Charlie and the chocolate factor

CHOCOLATE makes a difference on the uphill trek to the high-level tracks of Walls of Jerusalem National Park, writes Chris Viney.

Slog ... Walls of Jerusalem National Park is reached by a steep two-hour climb through forest

CHARLIE the trekking guide wears a watch that can log the rise and fall in altitude of 99 different bushwalks. It tells you the barometric pressure, points to north, alerts you when you reach a nominated height, predicts the next cold change and can even tell the time.

But it isn't any of these factors that gets me up the first steep section of the Walls of Jerusalem track.

That's chocolate's job.

On the northern rim of Tasmania's Central Highlands, just east of the better-known Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, the Walls of Jerusalem National Park is reached by a steep, two-hour climb through forest before the grade flattens out across lake-studded alpine heathlands.

It's on this uphill slog that the sweet and silky squares of chocolate from the depths of Charlie's pack give me – and my companions on the Tasmanian Expeditions guided walk – the hit of energy we need to reach the top.

From there, the six of us, with our guides, Charlie and Sarah, reach Wild Dog Creek campsite by mid-afternoon. Here, Tas-Ex has its own nest of sleeping platforms – raised timber decks in place of the on-ground campsites that damage fragile alpine soils and vegetation.

We pitch tents, inflate sleeping mats and gather on the kitchen deck for a hot mug of welcome brew.

One of the great pleasures of guided walks is watching an expert bush cook at work. Sarah takes over, crafting hearty, nutritious and delicious food such as free-range chicken stir-fry with chilli, coconut milk and green beans, followed by fruit meringue and whipped cream.

(I particularly enjoy her meals because I'm reading Shackleton's saga of Antarctic survival, during which his men were rationed to half-a-pound of seal meat for breakfast, a four-ounce scone for lunch and a small mug of seal stew for dinner.)

Two wonderful days of walking follow our first feast at Wild Dog Creek.

With the hard work already done on the first day's ascent, the high-level tracks are a delight: easy climbs to spectacular summits, with crusty sun-warmed dolerite beneath your fingers; splendid views of every peak from Cradle Mountain to Mount Olympus and beyond to the white wedge of Frenchmans Cap; and the sunny sparkle of glacial lakes scattered across the highlands like thousands of pieces of broken mirror.

You can't walk in the Walls without feeling admiration for the achievements of Tasmania's trackworkers, whose skill with things of stone and wood is everywhere underfoot.

Neat timber boardwalks are softened at the edges by alpine shrubs, stepping stones traverse patches of delicate cushion plants, and the rock staircase that descends from Solomon's Throne to Damascus Gate is simply a work of art.

Excellent interpretation of the natural environment is a feature of the trip as Charlie and Sarah combine a wealth of experience and a sound knowledge of the wonderful geology, flora and fauna of Tasmania's wild places.

In the evenings, the company is good; over steaming mugs of coffee or chai, we hear stories from Kathmandu to Colorado, Calabria to the Coromandel.

After three memorable days in the Walls we drive north-west towards Black Jack Cabins, Tasmanian Expeditions' new Cradle Mountain home base, just outside the national park. There's an easy stroll around Dove Lake at the foot of the mountain in the afternoon, then a comfortable bunkhouse and hot showers greet us.

The next day's major plan is to make an ascent of Cradle. Following the route of walkers on the first day of the Overland Track walk, we climb to Marion's Lookout, take a break at Kitchen Hut on the plateau, then branch off on the steepening summit track.

The upper section of the Cradle Mountain ascent is a hands-and-feet scramble through the jumbled blocks of a boulder field with a chilly mist whipping between spires and pinnacles of dolerite – but a handful of choc-coated licorice bullets does the trick, and the last part of the climb goes easily.

On top, Charlie consults his magic watch. The time is exactly 12.37pm and the height is 1545m. Precisely 608m of altitude below us in a nor-nor-easterly direction is the bus.

That's where the extra chocolate is, so that's where we head.

The writer travelled courtesy of Tasmanian Expeditions.

The Sunday Telegraph