Mount Ossa, Mountain summit in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania, Australia.
Mount Ossa is the highest peak in Tasmania's Pelion Range, located within Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in the Central Highlands. From the summit, the view sweeps across forested valleys, alpine plateaus, and distant ranges that stretch toward the horizon.
Geologist Charles Gould named the peak in the 1860s, following the fashion of the time for classical Greek place names in Tasmania. Its status as the state's highest point was only confirmed through aerial survey methods decades later, when precise measurements resolved earlier uncertainty.
The peak sits on lands where Aboriginal peoples traveled and hunted for thousands of years, and you can feel the ancient connection to this high place when standing at the summit.
The climb begins at Pelion Gap where the trail is clearly marked and requires about three hours to reach the summit and return. The route crosses rocky ground and steep sections, so sturdy boots and basic fitness help make the walk safer and more comfortable.
The rocky plateau near the summit supports alpine plants found nowhere else in Australia, adapted to the harsh weather and thin soil of this height. These slow-growing plants tell the story of a landscape shaped by exposure and cold, visible to hikers who look closely at the ground beneath their feet.
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