Overland Track Usage Guidelines - Update April 2013

[tastrax]

An update to the policy - soon to be posted on the PWS website

Can the moderators make this a sticky and remove the previous policy post please.

[Ent]

Promising clarification.

[norts]

Doesnt clarify if you can camp at Waterfall Valley, had an acquaintance told they couldn't and would have to move on after climbing Barn Bluff.
Roger

[wayno]

why dont they just put those one way gates you get at train stations?

[Strider]

why dont they just put those one way gates you get at train stations?

Is this a serious comment? People would just walk around them.

[wayno]

i'm always totally serious

[Nuts]

Promising clarification.

Sorry parks, it's good to see this evolving but it's actually More ambiguous than the previous document. The preamble covers too much to leave the interpretation examples at that.. surely the same problem last time?.. i doubt you'll need me to tell you that though.

How do we get on the 'stakeholders' list?

[Strider]

Promising clarification.

Sorry parks, it's good to see this evolving but it's actually More ambiguous than the previous document. The preamble covers too much to leave the interpretation examples at that.. surely the same problem last time?.. i doubt you'll need me to tell you that though.

How do we get on the 'stakeholders' list?

You are already on it by being an interested member of the general public.

[ryantmalone]

Doesnt clarify if you can camp at Waterfall Valley, had an acquaintance told they couldn't and would have to move on after climbing Barn Bluff.
Roger

The guidelines state that you cant walk more than one overnight section of the Overland Track, and with Pelion being suggested as an overnight camp for those walking in via the Arm River, I'd see no problems with people camping at Waterfall Valley.

[Nuts]

Yes, and sadly, so it begins?

[Strider]

Talk about confusing.

So if I want to walk in from Arm River and summit Ossa and walk back out again, is this now rendered to being an overnighter?

[MrWalker]

Talk about confusing.

So if I want to walk in from Arm River and summit Ossa and walk back out again, is this now rendered to being an overnighter?

No, because an exception is made between Pelion and Pelion Gap, so you could walk that bit the wrong way, staying overnight at Pelion for 0, 1 or 2 nights depending how you feel.

Technically it is confusing, with terms like "in most cases" and "if practicable", but if you stay "with the spirit of the system" you should be OK.

So I presume I can catch the ferry up the lake and walk South-Noth to Pelion, then out via Arm River, as long as I don't stop more than one night while doing it.

[corvus]

Contact the Minister here brian.wightman@parliament.tas.gov.au make what you feel known and require for an answer.
corvus

[ryantmalone]

Talk about confusing.

So if I want to walk in from Arm River and summit Ossa and walk back out again, is this now rendered to being an overnighter?

I'd go with the belief that if it is not an overnight portion of Overland Track that is normally considered a full day between camps (Eg, Waterfall Valley to Windermere, Windermere to Pelion Huts, Pelion Huts to Kia Ora, and so on), then you would be fine.

I'd be under the impression that you could walk into Pelion Hut, spend a week doing day walks camped at Pelion Hut, and walk out, and you would be fine.

Walk one overnight segment however, and it'll cost you an OT fee.

[dplanet]

Talk about confusing.

So if I want to walk in from Arm River and summit Ossa and walk back out again, is this now rendered to being an overnighter?

No, because an exception is made between Pelion and Pelion Gap, so you could walk that bit the wrong way, staying overnight at Pelion for 0, 1 or 2 nights depending how you feel.

Technically it is confusing, with terms like "in most cases" and "if practicable", but if you stay "with the spirit of the system" you should be OK.

So I presume I can catch the ferry up the lake and walk South-Noth to Pelion, then out via Arm River, as long as I don't stop more than one night while doing it.

If nothing changed since January this year, I am sure that you can not.
There was a notice located at the junction of the OT and Pine Valley Track. If without the OT pass, it was illegal to continue on the OT. I had to take the Pine Valley Track and did Ducane in a clockwise direction.

[tibboh]

These signs are posted all along the OLT, not just at the Pine Valley junction. If you are walking the DuCane circuit anticlockwise you are not walking the OLT (even though you are sharing the same path).

[north-north-west]

These signs are posted all along the OLT, not just at the Pine Valley junction. If you are walking the DuCane circuit anticlockwise you are not walking the OLT (even though you are sharing the same path).

It doesn't matter. Unless I read those guidelines wrong, they specifically say that using the OT for access to the DuCane Circuit (from Narcissus) and the Pelion Circuit (from New Pelion) is OK.

[dplanet]

Hence, my visit to Parks and Wildlife Service at Lake St Clair before setting off had been fruitless. I had been told that I would not be able to continue on to Ducane Gap. My initial plan had been an anti-clockwise walk, which had been planned mainly based on weather forecast.

[philm]

We recently walked from Lake St Clair to DuCane gap and then over the Traveller range to WOJ. Our initial plan was to walk through to the top of DuCane on day 1 but the weather was bad - very high winds so we decided to stop at Windy Ridge Hut for the night.
We spoke to the ranger at the Hut and he was excellent and understood our situation.
It is great to get some clarity from the most recent guidelines however not sure it makes sense to be able to only walk North - South on small sections of the the track? After all it is not that busy and our trip from Windy Ridge to Du Cane started early and we did not see a single person coming from North - South - hence no disruption to the track traffic itself.
I'd suggest the guidelines state that the small sections of the track i.e. from Pine Valley turn off to Du Cane gap or Never Never can be walked in both directions as I can't see any real difference?
I think most walkers wishing to do Traveller, Never Never etc. are not trying to avoid paying the OT fee but just want to walk a different and perhaps more challenging area of the reserve.

