98 Australian Geographic
N THE DARK belly of the Tasmanian wilderness I slip
thigh-deep into glutinous, peaty mud. Desperately, I grasp
at a slimy tree root, my fingers too numb to feel whether
I have a good hold. If I fall I’ll be stuck helpless like a
turtle on its back and my companion, who’s crawling
behind, will have to pluck me and my 30kg pack from
the vertical entanglement of Moss Ridge.
From its outset, this Winter on the Blade expedition had fallen
into the ill-advised category. Now here I am, after hours of strug-
gling to stay upright and moving forward, wondering whether
we’ll all make it back alive.O
UR INTENT with the adventure was to film a climb never
before attempted – the first winter ascent of the North
West Face Direct route combined with the Blade Ridge
route on Federation Peak. To take on the 640m route was such
an immense challenge that outdoor enthusiast Andy Szollosi
decided to approach documentary maker Simon Bischoff to film
it, and together they set about putting together a team.
The peak is a steep headwall on the edge of a glacial valley in
the Eastern Arthur Range in Tasmania’s Southwest National Park,I
Just months before our Winter on the Blade
team set out, an experienced bushwalker
had tumbled 150m to her death here.