Bushwalk Australia

Hi all, here are a few images of the Over land track in Late November. Happy to answer any questions about my experience. First 2 days where quite tough, sun came out on the 3rd day. Had a ball!

Looks great! You've made me jealous.

So did you do it solo in the end? How'd it go for you?

How were the huts each night? Any stories from there?

What about the people you met along the way?

What side trips did you do? I see you did Oakleigh - great choice!

How'd your equipment hold up? Cold? Get through okay?

Favourite sections? Bits you found boring?!

(Lots of questions and I really want to hear the answers. I can live vicariously though you!)

Congratulations! Great photos.

benoloughlin wrote:Congratulations! Great photos.

Thank you.

bumpingbill wrote:Looks great! You've made me jealous.

So did you do it solo in the end? How'd it go for you?

How were the huts each night? Any stories from there?

What about the people you met along the way?

What side trips did you do? I see you did Oakleigh - great choice!

How'd your equipment hold up? Cold? Get through okay?

Favourite sections? Bits you found boring?!

(Lots of questions and I really want to hear the answers. I can live vicariously though you!)

I set off by myself from the first shuttle 8:15am, I stalled at the sign in hut for quite a while because the weather was terrible. I made it to the boat hut and sheltered there for a while before going up to Marions. A bit up from Marions I saw another hiker coming, so waited behind a rock out of the wind & snow. A quick introduction and we instinctively said, lets help each other get though this leg.
From there we drank a hot drink and ate in Kitchen hut.
First day was 6 hours walking step for step totally exposed in winds blowing me off the board walk in sideways snow and rain.
First time for me in conditions like that.

The 2 of us shared the hut for a long while wondering where other were. The smarter ones left later, 24 odd people in the hut by the end of the day, no tents out side LOL.

The people where great, not one negative comment the entire trip.

Side trips , yeah Oakleigh from there I bagged waterfalls while others with better knees, Summits.

I was happy with the gear I took, I wore the first 2 bad days, LS thermal top, my quick dry shirt and rain shell, that was fine for me whilst moving. I spent 2 nights in huts, the rest in a tent. I wore 2 LS thermal top fleece, thermal bottoms, 2 pr socks and drapped my Down jacket over my torso in the bag, early morning.

A lot going on in my life ATM, thats one reason for me hiking, trip was emotional for me, probably teared up around five times, no parts where boring, it was all great, not knowing what was round each corner a thrill. Everywhere you look great scenery.

Favourite parts: On top of Oakleigh, close encounters with wild life, had to walk around a paddy melon on the track, wouldnt move. Saw wombats, echinas, platypus at lake st claire. Had a critter rip my tent open one night after food.
The first 2 days my concern meter was going Bing Bing Bing!! I was genuinely concerned and was soooo pleased to link up with a hiking buddy, later on my buddy that day said same. But the first day was the main highlight.

I will have to go back as I didnt see much at all for first 2 days.
Cheers for your interest.

Thanks for the run down Mark....we start the walk Wednesday week 14th Dec.

Out of interest what temps did it get down to overnight......I wasn't planning on wearing the amount of clothing you did.

weeds wrote:Out of interest what temps did it get down to overnight......I wasn't planning on wearing the amount of clothing you did.

Hey Weeds,
Not sure about temps.
I sleep hot and had a Mont sleeping bag duck down 600+, my bag I know could have been better.
So for in camp I had dry: 2 x thermal tops, fleece, Long thermal pants, 2 x socks, beanie and down jacket. All these items are nothing special. Thermals and jacket from Aldi. My tent is great for QLD with really good air flow, LOL.
I sleep better in my tent, even if it is cooler and maybe wet packing up in morning.

weeds wrote:Thanks for the run down Mark....we start the walk Wednesday week 14th Dec.

I have read your previous posts weeds, you sound well prepared.
It is great when you finally start walking.
Enjoy!!!

weeds wrote:Out of interest what temps did it get down to overnight......I wasn't planning on wearing the amount of clothing you did.

I started the overland the day before Mark so I can appreciate the range of weather conditions he went through! I think the coldest we had was about -2 degrees, but with an apparent temperature of -12 (this is according to my parents who were following the weather whilst I was away haha).

Better to start early than to start late. You have the comfort of knowing there will be others coming up behind. Start late and you can never be sure if you are the last. Start early and you give yourself time to admire the views, or take an unplanned side trip. You get a better choice of bunk position or tent platform at the next hut, and you have some quiet time to get set up, relax and take in surroundings before the other walkers arrive. If you are brave enough, you have time to have a bracing dip in Lake Windermere or the stream at Kia Ora.

There is no predicting the weather - On one trip I crossed the plateau in driving snow and rain as you did, on another I post-holed through waist-deep snow pretty much from Marion's Lookout to the descent off the Cradle Cirque at Waterfall Valley, following the snow poles. On another there was little snow and settled weather for the entire trip. And these trips were all made in late October.

RonK wrote:... a bracing dip in Lake Windermere ...

I've never been there when it's been warm enough.
In fact, I don't think it ever does get warm enough for that.

J M wrote:

weeds wrote:Out of interest what temps did it get down to overnight......I wasn't planning on wearing the amount of clothing you did.

I started the overland the day before Mark so I can appreciate the range of weather conditions he went through! I think the coldest we had was about -2 degrees, but with an apparent temperature of -12 (this is according to my parents who were following the weather whilst I was away haha).

Thanks for that JM, it was good to do most of the track in nice cool walking weather.

