Federation Peak
Encyclopedia
Federation Peak is a prominent mountain (elevation 1,224 metres) located in the Southwest National Park
of Tasmania
, Australia
. The peak, 90 km from Hobart
, was named after the Federation of Australia
and is often described as one of the hardest Bushwalking
challenges in Australia.
which took place that year by Thomas Bather Moore while cutting a track from Hastings to Port Davey via Old River.
The years between its first sighting by Sprent and the first successful summit expedition almost 50 years later saw a mixture of hardy pioneer adventurers trying to bag the peak. The thick horizontal scrub, mixed with ancient cool temperate rainforest which dominates the area proved to be the barrier between men and the mountain. Together with the harsh weather generated by the roaring forties
the mountain did not give itself easily. It is a testament to the wildness of the Tasmanian South West that it took almost 50 years to reach its heart and jewel.
After several unsuccessful attempts by various groups in the late 1940s, a party from the Geelong College
Exploration Society led by John Béchervaise
summited on the 27 January 1949.
The exposed and technical nature of the usual climbing route that is usually climbed unroped has resulted in a number of fatalities; most recently on 8 April 2007 when a bushwalker fell to his death while descending from the summit. He died on the scene with ropes broken from his hip.
Most bushwalkers with minimal or no climbing gear take the exposed 'Direct Ascent' scramble from the Southern Traverse of the peak above a drop of 600 meters (1800 ft) into Lake Geeves.
Access to the base of the peak is generally from Geeveston
via Farmhouse Creek and Moss Ridge or Scotts Peak
via the Eastern Arthurs
. The first route is the shorter of two - generally three days to the peak. The Eastern Arthurs via Scotts Peak Dam takes at least 7 days finishing at Farmhouse Creek: up to 10 days with bad weather.
Southwest National Park
The Southwest National Park is a national park located in the south-west of Tasmania, Australia. The park is Tasmania's largest and forms part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area....
of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The peak, 90 km from Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
, was named after the Federation of Australia
Federation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
and is often described as one of the hardest Bushwalking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
challenges in Australia.
History
The first westerner to notice the peak was the surveyor James Sprent who was carrying out a trignometrical survey of Tasmania and who described it as "the Obelisk". It became known as Sprent's Obelisk, however in 1901 it was officially named Federation Peak in honour of the Federation of AustraliaFederation of Australia
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed one nation...
which took place that year by Thomas Bather Moore while cutting a track from Hastings to Port Davey via Old River.
The years between its first sighting by Sprent and the first successful summit expedition almost 50 years later saw a mixture of hardy pioneer adventurers trying to bag the peak. The thick horizontal scrub, mixed with ancient cool temperate rainforest which dominates the area proved to be the barrier between men and the mountain. Together with the harsh weather generated by the roaring forties
Roaring Forties
The Roaring Forties is the name given to strong westerly winds found in the Southern Hemisphere, generally between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees. Air displaced from the Equator towards the South Pole, which travels close to the surface between the latitudes of 30 and 60 degrees south, combines...
the mountain did not give itself easily. It is a testament to the wildness of the Tasmanian South West that it took almost 50 years to reach its heart and jewel.
After several unsuccessful attempts by various groups in the late 1940s, a party from the Geelong College
The Geelong College
The Geelong College is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding school, located in Newtown, an inner-western suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia....
Exploration Society led by John Béchervaise
John Béchervaise
John Mayston Béchervaise OAM, MBE was an Australian writer, photographer, artist, historian and explorer. He is especially notable for his work and achievements in Antarctica. Béchervaise was married to Lorna Fearn Wannan; the couple had one son and three daughters...
summited on the 27 January 1949.
The exposed and technical nature of the usual climbing route that is usually climbed unroped has resulted in a number of fatalities; most recently on 8 April 2007 when a bushwalker fell to his death while descending from the summit. He died on the scene with ropes broken from his hip.
Climate
The highest elevations of the mountain are Alpine condition with most of the weather patterns determined by the wind. The mountain receives large amount of snow in Autumn, Winter and Early Spring. Freak snowfalls are often seen in Summer though many of them don't settle.Climbing routes
There are a number of graded climbing routes to the summit made by rock climbers, most notably Blade Ridge (grade 18), which is a steep knife edge ridge rising out of the cool temperate forest at the foot of the mountain. The ridge joins the main face of the peak a few hundred metres beneath the summit. The climb from the end of the ridge is then up an exposed but well protected face to the summit, some 600 metres above the valley floor.Most bushwalkers with minimal or no climbing gear take the exposed 'Direct Ascent' scramble from the Southern Traverse of the peak above a drop of 600 meters (1800 ft) into Lake Geeves.
Access to the base of the peak is generally from Geeveston
Geeveston, Tasmania
Geeveston is a small Australian town located in the south of Tasmania on the Huon River, 62 km south west of Hobart, making it Australia's most southerly administrative centre. The town takes its name from William Geeves, an English settler who was given a land grant by Lady Jane Franklin in the...
via Farmhouse Creek and Moss Ridge or Scotts Peak
Scotts Peak
thumb|right|Scotts PeakScotts Peak is a mountain in the South West Tasmania which is associated with the construction and flooding of the original Lake Pedder, as the lake now completely surrounds the peak...
via the Eastern Arthurs
Arthur Range
The Arthur Range is a mountain range in the South West Wilderness, Tasmania, Australia. The range is broken into two main section, the Western Arthurs and the Eastern Arthurs...
. The first route is the shorter of two - generally three days to the peak. The Eastern Arthurs via Scotts Peak Dam takes at least 7 days finishing at Farmhouse Creek: up to 10 days with bad weather.
External links
- Federation Peak - John Chapman
- Lysis Films - Quicktime video of above knee double leg amputee Warren Macdonald's 2000 ascent of Federation Peak.