Going over
and under:
Mountains and caves
November–December 2015 63F
rom the Great Dividing Range to red
desert outcrops, and from limestone
chambers to fossil caverns and
lava tubes, it’s taken a special calibre
of explorer to unlock the secrets of
Australia’s mountains. Over time, our
pioneering spirit has also urged mountain-
eers to explore remote and punishing
ranges from Antarctica to the Himalaya.GREGORY BLAXLAND,
WILLIAM CHARLES WENT-
WORTH, WILLIAM LAWSON
(1778–1853; 1790–1872;
1774–1850)
As livestock holdings outgrew
pastoral lands around Sydney,
Blaxland pushed to find a route
over the Blue Mountains to new
pastures. On 11 May 1813 the
trio commenced their attempt,
and 21 days later became the
first known Europeans to escape
Sydney’s coastal confines.GREG MORTIMER was the first Australian to summit Mt Everest (AG 114),
K2, Annapurna II and Chongtar in the Himalaya, without supplementary
oxygen, as well as climbing two Antarctic peaks. In 1983 he was invited on
an Aussie ascent of Annapurna II’s south face, and reached the summit.
The next year he climbed Everest by a new north face route, leading the
crux pitch now called ‘Greg’s Gully’. In 1988 he sailed to Antarctica on a
small boat to climb Mt Minto, the highest unclimbed Admiralty Mountains
peak, and returned later in the year to climb Mt Vinson, Antarctica’s high-
est peak. Greg has received the Medal of the Order of Australia for services
to mountaineering, as well as three AG Society medals.Greg Mortimer (1952–)
ANDREW LOCK (1961–)
Andrew Lock was the first Australian to reach
all 14 of the world’s 8000m-plus peaks,
including four – such as Mt Everest – that
summited twice (AG 97). He says that, for
him, adventure is about taking on challenges
where the outcome isn’t guaranteed. He was
awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia
in 2011 for services to mountaineering.ALAN WARILD (1955–)
Explorer, writer and pioneer,
Alan Warild is one of the
world’s finest cavers (AG 10).
He’s set many records while
solo exploring deep caves,
and has written the definitive
book on caving and under-
ground rescue.PAUL EDMUND DE
STRZELECKI (1797–1873)
Polish nobleman, scientist and
explorer, Strzelecki named
Australia’s tallest mountain –
2228m Mt Kosciuszko.
He was intrepid, well liked,
an excellent administrator
and a thorough scientist.JOHAN GERARD KREFFT
(1830–1881)
A prolific collector and extraordinary
scientist, Johann Ludwig Gerard
‘Louis’ Krefft is renowned as one of
the best early zoologists. He built up
the Australian Museum’s collections
and recorded thorough sketches and
MORTIMER: COURTESY GREG MORTIMER; LAWSON: STATE LIBRARY OF NEW SOUTH WALES; LOCK: AAP ONE; STRZELECKI: STATE LIBRARY OF NEW SOUTH WALES; WARILD: COURTESY ALAN WARILD; KREFFT: COURTESY AM descriptions of species now extinct.