Walls of Jerusalem & Solitary Hut loop walk

A great little loop walk over three days taking in the highlights of the first section of the Walls of Jerusalem. This was a preparation walk for a Lake Rhona trip and the Overland in a few more weeks time. We needed to try out some new gear and make sure everything was in shape before those trips. Sharon had not visited the Walls camping before but I have during a fantastic snow trip in October 2010.

Day 1: Wild Dog Creek, The Temple & Dixons Kingdom Hut

The usual drive up to the Walls car park from Launceston. We have driven this route so many times we feel like we know every bump and pot hole. The short slog up to Trappers Hut and onto the plateau proper before 11:30AM.

Plenty of photo and view opportunities in the fine weather and we arrived at Wild Dog Creek camping area for a late lunch.After lazing around in the sun for ages I decided we should put the tent up. We chose a single platform on the second level so we were protected from some forecast wind tomorrow. This is the first time I have put the Nallo 2 on a platform and it seemed to go pretty smoothly.

Given the day was still young we decided to walk through to Dixons hut and go up The Temple to fill in the afternoon. We changed plans once we got to Damascus Gate and went up The Temple first while the sun was still out. The stone work on the steps here is a real credit to Parks and we quickly reached the summit to some fabulous views.

The view here is just as good as Mt Jerusalem if you are short of time except for the SE. We enjoyed the scenery and all the peaks and headed down to Dixons Kingdom Hut. Here we met two guys from earlier in the day setting up camp. One had a very interesting Exped tent and the other was going to brave the possum in the hut. We walked back to Wild Dog to a fabulous sunset as we arrived at Herods Gate. A quite evening with only a few other campers around.

[Show picture list]

Day 2: Solomons Throne, King Davids Peak, Tiger Lake & Solitary Mans Hut

​We started with a quick visit to the Pool of Bethesda. I can see it this trip, last time it was frozen and knee deep snow everywhere around it. Soon some more impressive stone work has you up on Solomons Throne quite quickly. More great views here but I wanted to see what the view was like from King Davids Peak. Sharon was not interested in this one and went back down to camp while I ventured across the plateau to another stunning view. I could see Sharon walking along the track all the way back. You can look down on Wild Dog campsite from here.

Once I arrived back at camp we leisurely packed up camp and headed off up the Wild Dog Creek valley. A pleasant walk with views back to the ever present King Davids Peak. A small navigation error had me going way past the turn off to George Howes Lake and into some scrub. Sharon had it right all along and I eventually noticed the error of my ways and got us back on track. Soon we reached Gorge Howes Lake and turned off towards Tiger Lake and Solitary Mans Hut.

There is a myth that the guy who built this hut on Tiger Lake was a Vietnam Vet, but it is just that a myth, he was not a vet at all. The logbook in the hut and the hut area was interesting and thinking of surviving here for a couple of winters with the lake frozen would be interesting. A large campsite exists behind the hut and remnants of his stone weights bench but I wanted to see the lake out the front of the tent so went searching for something better. I found a great spot high up on the ridge above the track with excellent views of the lake and nice soft ground underneath, even a rock table out front. We setup camp and watched the platypus in the lake for ages before retiring.

[Show picture list]

Day 3: Tiger Lake, Solitary Hut, home

Packed up and on our way to a misty day with low cloud today. We walked out past George Howes lake and then through the valley and past a tarn that seems to have no ending and just goes out into space. This is the point the track starts it descent and sidling around the hills as you drop down to re-join the track at Trappers Hut. Arriving at Trappers before 10:30AM we got back to the car with plenty of time for a relaxing trip home and a bit of Geocaching along the way. Lake Rhona and the Overland here we come….

[Show picture list]