia Track.

** Important Note **
Access to Walled Mountain requires passing through a delicate area known as The Labyrinth. This ecologically sensitive area requires extra care from visiting walkers. Please stick strictly to the formed pads already present. Select already established and hardened areas for camping, and limit the number of nights spent in one location. Please ensure you pack out ALL waste including human waste (yes - wag bag please!) to avoid further contamination of the area's lakes and tarns. Visit lnt.org.au for further information.