The Great Ambler - A Tasmanian bushwalking blog

A Tasmanian bushwalking website

Stacks Bluff: 20th August 2022

A sign saying Stacks Bluff points to the left

Sometimes you get to visit a mountain that you’ve wanted to visit for ages. Sometimes you visit a mountain because it is close.

It’s best when both are true.

Mount Mueller and a mid-winter walk

A rainbow in the background with frozen bushes in the foreground

Mount Mueller is a 1245 meter mountain in two parts: There’s the eastern part of the mountain, which you reach first after a solid climb; and, there’s the western part which is the true peak, about 1.6km or so further along and crucially 5 meters taller.

Snowy South & Nevada Peak

My first trip to The Snowy Range! While there was no snow there were some nice views. It was also less tough than I thought it might be.

Mount Wedge on a cloudy Good Friday

I had hoped the weather would clear for my walk up Mount Wedge, but I began to have some serious doubts as I passed Maydena and saw rain on the windscreen and dark clouds above.

The Southern Ranges revisited

After barely getting off The Southern Ranges alive several years ago, I always knew I had to go back. There were mountains to climb and things to actually see this time.

Mersey Crag, Turrana Bluff, King Davids Peak and the always beautiful Walls of Jerusalem

We pulled into the Little Fisher Track carpark on Sunday evening, just before 9pm. Dad slept on the road. I slept in a ditch. But from a humble start an amazing walk can grow.

Tyndall Ranges (Mount Tyndall, Mount Geikie and Mount Sedgwick)

A sunset of a mountain range, with a pencil pine tree in the foreground

It was my first time walking on the West Coast, and boy did the Tyndall Ranges deliver. Stunning scenery, beautiful weather and … a lost father (again)

Florentine Peak and a proper visit to Rodway Range

A pile of rocks on the top of a mountain

This was (yet) another rather hastily organised trip that often happens a) on a Friday and b) when the weather is good.

Hartz Peak - a very pleasant out and back

Hartz Peak in the background, with a bush and a small pond in the foreground

If you’re looking for an easy out and back walk within easy driving distance of Hobart, try this one.

Mount Roland (Triple Top 2021)

Triple Tops is an amazing mountain run, passing three behemoths. But is it a mountain run if you don’t go up the mountain?

Wylds Craig and Mount Shakespeare

If you love views, go to Wylds Craig. If you love bush-bashing, go to Mount Shakespeare. If you love both, this is the walk for you!

The Thumbs and Clear Hill in a day (nearly)

The Thumbs and Clear Hill haven’t exactly been on my walking to-do list. It’s not because I didn’t want to visit them. It’s just that I had never really even known about them. A massive shame really, because it’s such a beautiful, spectacular place.

Olympus, Gould and Byron - but Ida escapes again!

Regular readers of this blog will know that Dash and I seem to like to do walks that are long, remote and often psychologically painful. So when planning for this one, we were after something a little easier and relaxing.

But as usual, even the best, well intentioned ideas go awry.

Mount Field East (circuit)

It was time to visit Mount Field again… but this time it was time to tackle something new: Mount Field East.

The weather was lovely, and the maps were waterproof.

Western Arthurs - the walk I'd been waiting so long to do!

Lake Oberon with the Western Arthur Range surrounding it

The logistics for this one were different from your usual pre-hike planning. Sure there was the usual requirement to get food, maps, supplies, etc, but COVID times bring additional challenges.

Collins Bonnet, Trestle and Mount Marian

After trying to get to Collins Bonnet a few weeks back, I figured I should attempt again now my main impediment had been removed.

The access track from Wellington had reopened, allowing me to start the walk from The Big Bend and walk in via Mount Connection.

Frenchman's Cap - December 2020

Frenchman's Cap lit by early morning sun

I have long wanted to walk to Frenchman’s Cap, I’ve just never been able to convince anyone to come with me.

And I couldn’t find anyone to come with me in December 2020 either, so I just went by myself. The weather forecast looked amazing. I had a weekend. Why not go?

The Collins Bonnet that wasn't

This was supposed to be a walk to Collins Bonnet, an easy to get to mountain which lies roughly west of Mount Wellington.

Walls to Lake St Clair (via Rotuli, Three Arm, a shitload of scrub, the Mountains of Jupiter, more scrub and some of the Traveller Range). Also a lost map.

Frost and snow lying on the ground near a lake in the background

This was a fantastic walk, but unlike our other ones, Dash and I just decided to explore with only a broad idea of where we wanted to go. We know we had to end up at Lake St Clair, but we didn’t have solid plans (or a track) to take us there.

An overnighter to Mount Field West

A man lying on the ground, drinking from a waterhole

Mount Field West is a big, chunky boi and is relatively easy to get to. Despite the slog.