Hartz Peak

Finally! Today we went up Hartz Peak (1254m) with a group of friends from our social walking group. It has been on my list of things to do since we moved to Tasmania. The weather wasn't perfect, but the cloud cleared enough to provide glimpses of mountains and tarns and islands. On the way there we stopped at Lake Esperance and Ladies Tarn. The sun came out on the way back making the return walk quite hot. I read on a web site this week that Hartz Peak provides the "best view for effort" of all the peaks in southern Tasmania. Not having been up many I can't make that comparison, but the view of the southern ranges is stunning and it's not a difficult walk, just steep in parts and a short section of rock scrambling at the top. I love the rocky landscape and the alpine vegetation in the Hartz Mountains National Park, like the bright green cushion plants (see below). And the views were stunning, out towards the seemingly endless row of rugged peaks in the distance. It has reignited the hiking spark that's been missing lately.