"Settling onto our tiny ledge it soon became clear that our short window of good weather was about to close. We set about tying ourselves in to the ledge, unpacking sleeping bags and preparing a meagre meal of biscuits and cheese.

Our rocky ledge was half way up Eldon Bluff in western Tasmania, one of the most remote and unclimbed cliffs in the country. We sat in our sleeping bags, backs resting against the cold dolerite, tired but satisfied with our progress. As we ate the last of the dinner rations we watched as clouds began appearing from the south west, skipping across the face of our north facing cliff and gradually obscuring our view of Lake Ewart and the distant southern peaks of the Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park.

At first the clouds were below us and we could watch as the stars appeared in the wonderfully dark Tasmanian sky but then we became totally enveloped as the swirling mists rose and blanketed Eldon Bluff............"

Originally published in "Australian Geographic" in February 2000 as part of a 2500 word feature titled "TERRA INCOGNITA" pages 102 to 115.