The Overland Track stretches 65 kilometers from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair traversing the heart of Tasmania’s World Heritage listed wilderness. The walk contains truly magnificent mountain and rainforest scenery, including Tasmania’s tallest peak, Mt Ossa which is 1617 metres high.

Sunrise, Mt Ossa. View from Pelion East on Tasmania’s Overland Track

Pelion Gap is where the junction of the Overland Track and the Mt Ossa sidetrack is. Most walkers leave their backpacks here and climb Mt Ossa with little or no extra weight. We went one step further and camped at Pelion Gap meaning a night nestled deep in the mountains with very nice warm and still conditions.

Tarn atop Mt Ossa on Tasmania’s Overland Track

Another perspective on Tasmania’s most photographed mountain – Cradle, from Mt Ossa

Dolerite everywhere! Climbing Mt Ossa

During the late afternoon we climbed Mt Ossa to catch a glimpse of Frenchmans Cap a long way to the south and also a reverse angle on Cradle Mountain, Tasmania’s most photographed mountain! The following morning I wandered up the flanks of Pelion East to catch the sunrise.

Sunrise and Pelion East on Tasmania’s Overland Track

Sunrise, Overland Track, Tasmania

It was a wonderfully clear morning and the sunrise lit up Mt Ossa in a fiery red light. There was a nice little bit of morning mist right on the summit and it was a very satisfying shoot. It was a big effort walking in along the Arm River Track and it is nice to get some reward for your troubles 🙂

Sunrise Overland Track

Sunrise and mist on Mt Ossa, Tasmania

It was a long walk all the way back to Pelion Hut and then along the Arm River track to the car. Even discovering that we had a flat tyre upon returning was not enough to dampen the spirits after such a fantastic trip!