Cathedral Mountain is a dominant mountain in 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 ...
in the
central highlands in the state of
Tasmania
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, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
,
Australia.
Location and features
Cathedral Mountain has an elevation of . The western side of this mountain has a spectacular and extensive cliff face which plunges some to the Mersey Valley floor.
The mountain is at grid reference 261622 UTM Zone 55G 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 '' ...
Cathedral (4236) 1:25000.
Due west from Cathedral lies
Mount Ossa, Tasmania's highest mountain, due north is Mount Pillinger, due east is
Mount Ragoona and due south is
Castle Crag in the
Du Cane Range
The Du Cane Range is a mountain range in the Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia.
An unnamed peak on the main ridge of the Du Cane Range has an elevation of above sea level and is the eleventh highest mountain peak in Tasmania. ...
. Directly beneath the cliff faces of Cathedral Mountain runs the upper reaches of the
Mersey River. The
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 ...
passes within of the southern side of this mountain. Most features in the general area of Cathedral Mountain have church-based names. These include; Chalice Lake, Chapter Lake, Cloister Lagoon, Convent Hill, Bishop Peak, Curate Bluff, Vicar Bluff and Dean Bluff.
Within the last three decades, a huge portion of the upper part of the mountain has broken away and catastrophically crashed through the rainforest hundreds of metres below completely obliterating it, creating a huge rock skree which covers several hundred metres and almost reaches the banks of the Mersey River. The resulting scar is very noticeable from many kilometres distant.
How to Access
Access to the spectacular and dominant side of Cathedral mountain is mainly via the Overland Track from Cradle Mountain during the main walking season (November to April) when a booking and fee system applies and walking the track is restricted to limited numbers and also to north–south traffic only. In the off-season walking is also allowed from the Lake St Clair (southern) end. Other access tracks include the combined Arm River and Innes Tracks as well as the Lees Paddocks track. There is also a track that links from the Lees Paddocks area adjacent Vicar Bluff to Kia Ora. These alternative access routes ultimately link to the Overland Track which only gives access to viewing the sheer and rugged face of the mountain from the western side of the Mersey River. A wider overview of the area is available on the
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 '' ...
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair Map & Notes publication.
To ascend the mountain, the most commonly used route is from the southern end of the Mersey Forrest Road on the eastern side of Lake Rowallan via the Moses Creek track. Then to Chapter Lake, Grail Falls, Chalice Lake and Tent Tarn. From Tent Tarn to the Cathedral Mountain summit is two kilometres with the terrain being mainly trackless, although occasional cairns are visible.
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 mountains in Tasmania
References
*
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 '' ...
Cathedral (4236) 1:25000
The majority of the information is sourced directly from this map
{{CentralHighlandsTasmania , state=autocollapse
Mountains of Tasmania
Central Highlands (Tasmania)
Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park