PlayAbels Deck of Cards

A standard 54 card deck with 54 drawings of exceptional Tasmanian mountains.

What Is An Abel?

"The Abels" are a creation of Bill Wilkinson as a way of classifying Tasmanian peaks. To qualify as an "Abel" a high point must satisfy two criteria:
- be at least 1100m high
- have a minimum drop of 150m on all sides

There are 158 peaks that meet this definition, which are spread across the three decks of PlayAbels.
Click here to find out who's in which deck

Accessing and exploring the mountains is always a matter of respecting land management, both public and private. There are many books and blogs to help figure out the best approaches, while being mindful that your safety is your own responsibility. There is much joy to be found in wandering around the bush. May we all show the thoughtfulness required to continue to have the freedom to get out there and have a go.

 theabelmountains.com.au

Geology

For a small island, Tassie has a glorious range and complexity of geology. Most of the Abels are dolerite, with some conglomerate and quartzite in the south and west. My sources for geology were my brother Ned and Keith Corbett's book Child of Gondwana (but any errors of interpretation are most certainly my own!).

A Note From The Maker

Some people say coming into the bush is coming home, that going out is going in. I don't know if that's true for me. The respect and yearning for Tassie hills that I have is easily explained as a search for freedom and belonging. But these feelings cannot be compared with the deep and direct interdependency those that live on the land share with the bush. Similarly, to brand a place wilderness and imply it is untouched is to ignore many thousands of generations of indigenous custodianship and the wide-reaching impacts of modern consumerism and globalisation.

I guess like many love letters, this project is both a thank you and an apology. May it bring you joy, while remembering that none of our actions happen in isolation and each time we go into the bush we are choosing to alter it.

More thanks are sent to my key collaborators, Becca and Bill, for conceptual input and enthusiasm. Brother Ned for simplifying a geological map and always making walks take 35% longer due to required rock-observation time. Josh and Lou for good vibes galore and generous website assistance.

But most thanks of all must go to my three jokers (unfortunately only two could make it to print).
- Mum and Dad for teaching me about place
- The HickeyBesterScotts for allowing me to be slightly bigger than I deserve
- Ken-Gene for being there. Always.

I hope these cards help you share special places with special people wherever you play.

Written while waiting for my porridge to soak on top of Mount Chapman, September 2021.

A Note From The Maker On Cultural Heritage

lutruwita/Tasmania has been the home of the palawa people for at least 40,000 years. This land was never ceded, and navigating concepts of ownership and the symbolic importance of nomenclature is complex. Where possible I have tried to include place names in palawa kani, the language of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people. My source was TAC's palawa kani language map  https://tacinc.com.au/pulingina-to-lutruwita-place-names-map/.

My hope would be that these cards are a symbolic representation of places loved by many, and that despite the name of "Abels" they do not end up representing an extension of colonialisation's desire to "conquer".