Walls of Jerusalem Adventure

Warning: I am about to break the record for the number of times a person can use the word AMAZING in a single blog post.

It’s been just over two weeks since I was out in the wilds of high country Tasmania but the experience has left me feeling lost. I want to turn my life upside down and live in a hut in the middle of nowhere. Actually, that’s nothing new, it’s just that now I really have the urge to up-end my life like a losing monopoly player and DO IT.  

The Walls of Jerusalem is this amazingly beautiful and sacred alpine wilderness. It sounds cliche but none of my photos will do any kind of justice to its beauty. So much so, that by day 4, I gave up and decided to be in the moment and enjoy where I was and who I was with.

“The Walls” are part of Tassie’s central plateau, formed back when dinosaurs roamed and Jurassic dolerite peaks pushed up through the earth, forming mountains around glaciers.

There are no roads. The only option is to hike in and out. No kiosks, no food drops, no hot showers, no flushing toilets, no bins. So protected and sacred that there is a boot wash before you enter to clean your feet of all those nasty mainland diseases. The National Park (NP) is situated next to Cradle Mountain NP, so you get the same alpine vibe but without the people.  That also means that you need to walk in everything you will need for the week, and walk out everything you’ve used. 

The landscape was beautiful but the REAL highlight of the trip for me, was the people. 

I haven’t laughed so much in a very long time. Rich, deep belly laughs from somewhere hidden deep beneath work, stress, paying bills and life. Being me is exhausting sometimes. I cannot imagine having any other set of individual people on this adventure with me. Every single person made that trip what it was. I really feel as though I left that trip with 7 new sisters and a brother! Monster, Rach, Dreddy, Demon, Wombat, Twilight, Mountain Goat and Little Spoon! My nickname was Feral. I enjoyed every second of the trip and would do it all again in a second. Even the tears and the emergency group hugs.

Here are some of my main highlights of The Walls adventure:

The Pencil Pine forests:

This magical place looks like a set from a Disney fairyland/Narnia/hobbit movie. These Forests are only found in this part of Tasmania (nowhere else in the world) and these trees are over 100 years old, growing only 12mm in diameter every year. 

Cushion Plants:

These plants spread as huge green mats along the ground, and are made up of thousands of individual stems that each grow at the same rate so that no individual stem is more exposed to the cold climate and conditions as the rest of the plant thus acting as their own little greenhouse. These plants are a keystone species – having a disproportionately large effect on the ecosystem. Without these plants to ecosystem would cease to exist and these plants are seen as the building blocks of Tasmanian alpine wilderness. Don’t be tempted to sit on one or even break off one of the thousands of stems, these plants die en masse. One stem breakage means the entire plant can no longer defend itself against the cold and the entire cushion can die. 

Glacial Tarns and Lakes:

Jumping into glacial tarns (mini lakes) and lakes. Yes – glacial means cold. It snowed in the National Park all the week before we were there. Stripping down to your undies and jumping in on the first day was a little unexpected and yes, f*cking freezing! 

Climbing Mountains:

Jurassic dolerite peaks to be more correct. The group climbed both Mount Jerusalem and Solomon’s Throne. Whilst it’s hardly Everest the views were amazing and there was a real sense of achievement – especially after scrambling up Solomon’s Throne in the howling wind. 

From the top of Mount Jerusalem, you can clearly see where ancient glaciers used to flow, carving through these dolerite peaks and placing huge erratic rocks the size of houses throughout the landscape.

Bush Bashing and Wildlife:

I don’t often wander off the designated trail, but it was so nice to be able to hike places that most people don’t normally see.

The wildlife is also pretty unique within the Walls. Wombats, wallabies, pademelons, possums, quolls, echidnas, platypus, skinks, snakes, frogs and numerous insects including the biggest bees I’ve ever laid eyes upon all live within the Walls.

A Quick Itinerary:

Day 1: Briefing and packing our huge packs along with our last supper/dinner of all Tasmanian Produce. 

Day 2: Leave Launceston, arrive at the Walls of Jerusalem carpark and Hike approx 8km mostly uphill, with a few stops (including an old Trappers Hut) for lunch and for me to strip off and jump into a tarn. Arrive at Wild Dog Campsite and set up tents.

Day 3: Morning: Day Hike from Wild Dog Camp through Herods Gate to our first view of “The Walls”. Through Damascus’ Gate to Dixon’s Kingdom and Dixon’s Hut via the pine forest and up to the top of Mount Jerusalem. It is thought that you can see over 3000 tarns and lakes from  Lunch then an afternoon of bush bashing off-trail around “The Temple” and to the Pool of Bethesda. Hike back to Wild Dog Camp

Day 4: Morning: Day hike through Herods gate up to Solomons Throne, super windy so we were unable to traverse along the West Wall up to Kind David’s Peak. We were also unable to scale The Temple. Back to camp for lunch. The afternoon saw more off-track hiking along wild dog creek out to Tiger Lake and to Solo Man’s hut, then return.

Day 5: Unfortunately pack up camp and walk 8km back to the carpark, lunch at the cutest cafe and back to Launceston for a hat shower and recovery/celebratory drink (or two).   

I did this adventure with Women Want Adventure (and Tasmanian Expeditions). Both of these companies were awesome. I have never had a bad experience with Women Want Adventure. Monique who is the CEO or CAO (Chief Adventure Officer) and an all-round amazing, inspiring person always puts together the best adventures. Please check out the website. She has so many awesome adventures and all activities cater for all activity and interest levels.

Tasmanian Expeditions were also amazing. I was well looked after, well educated, warm, well slept (even without air in my mattress) and most of all well fed! Rach, Damon and Nikki were the best tour guides, and all round great people. They even laughed at my jokes!

Thanks for reading about this amazing adventure! I really couldn’t do it justice – it was that good.

Please excuse any typos – I’m too excited to post!