Mt Tate wasn't originally on the list of mountains I wanted to get to during the summer. However, the unpleasant weather that stopped us going up to Twynam meant that I had an afternoon free. From Guthega, Mt Tate is tantalisingly close so we decided to head across the dam wall and take a closer look. After crossing the dam wall and following a well-worn track for a hundred metres or so, we crossed over the creek whose name I can't remember and came to the base of the old rope tow that used to run up the hill. This was the first lift at Guthega. Unfortunately, the lift doesn't run any more - it would be a great run down in winter (although the dam at the bottom of the slope means that you'd want to be pretty confident in your ability to stop!). After searching around for a bit to find the track, we followed the lift line up the hill. This hill is steep! It goes up about 400m over 1.5km. A lot of the track is difficult to find, or non-existent and once you get above the top of the lift, it's anyone's guess where the track goes. So, we bush-bashed up through huge tussocks until we got to a ridge where the views were, in a word, spectacular. Mt Tate looked so very very close, over to our right, while the rest of the main range was spread out to our left. However, when we turned around to look back towards Guthega, a huge bank of cloud was rolling in. It was descending rapidly and, with the unclear track, we thought it wise to head down the mountain. The cloud was hot on our heels as we headed down the mountain and by the time we reached the dam wall again, the entire ridge line had vanished in the mist.
A few weeks later, having ticked nearly all the other mountains off my list, I returned to Guthega and decided that Tate deserved another shot. This time the weather was absolutely perfect and, aside from an abundance of grasshoppers, I came across many other weird and wonderful creatures. This time I reached the ridge line and turned right, heading for the summit of Mt Tate. It was further away than it looked, but I greatly enjoyed the walk along the top of the ridge. The summit is rocky and, much to my surprise, home to two species of grasshopper! So, on attempt #2, Mt Tate was ticked off the list. A steep, but not overly long walk from Guthega. With great views of Jagungal and the main range (and plenty of grasshoppers to catch!) it was well worth the effort.
A few weeks later, having ticked nearly all the other mountains off my list, I returned to Guthega and decided that Tate deserved another shot. This time the weather was absolutely perfect and, aside from an abundance of grasshoppers, I came across many other weird and wonderful creatures. This time I reached the ridge line and turned right, heading for the summit of Mt Tate. It was further away than it looked, but I greatly enjoyed the walk along the top of the ridge. The summit is rocky and, much to my surprise, home to two species of grasshopper! So, on attempt #2, Mt Tate was ticked off the list. A steep, but not overly long walk from Guthega. With great views of Jagungal and the main range (and plenty of grasshoppers to catch!) it was well worth the effort.