Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

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Tasmania specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.

Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby emma_melbourne » Sun 07 Jul, 2019 10:19 am

At Christmas when I was hiking the Overland Track, at New Pelion hut I met a hiker who'd come in via the Arm River Track and done Walls of Jerusalem for 3 days prior.

I'd love to do similar. To do Walls of Jerusalem for a few days and then come in to Pelion Hut and climb Mt Oakleigh.

My questions:
- What route do you recommend for Walls of Jerusalem, including where to camp each night.
- Do you recommend I drive in and leave car on Mersey Forest Rd or Arm Rd or Maggs Rd?
- Do you recommend I walk in on Lee's Paddock Track and then last section of Arm River Rd to Pelion Hut? Or do you recommend I come in all the way on Arm River Track? What is the comparative pros and cons of Lees Paddock versus Arm River Track? Is one a lot more difficult going than the other?

Lastly, is it possible for me to also walk along that short section of Overland Track from Pelion Hut to Mt Ossa or Mt Pelion East? (And doubling back to Pelion Hut afterwards.) Or is this barred unless you have an Overland Track pass? I'm talking in January 2020 or other time in Summer.

Thanks!
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Re: Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby vagrom » Sun 07 Jul, 2019 12:26 pm

See below.
Last edited by vagrom on Sun 07 Jul, 2019 1:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby vagrom » Sun 07 Jul, 2019 12:33 pm

If you haven't read Chapman on these areas Emma then he's the best, most reliable introduction and it's important to follow his updates on his website.
You could borrow the book from many libraries but as you appear to be interested in getting to know the area then it's a great buy, particularly for the maps of larger scale.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... 864ikyS-6O

The biggest variable of Tas.walking is the weather and particularly fog/clag whereby all surrounding points of view and bearing are lost, the sun also. Then you can think you're going forward but are actually returning.

The safest first outing for experience would be the Walls, at 1500m some of the highest parts of Tas. Next would be going in via Lees Paddocks. If the weather was good you could reccy the Arm Track for next time.
Last edited by vagrom on Sun 07 Jul, 2019 3:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby Son of a Beach » Sun 07 Jul, 2019 2:40 pm

The Arm River Track is a little shorter than the Lees Paddocks and Reedy Lake Track. The Reedy Lake Track (upper part of Lees Paddocks Track between Lees Paddocks and Arm River Track junction) can also be a bit difficult to follow in some sections. That part of the track doesn’t get used as much and therefore gets overgrown and vague sometimes.
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Re: Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby north-north-west » Sun 07 Jul, 2019 3:43 pm

emma_melbourne wrote: What route do you recommend for Walls of Jerusalem, including where to camp each night.

There are so many variables for the Walls, I can only suggest you follow vagrom's advice and check the Chapman book for all the options, and have a thorough recce of the maps. Not all routes or tracks are equal, and many routes can be vague and difficult to follow if you aren't used to a similar standard. The most common intro circuit is to use the main track to go in via Trappers to Wild Dog or Dixons and spend a couple of nights there while exploring the central portion of the Walls, then going down Jaffa Vale to Lake Ball and around to Adelaide, before following the Adelaide track back to Trappers and down.
Do you recommend I drive in and leave car on Mersey Forest Rd or Arm Rd or Maggs Rd?

Main Walls carpark for the Walls, and then Maggs Rd is the current access for the Arm River track.
Do you recommend I walk in on Lee's Paddock Track and then last section of Arm River Rd to Pelion Hut? Or do you recommend I come in all the way on Arm River Track? What is the comparative pros and cons of Lees Paddock versus Arm River Track? Is one a lot more difficult going than the other?

Lees Paddocks track isn't too bad (it's mostly an old vehicle track), but Reedy Lake (from Lees to Lake Ayr) has a number of vague stretches. Arm River track is the easiest route into New Pelion.
Lastly, is it possible for me to also walk along that short section of Overland Track from Pelion Hut to Mt Ossa or Mt Pelion East? (And doubling back to Pelion Hut afterwards.) I'm talking in January 2020 or other time in Summer.

Yes. You aren't supposed to go much further than that southwards without a pass, but accessing Pelion West, Oakleigh, and/or Ossa/Pelion East is allowed.
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Re: Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby emma_melbourne » Mon 08 Jul, 2019 4:33 pm

@vagrom
Thank you for the reference to the Chapman book. I do have 'The Overland Track' by Chapman et al, but not the one on 'Cradle Mountain Lake St Clair and Walls of Jerusalem'. I will try and pick it up at one of the hiking shops if they sell it. And I take on board your points about weather.

@Son of a Beach
Ah good to know something of Lees Paddock (& Reedly Lake) Track versus Arm River Track. Thank you for your comments.

@north-north-west
Thank you for your notes on Walls of Jerusalem. I think the "main track" circuit looks perfectly good to me, assuming weather is fine. And I'll get a copy of the Chapman book as you've both recommended. I'll weigh up those two options of going Lees Paddock versus Arm River track. And good to know I can do the various mountains (Oakleigh, Ossa, Pelion East) without needing an Overland Track pass. Seems like a great option! I don't know why more don't do it!

Best,

Emma
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Re: Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby Warin » Mon 08 Jul, 2019 5:50 pm

emma_melbourne wrote:I don't know why more don't do it!


Sush... the less that do it .. the less people you will see on your trip.

You can find what libraries have the book using 'trove' ...
https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/8998867?q ... lem&c=book

There are other peaks with views along the way.. don't fixate on the well known ones to miss out on the less well known ones.
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Re: Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby vagrom » Fri 12 Jul, 2019 5:15 pm

I've only taken the high road so look forward to seeing the lower. The former takes you over 1000m whereas that from Lees goes up to 800m.
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Re: Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby vagrom » Wed 14 Aug, 2019 1:14 pm

I found a short 10 minute video from January this year, about this last 4km part of the Lees Paddocks/Reedy Lk track till meeting with the Arm River Track.

The author recommends falls side trips along the way especially the Devil's Cauldron, which i'm not sure i've heard of before.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fyehjZDl5HY
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Re: Walls of Jerusalem & Pelion Hut

Postby Hot073 » Mon 19 Aug, 2019 8:23 pm

Devils Cauldron is not very far north east of Lees Hut,only about 500m.
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