Mount Pelion West is a
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited Summit (topography), summit area, and ...
located in the
Central Highlands region of
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. The mountain is part of the
Pelion Range and is situated within the
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is located in the Central Highlands area of Tasmania ( Australia), northwest of Hobart. The park contains many walking trails, and is where hikes along the well-known Overland Track usually begin. Ma ...
at the easternmost boundary of the
Murchison River catchment
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
.
Mount Pelion West is the
fourth highest mountain in Tasmania with an elevation of
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
[ and is one of only eight mountains in the state which are over .
]
Mountain location
The mountain summit is at grid reference 152682 UTM Zone 55S and high resolution topographical information is available on Tasmap Tasmap is the main government authority for the state of Tasmania in Australia for the mapping and management of land information systems for the state.
In earlier decades most Australian mapping departments were known by the common name of the '' ...
Achilles (4036) 1:25000. To the west lies an extensive, relatively flat moorland, to the north is Cradle Mountain
Cradle Mountain is a locality and mountain in the Central Highlands region of the Australian state of Tasmania. The mountain is situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
At above sea level, it is the sixth-highest mount ...
and Barn Bluff
Barn Bluff is a mountain located in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is situated in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park at the junction of the easternmost points of the Murchison and Mackintosh ...
, to the northeast and quite close at is Mount Oakleigh, to the east is Mount Pelion East
Mount Pelion East is a mountain located in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is situated within the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
With an elevation of above sea level, the mountain is the 25 ...
and due south is Mount Achilles. Below the northern side of the mountain is Pelion Creek which flows into the head waters of the Forth River. The Forth River has its origin directly east of Pelion West at Frog Flats ( above sea level), the lowest point on the whole Overland Track
The Overland Track is an Australian bushwalking track, traversing Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, within the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. It's walked by more than nine thousand people each year, with numbers limited i ...
. At its closest point the Overland Track passes within of the mountain summit.
Ascending
Keith Ernest Lancaster, an early bushwalking and mountain climbing pioneer, climbed Mount Pelion West on 30 January 1946 by enduring a slow and painful crawl through sections of the sharp and prickly ''Richea scoparia
''Richea scoparia (formerly known as R. angustifolia)'', is a wide spread Tasmanian endemic plant. The genus '' Richea,'' forms part of the Ericaceae (formerly Epacridaceae) family, which are commonly heath-like shrubs. The name refers to the e ...
'' that frequently inhabits alpine areas around Tasmanian mountains. Lancaster referred to Mount Pelion West as one of "The Giants of the Reserve". In his account of his climb Lancaster mentions "the confusion of the enormous boulders" on the top of the mountain.
On the Achilles Tasmap is marked the approximate location of a walking track to climb the mountain along its northeastern spur. The unmarked track start is approximately east of the Pelion Creek crossing on the Overland Track and is in between two logs that are perpendicular to the Overland Track. This mountain is much more difficult to climb than either Mount Ossa or Mount Pelion East
Mount Pelion East is a mountain located in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is situated within the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park.
With an elevation of above sea level, the mountain is the 25 ...
, the more traditional side-excursion climbs along the famous Overland Track.''The Overland Track''
Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service This is due to a difficult traverse of over across huge
dolerite
Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro,
is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-grain ...
boulders to reach the obelisk shaped, sloping summit boulder.
Gallery
See also
*
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is located in the Central Highlands area of Tasmania ( Australia), northwest of Hobart. The park contains many walking trails, and is where hikes along the well-known Overland Track usually begin. Ma ...
*
List of highest mountains of Tasmania
References
{{CentralHighlandsTasmania , state=autocollapse
Pelion West
Pelion West
Pelion West