I slept surprisingly well in the whipping tent. I woke up a few times and always thought about getting up to climb the mountain, while getting an early start. However, the pitter patter of raindrops and the warmth of a sleeping bag, kept me nestled into my tent, despite the pools of water that were forming. I did unzip to check the visibility... but the fog lingered. After the sun came up, I could still hear the rain and decided to get up and out anyhow.
When I stumbled out of bed, I had a had time trying to decide if I should continue on to summit Mt Anne. At the moment, I couldn't see 10 ft in front of me, so the view would be no good. I debated whether or not the mountain would rise out of the clouds, but based on previous experience, I guessed not. Then I tried to decide if I should do it for the challenge and finally I decided that the logical thing to do would be to find another National Park, where I could see more of Tasmania. So, down I went.. not that this was easy. I ended up bending my hiking pole. I was blown off my feet because of the wind and my face was freezing from the wetness and wind. The boulders were slow-going. Slickrock is slick when wet. Once down from the boulders, I met a group of people that thought about going up Eliza. They had just entered the cloud/fog. I told them that they were welcome to try, but the view would be lacking, unless the clouds lifted up to some degree, while the sun continued to rise. I also made sure that they knew the forecast, which called for snow that night.. which is problematic on this rock without the right equipment. Then I asked if there was decent weather anywhere in Tasmania. They said the east coast. So, off I hiked and drove. First things first, I grabbed a Easter coffee.
Doesn't sound like fun.
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