RonK wrote:Better to start early than to start late. You have the comfort of knowing there will be others coming up behind. Start late and you can never be sure if you are the last. Start early and you give yourself time to admire the views, or take an unplanned side trip. You get a better choice of bunk position or tent platform at the next hut, and you have some quiet time to get set up, relax and take in surroundings before the other walkers arrive. If you are brave enough, you have time to have a bracing dip in Lake Windermere or the stream at Kia Ora.

There is no predicting the weather - On one trip I crossed the plateau in driving snow and rain as you did, on another I post-holed through waist-deep snow pretty much from Marion's Lookout to the descent off the Cradle Cirque at Waterfall Valley, following the snow poles. On another there was little snow and settled weather for the entire trip. And these trips were all made in late October.

Yes Ron, I like to get away early,
I swam at Old Pelion hut and above Hartnett Falls. Takes me a long while to get in LOL.
With all that snow, did turning back cross your mind? Trying to imagine doing that. Tough day out.

north-north-west wrote:

RonK wrote:... a bracing dip in Lake Windermere ...

I've never been there when it's been warm enough.
In fact, I don't think it ever does get warm enough for that.

Hi NNW,
A group of what some of us called crazy went in a Lake Windermere, mostly Women, was very funny, great laugh.
Some had a shower under Hartnett falls. Quite hard to get to it.
My favourite swimming spot was Old Pelion hut. Very cold. Good to lay on the hot rocks afterwards.
Loved it.
Cheers

mark electric wrote:

RonK wrote:Better to start early than to start late. You have the comfort of knowing there will be others coming up behind. Start late and you can never be sure if you are the last. Start early and you give yourself time to admire the views, or take an unplanned side trip. You get a better choice of bunk position or tent platform at the next hut, and you have some quiet time to get set up, relax and take in surroundings before the other walkers arrive. If you are brave enough, you have time to have a bracing dip in Lake Windermere or the stream at Kia Ora.

There is no predicting the weather - On one trip I crossed the plateau in driving snow and rain as you did, on another I post-holed through waist-deep snow pretty much from Marion's Lookout to the descent off the Cradle Cirque at Waterfall Valley, following the snow poles. On another there was little snow and settled weather for the entire trip. And these trips were all made in late October.

Yes Ron, I like to get away early,
I swam at Old Pelion hut and above Hartnett Falls. Takes me a long while to get in LOL.
With all that snow, did turning back cross your mind? Trying to imagine doing that. Tough day out.

Hehe - yes the stream at Kia Ora was so cold that my feet hurt after only a few minutes, so just a quick wash. Lake Windemere was bearable long enough to have a short paddle. But only because it was a sunny, still day - I wouldn't think about it in overcast, windy conditions.

No, never considered turning back - despite the deepish snow drifts, the weather on the day was fine enough. And on other visits I'd already been up as far as Kitchen Hut a couple of times in similar or even worse conditions mid-winter.

Progress was slow, particularly along the up-and-down bit crossing the scree slope under the lee of Cradle Mountain. But I had stayed overnight in a chalet at Walheim and started early so there was plenty of time to make Waterfall Valley. I do recall getting stuck in a waist-deep drift in front of Kitchen Hut and having to take my pack off to get out. I have a picture somewhere but can't find it now. There was a thick layer of ice on the roof at Waterfall Valley and Lake Windemere and no gas left so the inside of the huts was like a refrigerator.

My wife had a worse time on a winter trip. Leaving Lake Windemere, breaking trail through deep fresh snow was so exhausting she had to camp on the southern edge of Pine Forest Moor, near the track into the private hut. Luckily, next day a walker coming up from New Pelion Hut had broken trail and the going got easier.

Great post mark electric and replies everyone!

We are starting the OT dec 19 and after reading this post think need some advice on sleeping gear..
I have a sea to summit trek 2 (I think it's 600 loft) so with a warm liner and thermals I think I should be okay.
My partner however has a 5 degree synthetic bag (+ fleece sea to summit liner). Do you think he will be warm enough?
From WA so no experience hiking/camping in snow etc...
Thanks in advance!

What I take away from RonK's trips, is you can encounter all types of weather conditions anytime of year.

For walks I've done in QLD, risks at the top of my list have been Snake bite, falling branches, having a fall.
For the OLT, the weather conditions for me were top of the list.

Hi Smbj, hope you two have an amazing time and see heaps.
I didn't have a sleeping bag liner. I had a TYVEK painters suit as my back up.
Some of the people in my starting group had hired gear they were not confident in and stayed in the huts each night. They seemed happy enough. If bunks are full you can sleep on the floor if you think it will be a cold night.
Key for me was ensuring that my bag and camp clothes where dry each afternoon. I had bag and camp clothing compressed and in plastic bags. Pack cover on if conditions were wet.

There are ways to squeeze a lower rating out of that bag. Bivy on the out side maybe.
Others on here would have more ideas.

Smbj wrote:Great post mark electric and replies everyone!

We are starting the OT dec 19 and after reading this post think need some advice on sleeping gear..
I have a sea to summit trek 2 (I think it's 600 loft) so with a warm liner and thermals I think I should be okay.
My partner however has a 5 degree synthetic bag (+ fleece sea to summit liner). Do you think he will be warm enough?
From WA so no experience hiking/camping in snow etc...
Thanks in advance!

We start on the 15th Dec taking eight days to cover the track.....

We all have -5 or -7 bags........they are defiantly warm enough in low single figures not wearing any PJ's so figured they will easily do the job with layers on.