[north-north-west]

We recently walked from Lake St Clair to DuCane gap and then over the Traveller range to WOJ. Our initial plan was to walk through to the top of DuCane on day 1 but the weather was bad - very high winds so we decided to stop at Windy Ridge Hut for the night.
We spoke to the ranger at the Hut and he was excellent and understood our situation.
It is great to get some clarity from the most recent guidelines however not sure it makes sense to be able to only walk North - South on small sections of the the track? After all it is not that busy and our trip from Windy Ridge to Du Cane started early and we did not see a single person coming from North - South - hence no disruption to the track traffic itself.
I'd suggest the guidelines state that the small sections of the track i.e. from Pine Valley turn off to Du Cane gap or Never Never can be walked in both directions as I can't see any real difference?
I think most walkers wishing to do Traveller, Never Never etc. are not trying to avoid paying the OT fee but just want to walk a different and perhaps more challenging area of the reserve.

Hence, my visit to Parks and Wildlife Service at Lake St Clair before setting off had been fruitless. I had been told that I would not be able to continue on to Ducane Gap. My initial plan had been an anti-clockwise walk, which had been planned mainly based on weather forecast.

From the guidelines:
The following overnight walks are examples of walks that are consistent with these guidelines:
i CradleRodway (O/N)Cradle (day walk to Barn Bluff / Waterfall Valley)
ii Arm RiverPelion (O/N)Arm River (day walks to Ossa, Pelion East, Pelion West, Oakleigh
iii Lake St ClairPine Valley (O/N)Lake St Clair (Lake Marion, Labyrinth, Acropolis)
iv CradleLake McCrae or Mt InglisCradle v Mersey ValleyJunction LakeNever NeverLees
Paddocks
vi Lake St Clair/NarcissusByron, Cuvier, Traveller Range, Ducane Range, Olympus

So, unless you're expected to get to DuCane Gap via the DuCane Range, North from Narcissus is fine.

[Nuts]

So, unless you're expected to get to DuCane Gap via the DuCane Range, North from Narcissus is fine.

Screen Shot 2013-05-14 at 6.14.29 PM.png (447.89 KiB) Viewed 87926 times

[tibboh]

The bottom lines of these signs say daywalkers can use short sections of the OLT. From this you can clearly walk from Narcissus to Ducane Gap (4-5hrs) then turn off left or right, at any time of the year. Parks are just trying to avoid overcrowding Bert Nicholls with non-overlanders in peak season.

[Nuts]

It would seem so tibboh.. I'm not sure how then there have been misunderstandings.

[north-north-west]

Exactly. I walked up to DuCane from Narcissus during my first attempt at the Range without any problems (except a filthy "if looks could kill" glare from the leader of one passing group).

[Nuts]

Yes, yet others Have had problems (hence the attempt at updating the guidelines).

[tibboh]

Exactly. I walked up to DuCane from Narcissus during my first attempt at the Range without any problems (except a filthy "if looks could kill" glare from the leader of one passing group).

Superiority complex. Because they have paid their pound of flesh to walk the track you are obviously a villain for daring to walk the wrong way. I would treat them the same way as a rude driver...just give them a big smile and a wave and let them pass in their little storm cloud while you savour the delights of your surroundings.

[Nuts]

Exactly. I walked up to DuCane from Narcissus during my first attempt at the Range without any problems (except a filthy "if looks could kill" glare from the leader of one passing group).

Superiority complex. Because they have paid their pound of flesh to walk the track you are obviously a villain for daring to walk the wrong way.

Could be that, wouldn't be the first. Then again it might have been a reaction. It could also be that the guide thought she was in fact walking the wrong way...

[north-north-west]

I don't think she was a guide, just a private group. Something in the look said 'you rotten fee-dodging cow'. I just smiled and walked on.

[dunamis]

Doesnt clarify if you can camp at Waterfall Valley, had an acquaintance told they couldn't and would have to move on after climbing Barn Bluff.
Roger

The guidelines state that you cant walk more than one overnight section of the Overland Track, and with Pelion being suggested as an overnight camp for those walking in via the Arm River, I'd see no problems with people camping at Waterfall Valley.

Spoke to Parks today and they confirmed you can do a day walk only to Waterfall without booking a spot on the Overland Track but you cannot overnight there in the Hut nor in a tent. I told them their usage guidelines were a bit ambiguous in that respect. You can however walk into Pelion from Arm River and overnight there although technically you can't stay in the hut but they alluded to the fact that if there was space in there it wasn't going to be a big problem. The main driver behind all the rules and usage guidelines etc. is because of the massive pressure of numbers on the park.

[Nuts]

So, unless you're expected to get to DuCane Gap via the DuCane Range, North from Narcissus is fine.

The attachment Screen Shot 2013-05-14 at 6.14.29 PM.png is no longer available

Oh, hold on. What's this then. Fined!! (not fine..) doh! :

Screen Shot 2013-12-05 at 6.33.35 PM.png (376.8 KiB) Viewed 85583 times

The main driver behind all the rules and usage guidelines etc. is because of the massive pressure of numbers on the park.

Well,no, not really, the numbers are most likely fairly stagnant or falling. Or.. pushed onto less-managed routes..
While the signs- they are a changin'